How to pack gear for flights.

[Biggenz]

I am going to be traveling to south Florida next week to complete some check off dives while I am on vacation. I will be flying down with my fins, mask, snorkel, as well as my BC. I had hoped to not check a bag and take everything as a carry on. Is this possible? I wasn't sure if I was able to pack everything that way or if I had to check my BC and fins?

 

[oldschoolto]

I can't see it unless you have a small travel style BC... Gear adds up fast...

Jim...

 

[diversteve]

What BC? If you have a travel model like a Covert, Lighthawk or Zuma they're designed to carry-on. Other bigger BC's not so much. Although I have stuffed a Zeagle Stiletto into my carry-on, there wasn't much room for anything else like clothes. Have you tried putting it into an airline approved carry-on - the size limit is 9x14x22 on most carriers. You may also find that your fins are too long - my XL's are about 26" long. No way I can bend them enough to fit my 22" roller.

It's possible to get away with all of it in a backpack but on a full flight they can deny you boarding with it and require you to gate check it.
Which is still going to be handled better than checked luggage.

One problem I've had with that twice is my gate checked bag still go through the normal checked bag system at the destination so watch that your bag doesn't get smashed by another one on the luggage carousel if that happens. They're supposed to handle them separately and make them available at/near the gate but that doesn't always happen. Since I fly with video gear, I have a hard sided roller - a TravelPro - in case it does. But my fins don't fit so I check a bag with BC/fins/extra stuff anyway.

 

[RJP]

As long as it fits in a bag that meets your airline's carry-on criteria there's no reason not to.

 

[Biggenz]

Awesome,

i guess ill see if they fit and go that way. If it doesn't I'll check it. I assumed I would toss my fins in my back pack and see if that works.

thanks for the help.

 

[19dohc]

..unless one wears one's wetsuit on board flight, it's not possible to cram all gear into cabin sized luggage...

 

[uncfnp]

..unless one wears one's wetsuit on board flight, it's not possible to cram all gear into cabin sized luggage...

It's not fun to carry around but it is possible with the right gear...

Soft duffle bag. Fins along the bottom. Wing and plate. Wrap reg set in wetsuit and lay against plate. Arrange harness to fit. Place boots at one end (stuffed with lights, mask, defog, etc). Stuff incidentals into any open space. Have buddy hold sides together as you zip.

Of course it does help to be a petite female.

 

[Saltyhawg]

We have hard sided luggage and put BC, fins and wet suit in one side and clothes in the other. Regulator, dive lights, mask go in the carry on.

 

[Montana Tom]

I've done it three times (twice to Bonaire and once to Cayman Brac) with a carry on for my wife and I taking all gear in two carry ons. Mask, fins, snorkel, regs, BCD, rash guard and 5mil full wetsuit and we each have a small backpack that hold our dive watch laptop, camera, book, and munchies as airport food is so expensive.
It can be done, you just have to be a good packer. I still check all of the non important stuff like clothes and food.

 

[Bigd2722]

you can try a dive caddy backpack. Probably not enough time to get it for next week. Do carry on everything you possibly can. I'm going through a nightmare right now with American Airlines over lost luggage and cancelled flights