Lightweight Travel Dive Equipment

Whoop whoop! Travelling destinations are opening slowly, and we can now start to travel more freely. Egypt, with its stunning Red Sea is back, alongside a few other popular exotic diving destinations. Check here where can you go diving now.

We are back to the old conundrum of taking our scuba diving equipment abroad without paying unnecessary excess baggage fees. If you are looking for a new BCD or Wing, this blog may help you choose your new, travel-friendly diving gear.

Lightweight scuba diving bags

First things come first. Your equipment transfer will not be safe without a sound, sturdy, well-made travel bag. There are few things to consider when choosing your next diving bag. While some, more expedition oriented divers prefer the lightness and flexibility of a duffle bag, some others - mostly holidaymakers - will opt-in for a lovely looking, spacious dive bag with wheels. Durability is another aspect - most dive bags will be made of softshell polymer material but are pretty durable and puncture-resistant.

You also need to decide the size that suits your travel plan the best. Let's take roller bags as an example. The size of up to 40 litres may be suitable even as carry-on luggage, while bags of around 80 litres will provide most of your diving equipment for a weekend trip. Tha bags of 100 plus litres will cuddle the whole diving equipment set for a week-long and extended scuba diving holiday.

Lightweight travel BCDs and Wings Sets

In terms of BCD suitable for travelling, there are many fantastic hybrid buoyancy compensators on the market. BCDs are the bulkiest pieces of equipment, and choosing a smaller, more streamlined BCD will save a lot of space in our dive bag. Most scuba diving companies offer a travel-friendly BCD. Travel BCD is slimmed down to the essential bits like comfortable padded shoulder straps, integrated weights, trim pockets. Almost all good travel BCDs offer wing type bladders.

Travelling extensively on many expeditions, I found that my travel wing-harness-backplate set up is the lightest and smallest to travel. Modern single travel wing sets feature weight-saving aluminium backplate - cut out for ultimate weight reduction, single tank wing with a lift of around 13-20 kgs.

We are active scuba divers ourselves, and we love to travel. We have a full range of lightweight travel BCDs in our travel collections. Thinking about getting a ladies BCD but not sure what the benefits would be? Read our 'Why Choose a Women's BCD' article to find out how they differ from a standard BCD

Lightweight travel regulators

If you prefer to pack regulators in hold luggage, the weight of a regulator plays an important aspect in planning our packing. Diving regulators first stages can be heavier as they feature a lot of high-quality metals. Some experienced divers will choose regulators that offer a compromise between slightly heavier cold water rated rigs and lighter, more travel-friendly construction. A typical travel regulator features weight-saving polymer second stage and octopus casings and is furnished with high quality but lightweight braided hoses like miflex.

If you need a little more help, take a look at our guide to Choosing A Regulator for some helpful tips and information, as well as our guide to choosing DIN or A-Clamp.

Lightweight travel fins

Standard fins are heavier, especially any type of Jetfin, which are popular amongst drysuit divers. They help significantly in the trim but are not the lightest to travel with.

Fins that are more travel friendly are made usually from a lighter polymer and have a shorter blade to reduce the weight but still offer enough power transfer. Actually, a shorter blade can be beneficial if you are going wreck, cavern or cave diving.

Lightweight travel packages

Our travel experienced Showroom Team has put together a collection of fantastic lightweight travel dive packages. The combined weight of all BCDs and Regulator sets is under 7kg in each package! With the tightening of airline luggage restrictions and the increasing cost of checked luggage, there has never been a better time to get a package that could fit in your hand luggage!

We are here for you, and if you are unsure which equipment will suit your dive style the best, do not hesitate to get in touch with our well-travelled instructors.