Pack That Gear!
Written by Juli Cole, October 2024.
You have invested money into your equipment – now how do you travel with it?
I took a survey of some experienced travellers as well as hitting a few chat rooms. Everyone has their own methods and
everyone has a few little tricks that will hopefully help relieve some of the travel anxiety that comes from getting to some of these fabulous diving destinations.
When researching for this topic, there were several questions that seemed to come up such as does one pack their regulator in checked luggage or hand carry; what kind of carrier/suitcase to use; arrangement of your gear in the carrier and so on. One person had gone so far as to create an itemised list of all their gear with all the specs – weights in both pounds and kg as well as preferred method of packing! I’ll share with you some of the highlights I found helpful.
Roy Kitrell is an avid naturalist photographer and often travels with several items of expensive camera equipment. So his main concern of course is to protect that equipment first which he does with separate padded hard cases. He uses a regular suitcase for the rest of his gear but does use a mesh bag, like the ones Flow has, to keep his wet items – wetsuit, booties, etc – separate from his other gear and clothing on the return trip. He also uses a check list to keep track of his gear, something I use as well. It really saves you from forgetting something small but crucial like a swimsuit! Or the battery for your camera – yeah, we all have our stories.
Melanie Hwa is of course a well-travelled and experienced diver. I quote her method “I throw everything into my mesh bag. Sandwich my regulator between my bcd and fins just as protection” – she does use a hard cover suitcase and she has traveled to many destinations with great success. So for you free and easy types, it can be done! Just make sure you have good luggage to begin with.
Urve Patel is also a well travelled diver and he often invests in top of the line gear. He has a detailed method of packing that begins with checking his gear two weeks before a trip. This allows time to make any repairs or adjustments needed. He uses a soft bag specific to carrying dive gear. He packs his bcd first into the bag, fins and so on, all the “bendy” stuff, cushioning the top with his wetsuit. He does hand carry his regulator as well as anything else that is breakable.
One article described a Pro Packer vs an Ultra-Light Packer. It made me laugh when I recognized myself in the “Pro Packer” – bringing everything one might need for an expected emergency including now an extra strap for my fin after my dive buddy’s broke on one of our latest trips. I am envious of the description of the Ultra Light “keeps it light, fast and easy. This diver likely brings a carry-on and a backpack. They know which items can be reused, crossmatched and layered”.
Here are some of the gathered tips I found helpful:
Apple Airtags – If you are an iPhone user, these airtags are really helpful. We recently had a trip with a close connecting flight and were worried whether our luggage made it. When we landed, the airtag did show up in the middle of the ocean we had just crossed but at least we knew it was no longer at the last airport!
Unfortunately Apple has made such a good product, it is difficult to find a good alternative replacement. Discussion is there really is not one at this time. There are some products such as Google’s Moto tag and Cube Shadow that come close, but they have more limitations than the Airtag.
Luggage/Travel Bags – Primarily, even at the diving store, these fall into three basic categories: all soft like a giant duffel bag; soft with hard bottom such as the ScubaPro porter bag or Subea bag from Decathlon, and hard shell such as the regular suitcase. One diver invested in a large Pelican case for all her gear – however, her luggage was really heavy. Itseems Pelican and the likes are best reserved for special equipment such as cameras and so on. I have used the Subea and it is a bit big and cumbersome, but it has withstood many flights and rough handling. For an average 3-5 day dive trip, with all my gear including regulator, clothing and toiletries, the average weight is about 18-20 kg. I would imagine the Scubapro dive bag comes in maybe 1-2 kg less? Not sure on a regular hard shell suitcase.
Theft Prevention – some airlines like Lion are publicly notorious for items mysteriously going missing. Urve takes photos of everything packed in the bag with names/brands clearly visible. He also invests in comprehensive insurance specific to diving. If you are really concerned, then best to hand carry anything “precious” – I never put my dive computer in checked baggage for instance.
Use those fins – especially if using soft sided luggage such as a bag, prop those fins on their sides to create stiff sides in case other luggage is piled on top. This will cushion your gear in the middle and prevent it from getting crushed. Same use with a hard plastic mask box.
Special Item bags– I always keep my mask in its box. The box may use a little extra weight, but it is versatile for keeping other odds and ends inside for organization as well as protecting my mask when traveling. Little plastic zipper bags also are obviously great for keeping things together and weigh next to nothing. I have a special bag for my regulator – I had an odd square shape bag from Decathlon that lasted a few years but the zippers got fused so I have replaced it now with a round Scubapro model, but there are other options for regulator bags. Which brings me to the next point –
Beware of Zippers – sea air and sea water is tough and corrosive on metal. So when choosing bags for your gear, buy items with good quality plastic zips. We bought a clever backpack style wetbag with different zippered compartments to better find phones and hotel room keys in the dark after a long day of diving. Those zips are now fused. Worked great until now useless.
Revisiting Pro Packer vs Light Packer – for those of us worried about emergencies (with good cause) if traveling in a group, split up the emergency rations. My dive buddy carries the tool kit and I carry the first-aid kit. We have used both on our trips. Its just a matter of planning and thinking ahead -divvy up the gear. But also do your research and find out what can serve dual purposes. I was so impressed on one dive trip with Melanie when she cleverly took out the dump valve from an SMB to replace the one that had broken on her BCD – genius!
Having the urge to start packing now? Why not join Flow’s dive trips and see if any of these tips help in your packing. Drop us a Whatsapp or email for more information!