traveling to Coz first time since TSA has been around question

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I lost a pair of tiny fingernail scissors that I had inadvertently left in my carry on coming back from the Philippines.
A few years ago they took my mom's pill splitter. I can see the threat if she could get someone on the airline staff to stick their pinky finger in there. :D
 
We get a lot of divers flying in from around the world and lately they have had large "no probe" stickers on their luggage. I cannot speak for the veracity, but they claim TSA has used sharp probes to sniff for various substances, rather than opening the bags, and really messed up dry suits and BCD bladders. Again, I have no personal experience, but for the trouble of putting a sticker on your luggage it might save your dive trip, and gear.
 
Hopefully you will get TSA pre-!
 
Six years ago I brought a very small Spotted Drum back from the Caribbean for one of my saltwater aquariums. It was packed in triple plastic bags with a half gallon of water. The fish bag was in a small cooler chest secured with a nylon strap, and the cooler was inside a large suitcase secured only with a plastic twist tie. Also in the suitcase, under the nylon strap, was the proper US Fish and Wildlife declaration.

When I arrived back in the US, it was clear the TSA had inspected the bag. The fish was still happily swimming in its bag, and the bag was in the cooler, still secured with its nylon strap, but the cooler had several half-inch holes drilled into its hollow sections.

I still have the Spotted Drum, now almost a foot long, master of its own 220 gallon tank.
 
We get a lot of divers flying in from around the world and lately they have had large "no probe" stickers on their luggage. I cannot speak for the veracity, but they claim TSA has used sharp probes to sniff for various substances, rather than opening the bags, and really messed up dry suits and BCD bladders. Again, I have no personal experience, but for the trouble of putting a sticker on your luggage it might save your dive trip, and gear.

Never having heard of this, I did a Google search. I found an official TSA site listing the technologies they use, and this was not mentioned.

I tried all sorts of search terms, and I could not find a single case, not even the weirdest cases of conspiracy nuts, claiming that probes are used like this.

I did find this: Ex-TSA agent: We steal from travelers all the time ? RT USA
 
From the TSA website:

TSA screens every passenger's baggage before it is placed on an airplane. While our technology allows us to electronically screen bags, there are times when we need to physically inspect a piece of luggage. TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that the locks may not have to be cut. These locks are available at airports and travel stores nationwide. The packaging on the locks indicates whether they can be opened by TSA.

Divegoose
YMMV. We use small TSA approved combo locks. They have always been cut off and destroyed anytime the TSA did a physical inspection. We still continue to replace them as most of our travel avoids TSA if possible and the combos are more convenient than zip ties.

We use "loosely fastened" zip ties on our checked scuba bag and put a small knife in the end pocket. that way we can reuse the zip tie multiple times. often the knife gets stolen. if the TSA opens the scuba bag, they leave it unlocked.
 
I quit buying the TSA approved locks because I had them disappear on 2 trips other than Cozumel. Too much money to see them disappear.
 
For Light and Motion Sola lights that are sealed do you put in carry on or checked, and is it different on the return trip from Cozumel?

You can carry on your lights on the way down, but I've been forced to put my primary in checked luggage on the way out of Cancun. I've heard on the cave diving forum that this is pretty common, but not consistent. I've never flown into Coz, but I assume the rules are the same. Cancun is really anal about bag weights too, so leave a couple of pounds extra for wet neoprene on the return.
 
Coz gate security is adamant about no lead weights in carry-on. Plenty of warning signs in English.

We used to see dive lights confiscated for having batteries in them, back when all dive lights got very hot if accidentally turned on. Maybe they expect dive lights to be LED now?

Nail clippers are legal nowadays and can be used to cut most cable ties.
 

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