Pelican cases

[seaangel]

I am considering using a pelican case or a hard sided case to pack my regs and computer in, and place them with my gear luggage when traveling. What size would be most useful? I know most everyone carries theirs on board and I used to. I had a bad experience in Cancun airport and I don't want to go through that again. Security is so different now and there is no consistency anywhere. Any suggestions?

 

[Tavi]

Hi Cindy,
We use to pack our gear in suitcases, except our Camera, Regs, and Computers, which went in a carry-on with us. Now we have the large Pelican case, it has handles and wheels and can be pulled along like a carry-on, til it's time to check it.. All our gear goes in it. It's a tight fit but it will hold all the gear for two people (for warm water diving). It is interesting at airports because a big black plastic box with combination locks does draw some attention! Security asked what was in it. When we said scuba gear. They asked about compressed air, we said no.

It was nice going through security, and not having to open up everything, and not having to explain what regs and underwater cameras where.

No problems!!

We got ours from Leisure-Pro
We got the one with the foam in it.
But, to get all the gear to fit we had to take all of the foam out!

Hope this helps.

 

[SDAnderson]

Stop carrying everything on. It makes travel easier for you and for everyone else, too. The airlines can still lose luggage, but a great big black box with your name painted on it in white stands out in the lost luggage room a whole lot better than yet another samsonite/american tourister/yadda yadda suitcase. I gave up on regular luggage for scuba gear - it's not sturdy enough and not cost effective. I've been hauling my stuff in Pelican 1650's. It is soooo sweet being able to ditch the bag full of regulators and computers...

• They last. Far more durable than hard sided luggage and even most ATA cases.
• They're cheap. Well, not maybe not cheap, but relative to ATA cases or hard-sided luggage, they are.
• They can be locked using industrial strength padlocks.
• They're waterproof. I wouldn't take them to any depth, but they'll get wet and keep the innards dry.
• The 1650 rolls easily, stacks nicely, has more handles than you can shake a stick at...

They will get searched, but that's happening to carry-on regulator bags pretty much all the time, anyway. You decide which line (and how many times) you want to be searched in.

These guys have done well by me and were the cheapest source I could find last fall: Pelican Cases Online

Steven

 

[Burke]

I agree with the above posts about pelican cases, I use them for my guns and they protect really well. My only concern would be that you had better be the first person at the baggage claim area because a big black pelican cases just scream STEAL ME. I would also avoid putting any scuba stickers on it, as cool as that would look it only lets a would be thief know for sure that the contents are expensive.

 

[Mverick]

The only reason I don't buy one of those nice Pelican 1650's is the same reason you mentioned.

It SCREAMS, expensive gear steal me first please.

Same with the nice scuba packs that have a gear name on them. Same with photo gear bags. I use a $50 Roll on from Wally world. It locks to. But nobody thinks anything but clothes until I open it for inspection. To many bags have been stolen out of Miami for me to advertise.

They usually find the bag later mt by the way.

But you're right. They are nice......