Traveling with gear...

[sberanek]

How do you transport your gear when flying?

I am wondering if I may need to get a better bag for air transportation purposes. I currently use a duplicate of my Tae Kwon Do gear bag, which many claim can handle being checked as baggage, but it is a little tight and I don't want some TSA fool looking through it and not being able to fit everything back in properly (think Tetris).

My dive computer will be in my carry-on. What about the octo? Should that go in my carry on as well?

Thanks,
Shannon

 

[Boat Chick]

Hi Shannon, we don't use our gear bags when we travel, red flag that there is dive equipment in it. We put everything in a regular suitcase and use zip ties to secure them. In our carry-on, I put my reg, script mask, swimsuit, an extra change of clothes, and dive camera. That way if my luggage is lost, I've got my "essentials" and can rent everything else. Most folks I know put their regs in their carryon...it's usually an expensive set up. Oh, and we have console computers, and wrist, we wear the wrist computer as our watches on our trips.

Our very first dive trip to Mexico eight years ago, we used our gear bags and took our weights...lol! We don't use the dive bags anymore, and leave the weights at home...guess there is a first for everything, right?

Where are you going? Hope someplace nice

 

[diver 85]

How do you transport your gear when flying?

I am wondering if I may need to get a better bag for air transportation purposes. I currently use a duplicate of my Tae Kwon Do gear bag, which many claim can handle being checked as baggage, but it is a little tight and I don't want some TSA fool looking through it and not being able to fit everything back in properly (think Tetris).

My dive computer will be in my carry-on. What about the octo? Should that go in my carry on as well?

Thanks,
Shannon[/QUOT

I carry my Canon camera, UW case for it, dive computer, regulators(1st & 2nd stage & octopus), AA batteries & charger, extra wrist depth guage, a few professional journals(for reading that I never get to), and an extra change of clothes in my carryon(weight 14 #'s).....All other dive equipment (from head to toe including a reg. sized mesh dive bag that is reloaded upon getting to the resort) & my clothes for the week go into a med sized hard Samsonite suitcase(weight 45 #'s).......It's that simple......

 

[Jim Lapenta]

How do you transport your gear when flying?

I am wondering if I may need to get a better bag for air transportation purposes. I currently use a duplicate of my Tae Kwon Do gear bag, which many claim can handle being checked as baggage, but it is a little tight and I don't want some TSA fool looking through it and not being able to fit everything back in properly (think Tetris).

My dive computer will be in my carry-on. What about the octo? Should that go in my carry on as well?

Thanks,
Shannon

My standard practice is to carry on whatever gear I can. Regs, computer, mask, and with the backpack I have my backplate and wing will fit into it. I do not travel with a conventional bc any longer. The first time I did I actually shipped my BC, fins, wetsuit and lights to the resort in Fla where I was staying and then shipped it back. Now everything I need save for fins and perhaps wetsuit or drysuit go in carryon. Last trip I put my dry suit in it's bag inside of my large duffel. It's a plain black bag that is made by Akona and says that on it but to the avg person it does not advertise dive gear and on top of the dive stuff is where all my clothes go.
Just remember if you are going on vacation it is just that a vacation not a fashion show. Especially if it's a dive vacation. If gear gets lost it's expensive to replace. If they lose your clothes big deal! You can buy what, a few tshirts, two or three pairs of shorts and some replacement underwear for alot less than a new reg and bc. That's enough for a week of diving. It always amazes me when I travel at the morons who insist on taking their entire closet. That kind of defeats the purpose of getting away and relaxing doesn't it? So carryon the important stuff( gear) and let the other stuff go into checked.
As a side note we went on a cruise a few years ago and I had to take a suit for dinner one night. Never again! Found out that most of the larger lines you can rent one. Last time in FLa on a dive trip I took 5 tshirts, one nice button down, 1 pair long pants and 3 pairs of shorts and the necessary undies. ALso took 3 swim suits. This was for a week. Bottom line- it was the keys- I had too much clothes. wore the swim suits most of the week including out to eat several times. and tshirts indoors only so. Outside never had a shirt on.

 

[TheRedHead]

I travel extensively to dive and I've never had any dive gear go missing from my dive bag. I think that the "red flag" is a myth, at least in the Caribbean. I do carry on all items that I couldn't dive without which is mainly mask, regs and computer. You're more likely to have your dive bag not show up than to have gear go missing, IMO.

 

[Puffer Fish]

I carry on - mask, computer, reg, (along with some clothing) the rest goes in a drop bottom duffel design from Jansport. One side is clothing, one side is BP/W, fins and suits.

I have all special fabric (micro fiber) stuff, so my clothing does not weigh much or take much space. Rolled into tubes and tightly packed.

46 lbs (with SS back plate) in the checked bag... I have never lost anything either... but it can happen.

Oh, and I lock the bag with a TSA approved lock.

The above is good for two weeks, without doing laundry.

 

[TheRedHead]

As for dive bags, I travel with an Akona rolling bag which came with a handy mesh boat bag with backpack straps. Carrying your gear on your back is much easier than using a shoulder strap, at least for me. I've made dozens of trips with the Akona and it is still going strong.

 

[sberanek]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will be going to Jamaica this September and, hopefully, Australia in Feb '08. Not sure if I will schlep everything to Australia, but you never know.

I have two sets of rolling luggage with 3 pieces each so I think I can rig something up for transport. I might put my empty duffle in the suitcase so I can put the stuff in there for taking on the boat trips or down to the beach. I don't think rolling luggage will work well on sand

--Shannon

 

[Scubastud16]

For my cruise this Christmas, I'm bringing on my back pack with my carry-on stuff (lap top, etc.)

Then I'm bringing to roller-duffels, one with clothing, the other with all my dive stuff in it. Just plain-jane duffel bags with hideous tags on them to know it's my stuff!

P.S. I bring that roller duffel with my equipment in it everywhere, even on the boat. That thing is a tank!

 

[Busdiver]

We put everything in a regular suitcase and use zip ties to secure them.

How do you zip tie your suitcase? Or due you zip tie your gear? TSA would cut away any zip tied suitcases in order to search them.

My wife and I travel a lot with our dive gear. They go in well marked dive bags. We have never had an issue. My regs and computers come with us as carry ons.

All of my gear is insured. If it is lost or stolen then it will be replaced. If in the off chance things went missing then I would rent gear and still have what I believe to be the most important piece of equipment--regs and computers.

My opinion--it won't even get you a cup of coffee.