Packing for a dive trip isn’t fun. It’s actually one of the worst parts of diving—the only thing I enjoy less is washing dive gear. The thought of forgetting something important (or not) can cause stress out of all proportion to the actual task in hand. Throw in the need to keep your bags under strict airline baggage allowances and it can quickly become overwhelming.

However, with a bit of planning and some good choices, it’s possible to take a full set of dive gear and a decent-sized camera setup within standard allowances. The goal is to pack efficiently, stay under the weight limits, and arrive with the appropriate kit intact for a great dive trip.

So here’s a guide to help you pack for your next dive trip.

What are you going to take?

This may sound obvious, but how much kit do you really need to take? It can be tempting—especially if you own all your own kit—to throw everything into your bag. If you’re only planning on doing a couple of days of diving, this may be overkill, and renting could make more sense.

If you’re going purely to dive, like on a liveaboard, the opposite is also true: are all those clothes really necessary?

Many manufacturers offer travel-focused dive equipment that is lighter and more compact. Generally, it’s not essential, as any weight saved is often at the expense of features or robustness—usually for fairly marginal gains. There’s only so much weight you can shave off a regulator.

The only lightweight piece of equipment I’d actively recommend is a travel BCD or wing. You can make some significant weight and space savings with a model designed specifically for travel. When I travel, I take my Cressi Travelight BCD, which weighs around 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs)—less than half the weight of the BCD I use for diving in the UK.

Fundamentals

The starting point is the choice of bag. Wheeled bags are popular and convenient but have a significant downside—they’re likely to be the single heaviest piece of kit you take. A large duffle-style bag is always going to offer the best volume-to-weight ratio. The downside is that you’ve got to be able (and happy) to carry it.

This isn’t really an issue in airports, where you’ll likely be putting it straight onto a trolley anyway, but you may have to shift it into vehicles or around a hotel. If you go for a duffle over a wheeled bag, you’ve instantly saved yourself 10–20% of your luggage allowance.

A top tip is to choose a duffle with detachable, backpack-style straps—if you end up needing to carry it any distance, it’ll make your life much easier. If you do opt for a wheeled bag, choose the lightest possible option; however, these often come at a significant cost.

How you pack your kit is also going to play an important role in keeping your gear safe in transit. Remember not to put two hard or fragile items next to each other—pad them out with clothes, your wetsuit, or a towel. Dive kit can survive being bashed around on a dive boat, so it should survive some manhandling by baggage handlers.

Some advocate carrying regulators in hand luggage, arguing it’s safer from damage and theft. There’s an element of risk and reward here, but I’ve always needed to prioritise hand luggage for genuinely breakable things like cameras and laptops, and I’ve never had any issues with regulators in checked luggage.

I start by lining the bottom of the bag with my wetsuit to provide some basic padding. Next, I run each fin down the long edge of the bag to add rigidity, which leaves a clear space in the middle for packing. Into this space goes the main equipment: BCD, regulator, mask, and accessories. I pad out the items with clothes, paying special attention to protecting the regulator’s first and second stages. The final item I add is a towel on top (mirroring the wetsuit at the bottom) to provide a final layer of padding.

Airline Baggage Allowances

The days of airlines giving significant benefits to divers are long gone, and there are only a handful left that offer any sort of free extra allowance. The only two worth mentioning are:

• TUI (surprisingly): they offer an extra 5 kg for divers and have routes to the Egyptian Red Sea
• Garuda, the Indonesian flag carrier, which gives divers a generous extra 23 kg for free

One area to be particularly careful of is airlines that enforce hand luggage weight limits. This is becoming more common—and more strictly enforced—on budget carriers in Asia. The thought of having to put a bag containing a laptop and camera gear into the hold gives me cold sweats…

Top Tips

• Digital luggage scales are invaluable—and the key is to take them with you. Remember that dive kit, however well you think you’ve dried it, is still likely to be heavier on the return leg.
• Check your dive gear. If you don’t dive year-round, make sure your equipment is serviced in line with manufacturer guidance before travelling.
• Know the rules on batteries. Lithium batteries, such as those found in dive torches, must be carried in your hand luggage.
• If you’re worried about staying warm, take a hood. It’s the easiest way to add warmth and far more compact than a thicker wetsuit.
• If you’re a chronic overpacker, using a simple prioritisation technique like the MoSCoW method can be helpful. All you need to do is review what you’re planning to take and categorise items as: Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have. 
• Always—always—check the airline’s baggage allowance and policy. They vary considerably and do change.

I’ve already put together a list of the best travel accessories for divers: Useful Travel Accessories for Divers

My Packing List