How do you pack and travel with your SP Hydros Pro BC?

[Whipsnake]

I've had my Hydros on a few dives now, and like it a lot. Coming from SP Stab jackets for years, this is my first experience with a weight-integrated BC, and I like it except for the fact that its "stickiness", while not letting it ride up, makes it really difficult to slide my arms past the shoulder straps. Incidentally, did they put enough Scubapro logos on this thing?

 

[Ash176]

So, for long term storage as long as I got some air in the bladder, it is ok to fold it and store it in the provided bag which will then go into a suitcase for storage?

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I feel like I found a long lost friend. Finally, a thread about rigging a hydros Pro. Thank you, Ready.

I've done roughly 70 dives on my hydros and love it. I'm 6'4" so it fits a little high on my belly. For that reason, I took off the integrated weight pockets because I have floaty legs and like my weights a little lower on my body. I use a rubber weight belt so it doesn't slip so much.
My only complaint about the hydros is that it rides up on me on the surface but that was solved with a crotch strap.

I was using an Atomic SS1 integrated octo but found its too uncomfortable to breathe from. Just put on a K style power inflator instead. I keep this fastened to the shoulder strap with heavy duty velcro. Just a small contact point works great as you don't want to have to struggle getting it free.

I run a 48" primary under my arm with a 90degree swivel connection and my safe second is on a 20" to a necklace.

I'll be diving in Jeddah in a few weeks to test this new rig on my Rescue Diver certification and hopefully won't regret my efforts.

I keep my smb bungeed to the bottom of the plastic back plate and my roll snorkel dangling off one of the corners of the same. Backup light is zip tied to the harness webbing on the shoulder strap high and out of the way.

For travel, I use velcro compression straps around the bcd to get it really small. Everything goes ina carry on and my personal items is for reg, clothes, camera, etc.

Of course, this all works if you aren't flying United. Those guys are jerks.

All the best and I hope to see you underwater.

 

[MrBigfins]

I pack it without wrapping cam band, 2 regs wrapped inside the straps, 4 flashlights, 2 masks, 2 computers, smb, reel and spool, tg5 and case, and a few misc items. The backpack meets personal item size requirements for the flights so I take it as a personal item.

I have 150 or so dives on it, from drift dives in carribean, to cavern diving in Florida, to cold water dives in north east. I no longer use weight pouches, I'm hooked on the travel belt. I added 2 split d rinse on each back loop of the travel belt, it works amazing for keeping everything tight and stops danglies

 

[TomOH]

I feel like I found a long lost friend. Finally, a thread about rigging a hydros Pro. Thank you, Ready.

I've done roughly 70 dives on my hydros and love it. I'm 6'4" so it fits a little high on my belly. For that reason, I took off the integrated weight pockets because I have floaty legs and like my weights a little lower on my body. I use a rubber weight belt so it doesn't slip so much.
My only complaint about the hydros is that it rides up on me on the surface but that was solved with a crotch strap.

I was using an Atomic SS1 integrated octo but found its too uncomfortable to breathe from. Just put on a K style power inflator instead. I keep this fastened to the shoulder strap with heavy duty velcro. Just a small contact point works great as you don't want to have to struggle getting it free.

I run a 48" primary under my arm with a 90degree swivel connection and my safe second is on a 20" to a necklace.

I'll be diving in Jeddah in a few weeks to test this new rig on my Rescue Diver certification and hopefully won't regret my efforts.

I keep my smb bungeed to the bottom of the plastic back plate and my roll snorkel dangling off one of the corners of the same. Backup light is zip tied to the harness webbing on the shoulder strap high and out of the way.

For travel, I use velcro compression straps around the bcd to get it really small. Everything goes ina carry on and my personal items is for reg, clothes, camera, etc.

Of course, this all works if you aren't flying United. Those guys are jerks.

All the best and I hope to see you underwater.

Traveling in a few weeks for the first time with my new Hydros. I don’t check bags. It’s carryon, or it doesn’t go, which is what attracted me to Hydros Pro. I also fly United - so, I’ll let you know how it goes. .
(Fins are going to be trouble. Hoping the Hydros backpack is small enough to Sneak on as the ‘personal item’, so my roller bag can hold my fins. Strapping fins onto backpack will get too much attention from gate agents/flight attendants, I’m sure.)

Now, if someone can help me figure out how to travel with a dive knife/tool, that’d be awesome. Trilobite travels, but I haven’t found a TSA appropriate dive ‘knife’, that will work for carryon. ...first world problems....

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

Traveling in a few weeks for the first time with my new Hydros. I don’t check bags. It’s carryon, or it doesn’t go, which is what attracted me to Hydros Pro. I also fly United - so, I’ll let you know how it goes. .
(Fins are going to be trouble. Hoping the Hydros backpack is small enough to Sneak on as the ‘personal item’, so my roller bag can hold my fins. Strapping fins onto backpack will get too much attention from gate agents/flight attendants, I’m sure.)

Now, if someone can help me figure out how to travel with a dive knife/tool, that’d be awesome. Trilobite travels, but I haven’t found a TSA appropriate dive ‘knife’, that will work for carryon. ...first world problems....

I’ve just returned from my fourth international flight/trip with my Hydros setup (wife has one as well). I’ve used the backpack as a carry-on every time and again this time it was flawless. All of my gear traveled/fit/functioned perfectly again.

I never put the fins on the outside of the bag but have always been tempted to do so. I normally take one or even two checked bags so putting fins onto the backpack itself has never been a priority for me but my wife thinks it would be no problem to do so. I also don’t like the idea of advertising via the exposed fins.

Also, while I have a mount and knife I never actually take the knife itself with me because of TSA hassle/security hassle in general. I wish this wasn’t the case but it is. I was removing some filament line from a coral branch during a dive this past week and wish I had had my knife with me. I’m always tempted to take them, wife is not so we don’t lol.

My backpack contains my BC with Air2, a SP regulator bag with regulator/Air2,/VEO computer/etc, boots/socks/dive skin,/gloves, snorkel, wrenches/spare parts kit, flashlight and various other items and it has served me well even though I never actually use my gloves or snorkel or defog/etc. It always fits overhead easily in an airplane bin and only in Mexico once has security stopped and opened it/etc but when they did putting everything back inside quickly was not a problem. Only my logbook, camera and fins are not inside the backpack.

The shoulder straps are still perfect, same with the weight straps (I normally dive with 10lbs). We have approx 60 dives on them and can’t see buying anything else. Once we get to our destination we pull everything out of the backpacks and put it into 2 separate stalhsacs and dive that way all week. We pack everything back into the backpacks for our return/home flight, load up 1 or both of the stahlsacs with dirty clothes and/or fins and check them under the plane and put souvenirs (aka local liquor) into our check bags and go home. A+.

 

[Diver below 83]

This is how I pack my gear for tropical diving and I have always carried it on international flights.
Hydros and sewing nova's
Made a youtube video

whixh bag was that? Size wise