Travel with SCUBA gear

[SkipperJohn]

I am looking at my first trip with my own equipment come April (Cozumel). Any tips? Useful ideas?
Should I bring my dive knife?
I have not yet purchased my BC and expect my diving locally (in NY) to be limited, should I purchase one better suited for travel? If so, what would that be?
What about the mask, any precautions (although I have traveled with this 100 times before, I just pack it between soft clothes of in my carry-on).
How about the reg?
I assume renting a tank is the only way to go which is fine with me.

 

[Kateroo]

I am interested in this as well.... would you declare your dive knife in your checked luggage?

 

[ligersandtions]

I flew up to WA for a four day weekend and brought all my dive gear in my checked bag and all my clothing and other stuff I'd need in my carry on. In my dive bag, I had my fins, boots, gloves, and weights in the bottom. Just above that, I put my BC with my wetsuit rolled up inside of it (so it looked like the BC was hugging the wetsuit) and my mask in its box. As for the regs and the computer, I actually kept those in my carry-on because they are the most expensive and important (imo) pieces of equipment I was bringing. In hindsight, I wouldn't have brought the weights (hubby and I were having a bit of miscommunication....I thought he wanted to bring them, he though I wanted to bring them, but in reality, neither of us wanted to bring them).

The checked bags were between 48.5 and 49.5 pounds each, so we were just on the verge of having to pay extra, but without 10+ pounds of weight, we'd be well within the free range. My suggestion would be to pack the hard, non-breakable stuff on the bottom, and then move up with the more breakable stuff toward the top....also, consider keeping your more expensive and important items in your carry-on.

Oh, and FWIW, I had a knife attached to my BC and said nothing about it, and was never questioned. Granted, I was flying with in the US, so I don't know if they're more strict on international flights.

 

[mwilding]

You either check the knife or you do not take it.

 

[Rick Inman]

When I travel, I carry on my regs (6 of them on my last trip), HID light, backup lights, computer/gages, camera and weights. I pack the rest, including knife. I've never had any problems doing this, and can spread out the weight of my BP, 6cf argon bottle (valve off), stage rigging, drysuit, undies, mask, fins and everything else in just 2 bags and stay under the 50# max.

I even have room for a spare pair of shorts.

 

[pasley]

I took a cruise to the Carribean (Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize and Cuzemel) in Feb.
My DSS Backplate and wing travels very well, The bladder comes off the plate and rolls up small, the plate is not that big. I also took all my own gear. After seeing the rental gear others were using, with the champaign (and some not so champaign) bubbles all over the place, I was very glad I did. Mask, regulator and computer in my carry on.

Dive knife, I would leave it home if on a cruise as the ship will take it from you anyway. A pair of surgical shears is good for cutting fishing line or net.

Cozumel has some fine diving. I wore a 3mm wetsuit and was very happy in the 79F water. Others did not at by the end of the 2nd dive they were chilly.

 

[don Francisco]

In Coz as in most (if not all) dive destinations, the operators provide tanks and weights as part of the basic package. Don't bother bringing a knife to Cozumel, unless it's to slice salami, since both knives and gloves are banned in the marine park where you'll be diving.

I fly from NYC to Cozumel 2-3 times a year, either direct to Cancun (Jet Blue, Continental, Mexicana), then the bus and ferry (about 2 hours and $22 total each way), or I fly into Cozumel connecting in Houston or Ft. Lauderdale (Continental, Spirit). Deb and I shop the airfares pretty hard and adjust our schedule according to available airfare deals.

I pack my prescription mask, camera, strobe, computer, and regs in a messenger bag which I carry on. Mostly it's because of reducing risk of loss on expensive items, but in the case of the regs it's to free up weight in my baggage. After that, my standard BC (IMO the weight and space savings on so-called travel BC's aren't enough to make owning one make sense), fins, boots, wetsuit, and assorted dive junk, fit with my clothes for 10+ days into a duffel bag within the 50# limit. On longer trips I plan for doing laundry mid trip.

If your airline offers a cheap $15-20, second bag, you'll have plenty of capacity, and can bring the kitchen sink if you want to. Also, if you don't own a BC yet, you can always rent one. It won't be fancy, but it'll be plenty adequate for your needs.

IF you want more info look at the postings on the Cozumel forums at Scubaboard, or feel free to PM me with any particular questions.

 

[BDSC]

I use one of those mesh bags as my carry on and usually pack my BC, wetsuit, reg, mask, fins, and booties. I have never had a single problem doing it this way. It easily fits in the overhead compartments in the planes. I pack my computer in my personal item that I am allowed.

As far as a knife goes, leave it at home. I can't imagine you needing it in Cozumel doing drift diving. As a matter of fact, chances are you will never need a knife while diving anyway. It's possible but not likely.

Have a great trip to cozumel! It's one of my top 3 places to dive.

BDSC

 

[TSandM]

The only big difference between a cold water and a warm water BC is the amount of lift you need. In the tropics, you will be wearing less exposure protection and need less weight -- the combination means less lift is needed. At home, you'll be wearing heavier exposure protection and therefore more weight and possibly steel tanks, and need more lift.

You can use a BC with enough lift for cold water in the tropics. It may not be optimal, but it will work. You cannot safely use a tropical BC in cold water. One solution is to buy a modular system, like the DSS plate with 17lb wing, for your tropical diving. If you then decide you want to dive at home, you can buy a 30 lb wing and fit it on the same plate. The other solution is to buy a BC with enough lift for home, and just use it in the tropics.

You will just about always rent tanks and weights, anywhere you go -- It's too difficult to transport them. Other than those things, I travel with all my own gear. I carry on my computer and can light head. Everything else gets checked (but we're frequent fliers, and still can take a second bag without additional charge).

I would highly recommend taking two lights to Cozumel. The night dives we did there were the best dives of the trip! I also had a small knife on my harness, and nobody said anything to me about it (in fact, I don't remember anybody telling me that knives were prohibited, just gloves). If you're worried about it, EMT shears make a good substitute. I didn't see much fishing line in Cozumel.

Have fun on your trip! The water's amazingly clear there.

 

[SkipperJohn]

Jet blue charges only $20 for a second bag... and actually when I flew to Aruba they did not charge so I think on intl flights this may be relaxed.
As I have converted all my Amex points to my JetBlue card, I can fly free round trip to any of their destinations 9 times! So even if I have to pay the $20, it's a no brainer.
TS&M your comments about the BC having enough lift is interesting... It's a little fuzzy to me why with more flotation in my suit I would need more lift in cold water (is it because I would be using more weights and the suits flotation decreases at depth?) I never plan on diving in water that is too cold. My suit for up here is the Mares 7/5/3 with only the chest and back being 7 mils. That shouldn't be too much floatation.
I'll be packing my 3 mil shorty.
I have thought about the wing thing and looked into it and eventually decided against it. I thought a slimmed down BC would not be as encumbering as a full one and be lighter for travel... Now I have to worry about it's lift too?
When I pack I always liked to carry on my more treasured items like cameras, cigars and now regulators.

Thanks again guys for all your responses.