Flying Hawaiian Air. How should I pack my gear?

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Michelle Jace

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Location
Los Angeles, California, United States
# of dives
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The last thread I could find specific to this topic was from 2006.

Has anyone flown Hawaiian recently with their gear? I'm flying from LAX to Maui next week. I've never flown with my equipment before so I'm a little nervous. Ideally I'd like my reg bag and dive computer to come with me in my carry on. My BC, fins, mask, snorkel, booties, gloves, and dry box can go in my checked bag.

Any tips? Will I have trouble with TSA? Could I bring my BC as my carry on as well?

Thanks!
 
You won't have any trouble with TSA on flights to Hawaii - or anywhere else for that matter. I'd be very surprised if they even mention it, they see a lot of scuba gear going to Hawaii. When you see a reg set on a x-ray screen it's pretty obvious what it is.

I'd include your mask in your carry-on. Just because it's the other thing they could fairly easily break while handling your luggage. Plus who wants to go looking for a replacement on vacation.

If you haven't seen it, here's the Hawaiian guidelines for carry-ons - pretty much the standard as all other U.S. airlines. - Hawaiian Airlines

If your BC fits in your carry-on, I suppose you could do that.

I don't see the advantage though since everything else is in your checked bag. If you're on the non-stop - there's a high likelihood your bag will make it, if connecting thru Honolulu that should be fine also. Even if they mis-directed it there, they have about 4-5 flights connecting thru to Maui daily so it would likely be on the next one. We've done that Hawaiian flight several times over the years and all our stuff always showed up the same day.

On the rare chance your gear got lost you can just rent till it shows up. Most of the popular Maui dive operators turn all their rental gear yearly so it's usually in pretty good shape.
 
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TSA, Hawaiian or any other airline for that matter are used to scuba gear.

I use a scuba designed suitcase. Fins in the outside compartments, BC, Mask, wetsuit, clothes, etc. The regs, camera, computers come with me in a small hardsided carry on case.
 
I will almost always take my gear with me if diving on vacation, even if I'm only diving one day. Regulator and computer go with me in carry on luggage. I've had a TSA screener ask but was satisfied with told its scuba gear. BC and fins go in a dive bag as checked luggage. Mask actually goes in its case with clothes for a little extra padding. I like to take the scuba bag since you will need something to get the gear to the dive site in Hawaii and I also pack the kids pool gays in it as well.
 
Don't leave small items loose in the dive bag. I had the rear end of my dive bag ripped open in Guam. As well as bag damage, the worst part is the loss of a $400 life line radio which was loose in the bag. I now clip things onto rings and anything small goes into a BCD pocket or thigh pocket which is attached to the wing/BCD.


Make sure face masks are protected, I put mine inside a fin pocket. I had the end of one smashed off. Put regulators inside the BCD/wing to protect as I had a reg body smashed by being hit hard when it was also loose in a bag.

The travel insurance decided that my 2 year old radio had depreciated to only 40% (gee they wear out quick don't they), so payed me a pittance of what it was all worth.
 
The only issue I've ever seen flying HA or any other airline with scuba gear, was with TSA checking for batteries in dive lights. Take them out to avoid possibility of fire.
 
Used to carry all gear in carryon scuba suitcase and cram some spare clothes in. Now, travel bc (rolled up), reg, computer, mask, camera, and some clothes go in regular carryon while wetsuit, fins, video light, snorkel, mesh dive bag, some clothes, and other junk go in checked bag.

My wife carries her microfiber towel in her small extra carryon bag and uses it as a blanket.

Never had a problem with TSA. One time they saw the reg coiled up and asked me about it...told them what it was and all was good.

The travel insurance decided that my 2 year old radio had depreciated to only 40% (gee they wear out quick don't they), so payed me a pittance of what it was all worth.

Not to be nosy but was wondering if you would share who you had travel insurance with. Am looking to purchase it for my next trip.
 
Australian company RACV. Whilst they have paid out on both the claims I have had, stolen necklace when mugged and bag/radio claim, I think the depreciation they applied to the baggage claim was less than fair. Although in saying this, their policy says they set the depreciation so there is no where to go with it. I suspect most travel insurance policies are like this. You get what you get, and perhaps they thought I was ripping them off as I had 2 claims in the first year with them.

United, bless their souls, had the foresight to never respond to my claim. Obviously they had far more important things to do than to respond to a valid claim from a passenger.
 
I flew Hawaiian NY to HON in Sept and checked all my gear except for reg, mask, computer and GoPro. I didn't declare my checked bag as scuba gear and I didn't have any issues either leg of the trip.
 

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