diver 85
Contributor
bag is my choice....Like one said, suitcase it for air travel, then go with the packed mesh bag you brought.....
Dive Bag vs. Dive Box...
- Thread starter Tropicalwolf
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Tropicalwolf
Contributor
Over the years i have used just about everything, i was just trying to get a feel for any current trends. I used to used a large duffle, then a tall Mares bag, then a gorilla box, and now i am trying to see if there is anything new.
I would SO use the shopping cart if i could!
I would SO use the shopping cart if i could!
GrumpyOldGuy
Contributor
Ouch...
I do most of my boat diving in So Cal and we all know how uncivilized they are
The boats there tend to be larger with compressors, so 1 tank per diver and thus the seat width is cramped. Which boats do you use with double tank width seats?
Like Diver85, I pack my backs in a lockable suitcase (well, a 36" REI rolling duffle for me) and bring along my mesh gear bag for use aboard the boat. For liveaboards, the mesh bag is just for transporting wet gear until it dries and I can repack it in the rolling duffle for the plane ride home.
While I like the idea of a hard-sided container for my dive gear for plane rides, I find that it won't squish in order to pack in the trunk of my two-seater, nor does it stow well aboard a boat and I'd have to transfer everything from the box to the bag at the dock anyway.
Blackbeard's Cruises in the Bahamas are the only one-tank I've experienced. Liveaboards with onboard compressors. There was no gear storage for divers directly under the tanks, however. Everything was roomy storage lockers under additional seating toward the front of the boat.
Every day-trip boat I've been on so far has brought two tanks per diver and had no onboard compressor.
While I like the idea of a hard-sided container for my dive gear for plane rides, I find that it won't squish in order to pack in the trunk of my two-seater, nor does it stow well aboard a boat and I'd have to transfer everything from the box to the bag at the dock anyway.
Blackbeard's Cruises in the Bahamas are the only one-tank I've experienced. Liveaboards with onboard compressors. There was no gear storage for divers directly under the tanks, however. Everything was roomy storage lockers under additional seating toward the front of the boat.
Every day-trip boat I've been on so far has brought two tanks per diver and had no onboard compressor.
I use the plastic bin method. I would get a gorilla box with wheels but it does not fit in the back seat of my Jetta 
Even on the boats up here I can use my Rubbermaid plastic bins.
Even on the boats up here I can use my Rubbermaid plastic bins.
fnfalman
Contributor
It's all depending on your loadout. If you're a hardcore videographer or photographer then you'd need heavy cases to protect your toys. But if you just want to tote your dive gears around? It's all depending on what dive sites you're going to:
1. Easy-to-get-to shore sites = milk crates, el cheapo boxes, dive bags, etc.
2. Long-haul-to-get-to shore sites = containers with big wheels for easy pulling/pushing.
3. Boat dive = dive bag (as small as possible).
1. Easy-to-get-to shore sites = milk crates, el cheapo boxes, dive bags, etc.
2. Long-haul-to-get-to shore sites = containers with big wheels for easy pulling/pushing.
3. Boat dive = dive bag (as small as possible).
fnfalman
Contributor
For SoCal, the Sundiver, Sundiver Express and Sea Bass all configured to take double tanks.
KentFromPGH
Registered
On a dive boat I use a mesh gear bag (not the small snorkel bag but one that has backpack straps) and a small dry box. The mesh gear bag can carry all of my gear on and off the boat but on weeklong dive trips it usually just has my wetsuit and dry box. My wife and I also have a small dry bag that we use to put our shirts, shorts, hats, etc. on the boat. I have had the mesh gear bag for over a decade and it is still going strong - it is an older version of Stahlsac Mesh Backpack (Panama) [WD14] - $42.99 : Scuba gear online: A1ScubaShop.com., Wetsuits, BCDs, snorkels, fins and more.
We do different things for different dives.
For normal shore diving, we have a large, shallow plastic box I picked up at the hardware store, and all the wet stuff goes in that. For teaching, where we may have to move gear a lot further, we use Stanley tool boxes. They're really rugged and tolerate a lot of weight, although the latches rust. They roll easily, and the handles collapse, so they're easy to fit into the car.
For boat diving, we use Armor mesh bags, which have a dry pocket attached to them. Everything but the BC goes in them, and we walk the BC with one tank onto the boat.
For normal shore diving, we have a large, shallow plastic box I picked up at the hardware store, and all the wet stuff goes in that. For teaching, where we may have to move gear a lot further, we use Stanley tool boxes. They're really rugged and tolerate a lot of weight, although the latches rust. They roll easily, and the handles collapse, so they're easy to fit into the car.
For boat diving, we use Armor mesh bags, which have a dry pocket attached to them. Everything but the BC goes in them, and we walk the BC with one tank onto the boat.
Ouch...
I do most of my boat diving in So Cal and we all know how uncivilized they are
The boats there tend to be larger with compressors, so 1 tank per diver and thus the seat width is cramped. Which boats do you use with double tank width seats?
The Great Escape in the LA area, the Horizon in San Diego, the Truth Aquatics boats in Santa Barbara although the Truth is a smaller boat at 65 ft. A lot of boats are gone now but there are new ones that I havn't explored so some checking with the California Diving News might be helpful
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