Traveling with scuba gear

[dmoore19]

I do have DiveCaddy. I have F1 fins that are too long for it. I use it but for the most part standard carry-on and check-in luggage (Delsey for both) worked best for me thus far.

My fins fit. So you have used it as carry on with no problems?
Most airlines say Max Dimensions are 9X14X22 for 45 linear inches.

 

[fjpatrum]

Hello,

We (my son and I) are new to diving, he just completed his OW classes, I start mine later this week, and we plan on doing the cert dives next month in Florida.

I've been looking at gear, and will have many questions eventually, but the first one that comes to mind is... you have your pile of gear, and a suitcase... with the airlines watching bag weights carefully these days and charging non-trivial amounts for overweight bags, how do you all manage to cram even a basic rig with enough clothes and stuff for a week's diving excursion somewhere?

We travel often, we're good at packing light, and I realize you don't take weights and tanks with you in most cases, but it seems that with even just two people bringing the basics it will be pretty difficult to stay under the per-bag limit.

Thanks.

Travel naked. Well, not naked, but I pack pretty light. I travel enough to get free bags on my airline of choice, but even if I didn't my gear really doesn't weigh enough to worry about being overweight. My plate/wing weighs ~6 pounds. My fins (that I travel with) are another ~3 pounds, regs ~6 pounds. Mask is less than a pound my computer is a watch-style and my wetsuit, when dry, is about 10 pounds. That makes up about 30 pounds or so, right? Another 5 or 6 pounds for knife, SMB, etc. I've got 14 pounds of space for clothing and a carry-on backpack (I hate roller-boards) that can easily fit another 20 pounds of clothing if I really need it (I rarely do) minus the 3 pounds or so for my camera if I put that in my carry-on.

I always travel with "convertible" pants that have zip off legs, generally some sandals and some nice shoes (which I wear on the plane), a couple of button up shirts (one of which I wear on the plane) and a nice pair of pants (which I wear on the plane) for dinners at nice restaurants. I don't wear socks with my sandals so I generally only need one or two pairs. Throw in a pair of board shorts or two and I have more than enough clothing for a 2 week trip. I can do laundry in the shower if I need to so at most I bring 2 pairs of the convertible pants.

With two people it would definitely be more difficult to keep it to one bag and be under weight limits, but if you plan for 1 checked bag each, it's not that difficult at all, in my experience. If I had a second diver in my family and wanted to have only 1 checked bag, I'd just cut my SS plate to a kydex one (or more likely my homemade PVC plate) and do the same for the second set of gear. Maybe pack regs in carry-on as well to help alleviate weight concerns but I don't think it would actually be necessary.