Rolling gear bag suitable for wet gear

[jimbeeler]

Here's what I started doing my last trip and probably will continue to do... I wear the BCD (or backplate in my case). My shorty, fins, mask and anything else can fit in a small mesh bag that I can easily carry or sling over my shoulder. It's a lot easier than even the roller I used to use. Sometimes (especially when the ship was tendered) I still had to lift and carry the bag up and down stairs. Wearing the BCD made everything a lot easier.

Jim

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I already carry a backpack cooler with camera gear and I find it highly improbable that the wife will walk around wearing a BCD.

 

[Steve_C]

Not sure I understand why you are dragging wet dive gear around with you all day. I put it in car, hotel room, storage at the dive shop., rather than lug around once the dive is done.

I have been on boats that did not want big rolling stuff on their boat since it did not fit under the seats so careful on the size.

 

[Bohemian Coast Dive]

Wife and I each have Mares Mesh gear backpacks we use when we cruise. For the most part they work well when hauling around our gear but after a dive the weight of the wet gear is pretty heavy for anything but short walks, especially for the wife.

This trip, we may be doing quite a bit of walking around town after our dives and don't want our backs and shoulders destroyed from the weight of our wet gear so I'm looking for a rolling bag to solve our problem. It needs to be suitable for 2 sets of full, wet gear (minus tanks and weights).

I've eyed a few bags such as the Akona Roller duffel bag: Amazon.com : Akona Roller Duffel Bags : General Use Sports Bags : Sports & Outdoors

Another is the Tusa roller mesh bag: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BIQHUY?psc=1
This bag might not be as comfortable hauling around since it lacks the rigid support and longer handle of a regular roller bag.

I wonder if just going with a regular, inexpensive rolling luggage bag would do the trick. If wet gear is going to tear up the "dive" branded bags then maybe going with cheap, regular bags would be better.

I can only speak for myself, but my Scubapro Caravan is excellent! It has lasted about 5 years now and is still holding up despite quite a bit of abuse. It may not be big enough for your needs, but I carry everything of mine, including weights, 7mm suit, etc with room to spare. Worth taking a look at!

 

[EL Pistoffo]

Not sure I understand why you are dragging wet dive gear around with you all day. I put it in car, hotel room, storage at the dive shop., rather than lug around once the dive is done.

I have been on boats that did not want big rolling stuff on their boat since it did not fit under the seats so careful on the size.

I'll be in port while on cruise. Gotta go grab dinner before leaving port but not enough time to return to ship and probably too late in day too leave at shop. Therefore gear gotta roll with us.

I have 2 mesh backpacks. They are great and durable but weigh like hell when loaded with wet gear. Not practical for extended carries, shoulders feel like falling off, much worse for the poor wife.

 

[flyboy08]

What is the bottom zipper for? Does it open up full? I need to fit TUSA split fins in a bag and this bag doesn't look large enough to do so?

EDIT:
Saw on another site that it in fact does open! Ordered one for 39.99! May be the perfect biz/diving bag out there...

 

[outofofficebrb]

A little late to the party but Mares apparently has a bag called the Cruise System that seems like it would fit the bill but it's a bit of a commitment as it's a whole new bag and a chunk with it.

It allows you to check it while traveling on planes and lets you hang your gear inside it. It also doubles as storage at the dive facility or your hotel and you can hang your gear in it as it dries. (The hangers come with it.) There is also an expandable mesh section to aid in the drying process or you can remove the mesh bag and take that part on the boat, leaving the rest behind. Youtube has some pretty good videos of it to show you how it can be used.

It comes with some mesh on the bag to help it circulate air even if you have the whole bag packed up and are walking around after your dives.

 

[loady]

Akona Akb144 roller backpack is falling apart at the seams. avoid akona

 

[Ludicrous Depth]

I currently have both he XS mesh roller and the Tusa. While the XS is just a little bigger, the Tusa has two pockets, one mesh by the carry handles and one solid one inside. It also has an adjustable shoulder strap. The XS Scuba has neither. If anyone is interested, I actually have two brand new TUSA mesh roller bags. Send me a PM and I will give you all the details.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

As they say, it depends on what you want it for. For short trips, car to boat or hotel room to boat, my XS bag is my go-to. It does not get "wet" because the mesh is urethane coated. So, no need to dry the bag and the gear inside is fully ventilated if you need to let it sit. Also, it folds down very small once you unload it, to fit under boat seats/benches or even in suitcases. However, it is a soft bag with a soft handle. I would not want to walk a mile with it. Also, travel is tough as you need to put it in something else. Still, we just traveled to Bonaire with them, packed inside our suitcases, and it worked fine.

But, if you are going to be walking around town or even a long way down hallways in your ship, a more luggage-type duffel with a hard bottom and hard handle will be easier to haul over distances like that. But, it is too big for a lot of boats in my area and cannot collapse.

For travel, the two-bag solution is ideal. Just pack the rolling mesh bag, put it in the duffel (fins can go in the bottom compartment) and you have the best of all worlds.

For our trip to Bonaire last week, we carried our regs/computers/lights on the plane, and put our wings, fins, wetsuits, collapsed roller bag, and misc things like dsmbs and reels in the new lightweight hard-sided luggage. It was completely disguised, well protected, within weight limits (barely, with 6# steel plates) and arrived without a hitch, and we had the roller bags for our day trips on the boat.