How to Travel Light With Scuba Gear

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With lightweight scuba equipment for sure you have to make some compromises on what you normally prefer. You might consider it though, to avoid paying for luggage overweight on top of your plane ticket. Besides that, you travel more comfortable. Lets go through the different pieces of equipment to see where and how we can reduce weight.

Steps

1. "Tank and weights". For sure they make up the biggest weight, but you definitely don’t take them on the plane. Most diving centers offer this included in the price of the organized dives. If you go diving on your own, you rent it. You can consider also renting the other equipment, just taking a mask and snorkel. There can be a big difference though in the quality of the rental equipment between one diving center and another. Inform yourself in advance. Most divers prefer their own stuff.
   
2. Mask and snorkel. If you don’t go snorkeling, you can even leave the snorkel home; though know that it is recommended equipment. There are also soft foldable snorkels that even fit in the pocket of the jacket. Take a low-volume mask that fits in the foot pocket of you fins. It protects the mask without having to bring a box and you don’t lose it on the boat. Replace the silicon strap with a neoprene Velcro adjustable strap, which is lighter and more comfortable.
   
3. Fins. Use full foot fins without booties if you go mostly boat diving in warm water. If you need foot protection, take neoprene socks but still with full foot fins, of course now a few sizes bigger. Carbon fins are an option, but most of them are the long type that free divers use. If you can’t do without your open heel fins, don’t use the metal spring straps. Normally those are preferable, but the conventional ones are lighter. Just don’t pull them too tight.
   
4. Regulator. Plastic rules, although small light weighted metal second stages do exist. The first stage is always metal. Inform what valve system they use where you go diving, DIN or yoke. It avoids having to bring an adapter. The pressure gauge can be plastic. Use the modern braided hoses. They are half the weight of the normal type and more flexible.
   
5. BCD. Take the simplest jacket you can get, not with the integrated weight system. The back plate has to be small. Again, plastic D-rings and buckles instead of metal. Take also the buckle of the weight belt in plastic.
   
6. Suit. This depends on the water temperature. If below 18°C, consider a lightweight trilaminate drysuit. Take under-protection that you can also use as “normal” clothing.Consider that you can use a full wetsuit about 2 mm thinner if you use a sleeveless 3 mm vest with hood under it.
   
7. Dive computer. Integrated with your wrist watch. Make sure the batteries are not running empty before you leave. Sometimes it can be expensive or impossible to change them on your destination.
   
8. Bag. For sure no hard case, but the trolley type is handy.
   
9. Logbook. Some models are bigger than a day-to-day office agenda. Just take your license and a few empty logbook sheets.
   

Tips

• Be clever. Tell your travel agent in advance you are a diver and that you need a bigger luggage allowance. They are more likely to accept, before you pay. If they don't, ask the price for overweight. The moment you step up to the check-in desk on the airport, is too late.
  

Warnings

• Don't leave the safety sausage home if you go drift diving. There is a cheap orally inflatable model of two meters long, that is light and doesn't take up much space in the pocket of your jacket. This model is not intended for safe surfacing, but for being spotted easier by the boat crew to pick you up. It can safe your life.
  
• Scuba diving is a safe sport, but only after adequate training, using the right equipment and following the rules you learned, all related to the conditions you dive in. The vast majority of accidents happen for not respecting these basics.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Create Circular Bubbles While Diving
  
• How to Maximize Your Scuba Dive
  
• How to Repair a Broken Scuba Mask Buckle
  

Sources and Citations

• DearDiveBuddy.com - Original source of article, shared by author.
  

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