We checked just about everything but our dive logbooks and I also carried on my reefmaster camera. We checked all of our scuba gear including regs and dive computers just like we did when we went to Belize and had no problems.
I debated cutting off my dive knife (which I have attached to my BC) or leaving the sheath on and leaving the knife at home. I had read somewhere here on the board about people getting their knives out of the country and then not being able to get them back in. I decided to chance it and take the knife. I encountered no troubles with the kinfe. Departing the US, they didn't search our checked luggage and they only ran our carry-on bags through a metal detector and x-ray machine. Not really very reassuring to a traveler that might be concerned about the effectiveness of our nation's airport's security. :upset:
When we left Mexico, they went through our checked luggage. They just kind of rifled through it and that was it. Actually, I was kind of glad they didn't pull all our gear out because that suitcase was packed tight as a drum and I had it packed in a certain order to maximize the use of space and also to protect the regs, computers, and masks. They went through our carry on bags and also ran them through a metal detector and x-ray.
When we returned to the US, customs basically just asked us a few questions. I had to declare my bottle of habenero pepper hot sauce. :fire:
The lines were probably longer than they would normally be but really weren't that bad. Leaving and arriving in the US, we were in a terminal that is seperate from the main airport building at DFW because that is the terminal that Champion air uses, so we missed the bulk of the DFW passenger traffic. The line at the airport in San Miguel was a pretty long wait, but coming out of Mexico, I think I would probably expect that regardlless, although I'm sure it was longer than it would have been before 9/11/01.
All in all, it wasn't bad.
I saw on the news recently that the deadline is now up for US airports to have tougher security measures in place, so it may be a little more stringent now than it was when we took our trip. However, I see that all they are really gonna do is match passengers to their luggage for now. Which will work great unless a terrorist is willing to die in an attack like on 9/11. Then it's pretty useless as far as security measures are concerned. :banging:
