Luggage size

[Steve Miller]

I have two dive trips this year and we are looking at new luggage. What has your experience been on the airlines concerning the size of the bags. I am looking at a 31" hard side. Qantas limits the overall linear total to 62 inches, this bag totals 64". Are they so strict that they will catch the two extra inches?

Thanks.

 

[Allison Finch]

If you plan on going on any liveaboards be aware that they HATE hard luggage. There is very little storage area onboard and those bags take up too much of it. I find that soft luggage on wheels are just fine, with delicate stuff carried in carry-on.

 

[wcl]

I have two dive trips this year and we are looking at new luggage. What has your experience been on the airlines concerning the size of the bags. I am looking at a 31" hard side. Qantas limits the overall linear total to 62 inches, this bag totals 64". Are they so strict that they will catch the two extra inches?

Thanks.

Hi,

My wife and I have used Samsonite F'lite hardsided suitcases for flying to Cozumel a couple of times, which are also a tad over the 62" linear measurement specification.

The size per se was never questioned.

However, be mindful of the weight limits, those are checked more frequently. You can incur an extra fee for overweight luggage.

Cheers,
Walter

 

[fdog]

Yes, sometimes.

We have some StarCases that were built to be exactly 62" total. They've been measured twice. That's about a 3% hit rate for us.

I think a lot depends on what kind of a day the gate agent is having, and how nice or snotty the passenger is.

All the best, James

 

[Damselfish]

I suggest considering some type of soft luggage, not only if you might do a liveaboard. We used to use hard luggage for dive trips and eventually changed to soft rolling bags. I got these when we were about to do our first liveaboard, as the hard stuff was in sad shape anyway. There are bags that are mostly soft but have hard bottoms and sometimes partial sides or special construction to give more structure to the bag.

I've personally found soft to work better for dive gear - it just seems to be easier to fit gear into the more forgiving shape, and our hard luggage overstuffed with occasionally damp stuff didn't fare too well after awhile. I pack some clothes and other things in the bag wih the gear and pack carefully. I've never had anything damaged. I do carryon regs/masks/computer, but more because I want to make sure that stuff gets there. The hard luggage might seem to offer more protection, but there's something to be said about a more forgiving bag, something that "bends not breaks." I was always expecting to see it come off the plane in pieces.

Another advantage of soft luggage is it tends to be a little lighter, so when you're filling the bag with a bunch of gear it helps to meet airline weight limits.

 

[padiscubapro]

I have two dive trips this year and we are looking at new luggage. What has your experience been on the airlines concerning the size of the bags. I am looking at a 31" hard side. Qantas limits the overall linear total to 62 inches, this bag totals 64". Are they so strict that they will catch the two extra inches?

Thanks.

I would go with soft baggage.. first some airlines are anal about size and eventually you will get caught.. hard baggage is definately frowned upon on most live aboards..

If you are looking for a great dive bag.. get this one.. (Ironclad Edition Ballistic Backpack with Wheels, #2-IE)

http://armorbags.com/wheeledbags.htm

Its a soft bag so the max size is hard to determine (64 inches), especially since it has straps to cinch things down.. it is not totally soft (hard bottom only) so it has good integrity..

Its the toughest bag I have used to dat and I do ALOT of travelling..

 

[Mark Goodchild]

I've just received two bags from a UK supplier called Beaver sports for review.

They are the Ambassador and Imperial and are both soft cases made especially for dive equipment. I have to say I'm impressed with both. See here.

http://www.zerovisibility.co.uk/Reviews.htm

I would not use hard cases. When on a boat the bags can be stored flat out of the way. There is never much room as I'm sure you know.

Hope this is of some help!

 

[jedah]

Padiscubapro,

Can you really fit 2 sets of dive equipment in the ironclad ballistic backpack? My fiancee and I are in the small to medium range for BCDs and fins.

Thanks!

J.

 

[bob1dp]

Luggage weight restrictions of 50 pounds domestic 70 internationa seem to be more of a problem for me. The size of the luggage has become a real problem flying that puddle jumper for the last leg of the trip. Sometimes these planes are really small.

 

[RP Diver]

Luggage weight restrictions of 50 pounds domestic 70 internationa seem to be more of a problem for me. The size of the luggage has become a real problem flying that puddle jumper for the last leg of the trip. Sometimes these planes are really small.

This is what I've run into, also. We had trouble getting my Stahlsac dive bag into the luggage compartment of the plane that took us from San Jose, Costa Rica, down the Pacific coast to Palmar Sur. The opening just wasn't designed to take the plump style of the bag. Then on our next trip to the BVI, we packed everything in my one bag, since we weren't going to be on any small planes, but it weighed in at 65 pounds, and we ended up paying an overweight charge, whereas we could have taken 35 pounds more in 2 bags at no extra charge.

I recommend using good quality soft luggage, but pack smart.