Luggage Recommendations

[Crazyduck]

Very Interesting…

Thx Ann great points…
My Stahl bag did stand up and duffels are lighter than hard side cases. My Stahl duffel is just getting old, and I am getting sick that it does not have wheels.

Gordon- thanks that’s a great idea using the cooler….
I use cheap gun cases here stateside for my hid lights.

Josh- now that’s a good idea- I forgot about Akona. Need to harass the regular dive shop and see what they have. Oceanic has a blue backpack/ roller that is very nice; just not nearly big enough.

This year we are packing just what we need with the associated backups.
Blowing strange size o-rings is a nightmare my own fault for diving Poseidon regulators. Another reason why I am changing to domestic regulators- Diverite.

Hopefully, next year I will have the rebreather up and then we need to add a scuba tank to the list of things to take… ha

Cases in the past get crushed under the weight of other things. However, I need to lookinto this option... Do you use TSA locks?

(Hinalgo) for the diveboat.
Buy a mesh bag- I have an Akona mesh that everything fits into.
I wear on the boat my wetsuit up to my waist, my booties, watch, computer and my surf shirt. Mask stays in the dedicated hard case or around my neck.
That way you can take the bag and just dunk it into the rinse tank.
Link- http://www.akona.com/product.php?product_id=170
Just make sure you have a seal in the yoke so water does not get into the first stage.

If you can take a second really small bag (drybag) and put in it- sunscreen odds and ends, and a camping chemise or towel.
Example of camping towel- http://www.rei.com/product/734727?vcat=REI_SEARCH
If you dive with Christi (Blue XT) then they provide Nice towels. So do many of the other operators that go above and beyond.

Andrew

 

[driftin' by]

The fast boats are pretty small.

Ditto and one of these mama's will take up more than half the floor space. Actually I don't bring bag onboard of any kind... Over the years, I've applied the KISS principle when diving in Coz. Like ggunn, we don our boots and suits ashore leaving the top down and wear our BC's with regs in their place (LP hose connected, second stage in right bc pocket, computer clipped off on left side and fist stage just dangles off back), camera cinched to wrist with lanyard and fins in hand. Everything else, which isn't much (mask, cash, pocket light, SAD kit) goes into bc pocket. Really, I've never needed anything else aboard in Coz. YMMV

 

[driftin' by]

Josh

They actually ship them in a cardboard box...believe it or not. The boxes add weight and, you know, they probably add a couple of pounds to the estimate. I have an Akona bag and these are a LOT lighter.

I know I can fill them then with cave gear, underwater camera gear, etc, and still come in under 50 pounds.

Jeff

Cool... looks like this might be the ticket then and at $25 you can hardly go wrong.

 

[driftin' by]

Josh- for the diveboat.
Buy a mesh bag- I have an Akona mesh that everything fits into.
I wear on the boat my wetsuit up to my waist, my booties, watch, computer and my surf shirt. Mask stays in the dedicated hard case or around my neck.
That way you can take the bag and just dunk it into the rinse tank.
Link- http://www.akona.com/product.php?product_id=170
Just make sure you have a seal in the yoke so water does not get into the first stage.

Errr, are there 2 Josh's here? Don't recall asking but thanks for the advice Crazyduck. I commented on my boat luggage, or lack thereof, in post #12. Guess we were pounding away at the server at the same time?

Do you use TSA locks?

No, just zip ties because I'm CHEAP!

Oooh, nice! I got 3 posts in a row! Guess that makes me some kind of authority figure, huh?

 

[Crazyduck]

Sorry misfire with trying to keep up...
Zip ties not a bad idea on the locks.

Three posts in a row- careful the moderators are lurking everywhere.
(From the Matrix) Red Pill or Green Pill... Mr. Smith.

I've been dry too long...
Andrew

Errr, are there 2 Josh's here? Don't recall asking but thanks for the advice Crazyduck. I commented on my boat luggage, or lack thereof, in post #12. Guess we were pounding away at the server at the same time?


No, just zip ties because I'm CHEAP!

Oooh, nice! I got 3 posts in a row! Guess that makes me some kind of authority figure, huh?

 

[judydivescoz]

We travel with Armor Bags http://armorbags.com/wheeledbags.htm. We take a dive bag each. I like the rolling bag with a backpack included to use as a carryon. I put my reg, mask and other essentials in the backpack. I do not travel light and my dive bag fits everything I need to dive and is under the weight limit. We use mesh bags on the boat.

 

[Hinalo]

Crazyduck, I think you were answering me about managing boat clutter. Thanks, and also to driftin' by. I was looking for common sense and you guys provided it.

 

[Brewone0to]

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=535&item=355272&prDeTab=2#A These work great.

 

[marcus8]

I'm sooooo tired of having my gear and luggage damaged going to Coz. I'm bringing my reg/computer and snorkel gear with me from now on and renting the rest down there. It's just not been worth it packing everything up as carefully as possible only to have a bc infaltor busted upon opening my bag or whatever else has happened through the years. Tried hard and soft cases and the rate of damage has just continued. Someone in my family always seems to see a piece of gear damaged or destroyed. I'll pack the octo in my carry on, pack the favorite mask/snorkel and a few lights and rent the rest. So much less hassle.

Mark

 

[scubawife]

I'm sooooo tired of having my gear and luggage damaged going to Coz. I'm bringing my reg/computer and snorkel gear with me from now on and renting the rest down there. It's just not been worth it packing everything up as carefully as possible only to have a bc infaltor busted upon opening my bag or whatever else has happened through the years. Tried hard and soft cases and the rate of damage has just continued. Someone in my family always seems to see a piece of gear damaged or destroyed. I'll pack the octo in my carry on, pack the favorite mask/snorkel and a few lights and rent the rest. So much less hassle.

Mark

Wow, that would suck. Might be a matter of how you are packing and not what you are packing in. I've been flying to dive vacations 3+ times a year for the last 5yrs to various destinations and have not had a single piece of equipment damaged in transit. (On some dive boats, yes, but that's another issue.) I started out using an Akona roller back pack. When the max weight went down and my bag was a few pounds over I switched to an Armor system that is a roller duffle and detachable back pack. They clip together and manuever very easily but can be checked in a 2 pieces. Planes, buses, vans, ferries... my bags have seen it all and even with some very slightly damaged bags not a single piece of gear has been damaged.

I do carry-on regs, computers, masks and cameras. Everything else goes in the checked bags. Alot of times I'll check the regs and computer on the way home.