What everybody else said. My carryons got weighed by LACSA/TACA flying from LAX to Costa Rica - I had to pull heavy stuff out (i.e., almost everything) and stuff it in my photo vest pockets. I was really glad I had brought that photo vest. They even had somebody at the boarding gate accosting people with bags that looked big. Also, some airlines will give you leeway if you have camera gear, so play up the camera gear part if you get hassled.
Dive Luggage Woes--What to Do?
- Thread starter Jcsgt
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I am heading to Florida in Feb and I am taking my dive gear with me. The airline I am using requests that if you are flying with sports gear of any kind, that you notify them in advance when you book. They make note of it becasue they allow you to travel with it as a curteosy. If they are aware of it, it is guaranteed a place on the plane. Now do I put my back plate in the carryon?
When I flew to the phillipines a while back I had 4 regsets, a 21w hid, my camera and dive comp along with a few books I "needed" for the 12hr flight...I think my backpack weighed 30+lbs. I always sling it over one shoulder and try to act as if its "weightless"...
For checked luggage there´s not much you can do...I always get a FF-card for whatever airline I´m using when travelling with divegear. My experience is that they´re more likely to "let things go" if you show a FF-card...Almost all airlines have a special-fee for "sporting goods" which isn´t that expensive compared to paying for regular excess baggage (which is kinda weird)...
For checked luggage there´s not much you can do...I always get a FF-card for whatever airline I´m using when travelling with divegear. My experience is that they´re more likely to "let things go" if you show a FF-card...Almost all airlines have a special-fee for "sporting goods" which isn´t that expensive compared to paying for regular excess baggage (which is kinda weird)...
Never play with the weight limits of those amall planes. Aaliyah Haughton's (Queen of the Damned) Plane crashed because of being overloaded. Possibly from re-arranging luggage to squeeze on a couple more pieces. Don't play with flying, there is a reason you don't have wings.
Edit:: ment to say on those LITTLE planes
Edit:: ment to say on those LITTLE planes
Thinking outside the box.
Post a package to the hotel well in advance, surface mail, cheapest rate.
Put in batteries, chargers, dive lamp, toiletries, Fins, booties, etc.
Pack it with teeshirts, underwear etc.
Put in everything thats heavy and you could replace if it got lost in transit.
Check that the parcel arrived before you leave so you know you dont need to take these things to the island.
When you leave the island post it back home or donate it to charity.
Camera Gear
This is very tough
For 1 week you can live without the laptop.
Buy a palmtop / organizer and a couple of 8gb memory cards, copy from your camera to the organizer daily.
Batteries for the strobes, can you buy them there? It will be expensive but then you wont need to carry them and a charger or see above.
Next I would limit the topside luggage I would take on that leg. Tropical climate, relaxed atmosphere.
So 2 changes of clothes, 2 tee-shirts, 2 shorts etc, wear one, pack one, and wash as required.
No spare shoes etc.
Empty wash bag then add only what is absolutely essential.
Have small bottles / tubes of anything you need, leave all the rest.
1 shampoo enough for 4 washes, small toothpaste, small suntan lotion, etc. That stuff is heavy.
If it is not absolutely essential dont take it.
Next Dive Gear
Do you need a wetsuit, would a dive-skin do the job, or rent one there.
Rent fins, they will work equally well for a week.
Do you need a backup mask, if its prescription yes, if not then you can borrow or rent one if needed.
Rent a light for the week, that saves carrying it and the batteries.
Post a package to the hotel well in advance, surface mail, cheapest rate.
Put in batteries, chargers, dive lamp, toiletries, Fins, booties, etc.
Pack it with teeshirts, underwear etc.
Put in everything thats heavy and you could replace if it got lost in transit.
Check that the parcel arrived before you leave so you know you dont need to take these things to the island.
When you leave the island post it back home or donate it to charity.
Camera Gear
This is very tough
For 1 week you can live without the laptop.
Buy a palmtop / organizer and a couple of 8gb memory cards, copy from your camera to the organizer daily.
Batteries for the strobes, can you buy them there? It will be expensive but then you wont need to carry them and a charger or see above.
Next I would limit the topside luggage I would take on that leg. Tropical climate, relaxed atmosphere.
So 2 changes of clothes, 2 tee-shirts, 2 shorts etc, wear one, pack one, and wash as required.
No spare shoes etc.
Empty wash bag then add only what is absolutely essential.
Have small bottles / tubes of anything you need, leave all the rest.
1 shampoo enough for 4 washes, small toothpaste, small suntan lotion, etc. That stuff is heavy.
If it is not absolutely essential dont take it.
Next Dive Gear
Do you need a wetsuit, would a dive-skin do the job, or rent one there.
Rent fins, they will work equally well for a week.
Do you need a backup mask, if its prescription yes, if not then you can borrow or rent one if needed.
Rent a light for the week, that saves carrying it and the batteries.
Yup, two sets of tee shirts, shorts, socks, undies, etc. I have these little shampoo bottles (recycled from hotel shampoo) full of my own wetsuit shampoo concoction, also good for washing clothes. Also a couple of these same bottles filled with suntan lotion. Once they're empty, I throw them. The only shoes that are going are the ones I'll be wearing on my feet.
I'm going to wrap my camera/strobes in my dive skin and place it in a small, lightweight, flexible backpack. I'll also stuff as many misc. soft items in there as I can get away with. I'm going to leave the wetsuit at home and save a few pounds. I'll stash a lightweight hood and gloves in my pockets. I'll likely wear my photographer's vest and fill the pockets with as much stuff as REASONABLY possible.
The laptop died a while back, so I won't have that additional weight. I'm hoping to get a small portable hard drive to back up my cards.
As far as the weight on the small plane, I understand that they fly the passengers over with carryong luggage, then there's a second flight with the luggage.
I'm going to wrap my camera/strobes in my dive skin and place it in a small, lightweight, flexible backpack. I'll also stuff as many misc. soft items in there as I can get away with. I'm going to leave the wetsuit at home and save a few pounds. I'll stash a lightweight hood and gloves in my pockets. I'll likely wear my photographer's vest and fill the pockets with as much stuff as REASONABLY possible.
The laptop died a while back, so I won't have that additional weight. I'm hoping to get a small portable hard drive to back up my cards.
As far as the weight on the small plane, I understand that they fly the passengers over with carryong luggage, then there's a second flight with the luggage.
Diver Dennis
Contributor
Passengers have no control on how much baggage they put on a commercial airliner. If you are flying yourself, that's a different matter...
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