Traveling with gear

[ScubaSteve1962]

Is it better to take your own gear or rent from the dive shops when traveling by plane? The baggage fees aren't a problem, and have a 70 lbs limit.

 

[RICHinNC]

I have seldom been impressed with rental gear. Having said that, I always take my own gear. My BP&W, computers and mask all fit in a carry on bag. Suits and fins in a suitcase. Weight usually isnt a problem because the rest is just a couple pair of cut offs or shorts and a couple Tshirts.

 

[Kryssa]

We take all of our gear with us. Everything is checked except regs, mask, computer, and camera.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

 

[daz88]

always travel with my gear. It's your gear, why would't you take it with you?

 

[Krazytomdiver]

As a dive guide, I usually put all my gear in my SP dive bag. One time coming back to the States from Palau,I was "pull aside" three times because I decided to put my regs in my carry-on.I guess the xray machine could not identify these metal items. I'm never in a hurry especially coming back to the States so it was a minor inconvinence. Being a working dive guide I take/carry right at 200lbs of baggage but my trips are usually six months or longer. I agree with those who have posted;It's your gear,you paid for it......take it. ALL airlines are the new age pirates.They change 'the rules' anytime they want without notifiction,hijacking you at will.

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[Starcruiser]

Mask, regs, computer, and camera go with me in the cabin. Everything else goes in my Akona travel bag, including the boat bag that fold up nicely and weighs next to nothing. I use rental weights and tanks at the destination.

 

[altaskier]

I also carry reg, computer, mask, and camera with me, and my tropical kit in bag weighs 48 pounds. Part of the reason I bought my own gear was that I'd then have the same kit every dive for familiarity, both for laziness and also in case things go south.

 

[Searcaigh]

All my dive gear including reg, goes into a suitcase.

Housings, strobes, cameras and lenses are hand carry along with my laptop and dive computer.

 

[vladimir]

always travel with my gear. It's your gear, why would't you take it with you?

Because you are backpacking, perhaps. Or because your plans involve helicopters or seaplanes with absolute weight limits. Or because you just prefer to travel less encumbered.

I use rental weights and tanks at the destination.

Yes, along with just about everybody else.

I carry on my camera, housing, lenses, and small ports. In a Cosmolite suitcase, it comes to about 10 kgs, which is the limit for business-class travelers on Cathay Pacific. Yes, they check. My strobes, large glass dome port, and all my dive gear get checked. Again, in a Cosmolite suitcase, with toiletries and a week's worth of clothes they come to about 25 kgs, well within the weight limit for checked luggage.

 

[TSandM]

Your gear fits, it all works together, and you know how to use it. Why would you leave it at home?

I might consider rental gear, if I were making a largely non-diving trip where I thought I might do one dive, or one day of diving. But for a trip which is diving-focused, I would and do take all my own equipment. I check everything but computers and light heads, although I have very rarely thrown a fin or so in carry on, if necessary to make the weight limits.

Look at rental costs . . . you very quickly make back the cost of even a second bag you have to pay for.