Mesh bag for liveaboard

[forestfish]

Okay, so maybe this isn't the right place to post this, but I AM a newbie...

My husband and I will be doing a 3 day liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef. We have never done this before (we got certified in September). We have fins, masks, snorkels, booties, and wetsuits.

What type of bag would you all recommend for our gear? And I assume that we will need two (one for each of us). My father has offered to give us the old navy-issue rubber tough-as-nails gear bags from Korea, but I think that taking those to Australia might be a bit much.

So we are looking for
1) a bag for our non-diving gear (clothes, etc) - perhaps a small suitcase or duffel?
2) a bag for our diving stuff

Thanks for any help!

ps - we are leaving in 10 days!!

 

[_Bella_]

Welcome to scubaboard.

If you will be travelling long distances and making several plane changes a bag with wheels will be very helpful. Depending on your gear you may not need two bags. My husband and I are able to pack 2 complete sets of gear with full wetsuits into one suitcase. Once onboard, your gear generally stays on the dive deck and isn't put back into your bags till you leave so you should look at bags that will travel from A to B and survive rather than one that also works as a day bag. A day bag won't survive the long distance travel and isn't needed once onboard anyway.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, this is a fine fourm for any newbie questions.

You wont need any bag on the boat. Your gear will stay set up all weekend. You just need duffles that will get you on board, then collapse for storage. The liveaboard may have a secure building to store you transport bags..?

Enjoy your trip. Maybe drop down to General travel forum for packing ideas. :14:

 

[J75]

One piece of advice, don't overpack. This may sound obvious, but you'll find that on a liveaboard, you'll use only half of the clothes you bring. I am famous among my friends for being a minimalist when it comes to packing, but even I found that I had overpacked. Since you will be doing several dives a day, you'll find that you will spend 80% of your time on board in your bathing suit.
I was able to fit my clothes withing my diving bag (duffle style) and took a small backpack with my toiletries, reading material, and camera. As Don mentioned, once your gear is set up, your dive bag will go into storage, so there is no need for a mesh bag. Good luck!

 

[Steele]

I recommend a bag that I personally own. It is relatively cheap and it quite durable. It will fit my entire SCUBA set-up. The only thing I dislike is the fin pocket on the front does not hold my fins so I have to place them along the inside edge of the bag which isn't really a problem as they take only a small amount of space and everything else fits quite nicely between them.

It is the Tusa Rolling Backpack BP-2 Bag.

Here is a picture of it:


You can purchase it from your LDS or click the picture to go to Scuba Toys.

My wife stores her gear in a bag from Pinnacle. Here is a picture of the Passport. I do not care for all the pockets, but she likes it.


~Mike

 

[Santa]

It also depends on whether you are planning to get your own regs and bcs in the future. If you do you will want to bring it at some point.

I'd never mix my dive gear with other accessories, but then my bag really takes a beating. I got a big ralph tech expidition bag with shoulder straps that takes everything and it goes on the bus, in the trunk, on the plane, on the boat, on the rock beach or even on my bike for that matter. It's bigger and sturdier than the otherwise popular North Face bags.

very pleased with it.

I'm wary of too many fancy 'outboard' pockets. Fins, masks, computers and most of your smaller bits of gear have fragile plastic parts that don't take to well to bouncy airport handlnig or the pressure of a bunch of tanks and other heavy equipment. I like to wrap everything inside my wetsuit and then stick it inside the bc. Makes a small orderly bundle and everythings very well protected.

 

[Dive_Girl PNW]

When I am headed out of the country and am planning on boat diving, I have packed my gear inside a heavy duty mesh Stahlsack (backpack-style) then place that inside a padded protected dive bag (similar to what was noted above). Then upon arrival, I can pull out the mesh bag for the boat allowing the large scuba bag to be stowed away or secured at the dive operation until my return. The mesh bag stows away easier, is self draining, and keeps my equipment in a central place so it doesn't get misplaced. Although on some dive operations the BC is kept out, your mask, fins, computer (if wrist), defogger, whatever can get strewn - a mesh bag keeps it all together. Just another suggestion to add to the fine ones above.

 

[mnj1233]

When I am headed out of the country and am planning on boat diving, I have packed my gear inside a heavy duty mesh Stahlsack (backpack-style) then place that inside a padded protected dive bag (similar to what was noted above). Then upon arrival, I can pull out the mesh bag for the boat allowing the large scuba bag to be stowed away or secured at the dive operation until my return. The mesh bag stows away easier, is self draining, and keeps my equipment in a central place so it doesn't get misplaced. Although on some dive operations the BC is kept out, your mask, fins, computer (if wrist), defogger, whatever can get strewn - a mesh bag keeps it all together. Just another suggestion to add to the fine ones above.

I echo the "Stahlsac" reccomendation. Come with a lifetime warranty that they stand behind!!! I know from the way I treat my bag and they always stand behind their product!!!!!

 

[EricJ]

Like Dandy Don said, a live aboard will usually have storage containers at your dive station. They will take your scuba bags and stow them away somewhere.

For day boats, I highly recommend using a mesh backback or bag. I pack a mesh backpack in my roller dive bag. I then pack up my gear in the backpack. Most captains don't care much for hard cases that take up a lot of space.

 

[Doc]

liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef. What type of bag would you all recommend for our gear? And I assume that we will need two

You may need a mesh bag, 1 will do, to transport mask/fins/snorkel to the samller boat from which you may dive (versus off the fantail of the liveaboard).

On certain liveaboards, such a bag may also be required to store your gear in the "wet room" (or area) by hanging it on a hook.

Simple, super light solution? Target/Walmart synthetic mesh laundry bag. Weighs maybe 2 oz. and is 20"x36" with a drawstring... what- maybe $3?

Even on a super roomy/organized boat like the Nekton, I leave my gear in a mesh bag. I reach under my seat and one-grab-does-it-all.

In the Maldives, one transfers to and from the yacht to a smaller wooden dhoni several times a day. Mesh bags are indespensible. Such set ups are also common on the GBR.

Best source is to check the website, send an email, look at the floor plan. Do a little thinking. Take one and be prepared.