Packing Tips for the Traveling Diver

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhen it comes time for a diver to take another vacation especially luxury travel, it is only natural to select a destination that offers world-class diving, and a spa atmosphere for the hours spent on land. Dive gear is heavy and airlines have baggage weight limitations. Being able to fit all of your dive gear into a bag and stay under the weight limitation is both a science and an art. When looking for your next dose of luxury travel you will want to check multiple consumer review sites to ensure you are booking into a resort that satisfies like-minded travelers and meets all your requirements. Consumer review sites are also great places to search for buyer insight on luggage. Remember, the lighter the bag, the more gear you can take on your flight.

Baggage/Luggage Tips

The trick is finding luggage that is light in weight yet durable and rugged enough to protect your expensive and sensitive dive gear. For this reason shopping for luggage made specifically for scuba travel is recommended. The Akona (AKB182) roller bag weighs in at around 9 pounds and is made from durable yet lightweight Dobby Nylon Material for mildew and stain resistance. The trick to making this bag lightweight yet durable is the unique weave that gives the fabric lots of support and helps reduce abrasions and tears. It also has a lightweight pull-handle that extends and is easy to slide with a lock-release button. This bag can house a full wetsuit, regulators, BCD, fins, boots, hood, gloves, and several accessories.

Pack sensibly (I know it is hard for some of us!)

If you are headed to the Bahamas you can leave that 7mm wetsuit at home. In fact, you can leave your 3 mm shorty at home too and free up more space for other items. Renting a wetsuit at the dive resort is inexpensive and, depending on your tolerance to temperature and the time of year you travel, you may not even need one. The heaviest piece of equipment you will be bringing is your BCD. If you do a lot of dive-related travel it may be a wise investment for you to purchase a BCD designed for traveling to tropical destinations. These BCDs are much lighter, easier to pack, and will save you lots of hassle. Let’s face it, you won’t be deep, tech or cave diving. You might as well leave the heavy duty BCD at home and bring one that is designed for leisure tropical exploration. The Aeris EX Lite Travel BCD weighs a mere 5 lbs 7 oz and has a low average cost of $175. This low-profile back mount comes with 20-pound dump-able weight pockets and holds another 10 pounds of non-dump-able weight. It has a comfortable depth compensating waist-webbing assembly to keep it in place on every dive. The low profile back inflation air cell will make tropical diving along the reefs easy and fun. Finally, it has an impressive lift capacity of 38 pounds.

Prepare to be a Diver

If you have never been to the Bahamas and elsewhere to dive you may want to check with PADI for a list of all endorsed dive shops and operations in the area. Remember, ensuring you partner with a reputable dive group is just as important as checking consumer reviews on spas and hotels in the Bahamas to ensure you have the best vacation ever.

Stayed tuned in the coming months as I will be reviewing family diving trips to Hawk’s Cay Resort and Atlantis!