Love travelling however hate travelling with dive gear? Us too. Fortunately, after a number of years of working our Women that Scuba Journeys, we all know precisely the way to pack scuba gear for journey.
From what sort of bag to pack all of it in, to which gadgets ought to go within the maintain and which must be within the cabin, that is your final information for packing scuba gear. Packing for a liveaboard? We’ve acquired a information to that too!
What bag ought to I pack my dive gear in?
First issues first, in case you’re packing scuba gear you want a bag to place it in. There’s an enormous number of dive luggage accessible – from laborious instances to rolling duffels. Listed here are among the favourites from the Women that Scuba group.
Greatest Curler Luggage
In relation to carrying heavy dive luggage round airports, curler luggage provide quite a lot of ease. Nonetheless, it’s price noting that they are typically on the heavier aspect. Most weigh round 4-5 kg which can eat into your baggage allowance.
- TUSA Curler Duffle Bag
This massive curler has an enormous interior compartment, with quite a lot of further pockets for storing all of your scuba equipment.
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Store from the UK - Aqualung Explorer II Folder Bag
Stretched for dive space for storing at residence? This folding curler is good because it lays flat when empty and never in use.
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Store from the UK - Apeks Curler Bag 40L or 90L
Tropical diver travelling with much less gear? When you’re after a barely extra light-weight choice, Apeks’s modern Curler Bag is available in each a 40L or a 90L dimension.
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Greatest Duffle Luggage
When you’re not having to hold your gear as a lot, a duffle could be a nice choice for packing dive equipment. They’re typically extremely sturdy so can final you years of diving!
- Fourth Factor Expedition Duffle Bag
This sturdy dive holdall with useful backpack straps is available in three sizes – 60L, 90L, or a whopping 120L. You actually received’t miss the brilliant orange color on the bags carousel. If that shade’s not for you, although, it additionally is available in blue.
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Store from the UK - Aqualung Explorer II Duffle Pack
When you’re after one thing duffle-style however cabin-sized, look no additional. We love the vary of colors this sturdy backpack is available in. It additionally has useful straps on the skin for holding your fins.
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Non-Diving Luggage
Lots of our GTS members choose to journey with un-branded luggage. In any case, a bag with a dive model written on the skin is promoting probably costly contents.
We love the Osprey Transporter Wheeled Duffle. This sturdy, weather-resistant rolling bag is a way more refined approach of travelling with scuba gear.
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Can I stick with it dive gear in hand baggage?
When you’ve found out what bag you’re packing, the following step is to decide on what goes the place. There are some items of kit that are higher off in your hand baggage and others that are tremendous within the maintain. A few of your equipment additionally should journey in a single or the opposite! Listed here are our suggestions.
Hand Baggage
Many divers prefer to maintain their necessities shut. Regulators and dive computer systems are a best choice to maintain in your cabin bag. These are delicate gadgets that are most chargeable for your security. Your regs are actually protecting you alive underwater!
We’ve all seen how our baggage will get dealt with at airports, so this one’s fairly comprehensible. Additionally, within the occasion that your major bag will get misplaced, these are good to have at least fairly than renting them.
Cameras are one other delicate merchandise which are sometimes finest stored in your carry-on. Numerous money and time goes into creating the excellent underwater digital camera set-up, so that you wish to comprehend it’s being dealt with accurately. Any spare batteries should even be in your hand baggage – these can’t go within the maintain. This additionally goes for any batteries for dive lights or torches.
When you have a small quantity of additional area, your masks can be a pleasant addition to your hand baggage. Once more, your personal masks will at all times be nicer in case your maintain baggage goes lacking. A swimsuit or bikini is one other small merchandise which can guarantee you possibly can dive.
Lastly, you might wish to take into account having your fins in your hand baggage. Nicely, much less in, and extra on. Some airways will permit you to strap your fins to the skin of a backpack to hold them on. This may save area and weight in your major bag, or be an answer in case your fins are on the bigger aspect!
Maintain Baggage
There are a few gadgets you’ll wish to be certain AREN’T in your hand baggage. Any dive knives or chopping instruments must be stored in your stowed baggage. They’ll be shortly faraway from you at safety in case you overlook them. When you have a knife mounted on a hose and also you’re taking your regulators in hand baggage, double verify it’s been eliminated.
Reels are one other one which can be a safety threat – you’ll wish to be certain these are within the maintain fairly than hooked up to your DSMB in hand baggage.
Methods to pack scuba gear for journey in maintain baggage
what bag you’re taking, you understand what’s going the place. Now let’s pack it up!
Small Equipment
Small dive equipment akin to masks, DSMBs, boots, hoods, or gloves, could be packed into your fin pockets. That is priceless area which may typically be forgotten about, so pop a number of equipment in there earlier than you pack your fins into the bag.
Fins First
In case your fins are moving into your major bag (fairly than being strapped to your hand baggage), you’ll most likely wish to pack them in first. They’re one of many greatest items of your equipment, in order that they’ll take up some actual property in your bag. In case your baggage is a duffel or comparable, packing your fins down both aspect of the bag is a good way so as to add some construction and defend the remainder of your delicate gear.
BCD Subsequent
BCDs are typically a bulkier merchandise, so it may be helpful to pack these in on the backside to make sure you have area for them. Be sure you take away all of the air out of your BCD so it’s as small as it could possibly probably be. It will possibly assist to take away your inflator hose for this and pack it individually.
Use Wetsuit for Padding
When you do select to pack extra delicate gadgets (akin to regs or a digital camera) in your maintain baggage, use your wetsuit to guard them! All that neoprene is extraordinarily protecting for extra delicate gear.
Bonus suggestions for travelling with dive gear
You’ve acquired just about all of our knowledge now for packing your dive gear… however listed here are a few bonus suggestions!
Everyone knows that diving in unbelievable locations typically requires some epic journeys. Brief layovers are undoubtedly a threat for dropping your dive baggage, so AirTags are a fantastic addition. Pop one into every of your luggage, and you’ll verify the place they’re always with a fast look in your cellphone.
Our last tip isn’t one thing you strictly have to pack, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly one thing you shouldn’t be diving or travelling with out. Be sure you don’t journey with out insurance coverage! This is applicable to each dive insurance coverage and journey insurance coverage. We love DiveAssure for mixed dive and journey insurance policies.
How do you pack your dive gear? Share in our Women that Scuba group, or tag us on Instagram!
