MEI Voyageur...anyone use one for carry on

[Fourseventeen]

I am looking into getting a gear bag to carry most of the main components of my dive gear as carry on. While I like the idea of the DiveCaddy system it is just way to costly...especially since I need to buy one for myself and one for my wifes gear. I came across this MEI bag and it is the max allowed size as carry on and seems like a well made bag. Anyone use one of these for dive gear? If so what do you think of it? And how much of your gear were you able to fit inside.
I would like to get my wetsuit (7mm), BCD (scubapro Knighthawk L), boots, gloves, hood, dive light, mask, comp and reg. And if I am also able to fit in my Apollo Bio's then that would be great too...if not I have no issue carrying those in hand as I have done on previous trips. I always travel with a piece of check in luggage but I would like to be able to have a bag I can load my gear into and board a boat with it all and not have to un pack and re pack everything from the plane to get on a boat.

 

[diversteve]

I have a Travelpro softside (hard frame) roller bag. It's the same external dimensions as the MEI bag. There's no way I could get both a 7Mil suit and my BC - XL Ranger - into it. The Ranger itself pretty much fills the complete bottom portion - I can put the regs under the compartment seen on the lid but this leaves no room for much of anything else. Measure your fins also, my Tusa's are about 24" so don't fit either.

If I remove everything else from it's protective cases etc. I can get, boots, lights, mask, comp etc. in the lid pockets also - in fact I do except not with the Ranger in there - I carry-on HD video gear, laptop plus a few clothes instead..ymmv

The idea behind the DiveCaddy from what I understand is that it technically exceeds the airline maximums except that being soft-sided and flexible it can be shifted around to fit if asked at the gate. I looked into one but never clearly got an answer on how it fit into the gate sizing box if needed. Especially if you add the fin caddy.

I think technically business suit bags don't fit either but people still carry them on afaik.

 

[Fourseventeen]

Thanks diversteve for that info. My fins are 24" as well so I pretty much knew they wouldnt fit but have no issue carrying those in hand or tossing them into my backpack. I have walked on the plane with fins in hand before and tossed them under the seat and no one has ever said a thing.
Was really hoping to find a bag to hold my primary gear at the bery least and save the hassle of paying over weight fees on my checked bag.