Baggage Weight

Just packed my full dive equipment (everything including suit and vest) in its bag to go to the Maldives at the weekend! And the total weight, including the bag, is 7.3kg or 16lb. Which I think is pretty impressive. Lots of room for camera equipment!

And I am still using an older heavier BC. I want to get a Scubapro Geo (which will knock off more than 1kg) or reduce the total weight by 14%! Taking me down to at least 6.3kg including the dive bag.

Alex

That's impressive

what kit are you using?

Woah! That IS impressive Alex. I'm off to Hurghada tomorrow and I'm looking at about 14-15kgs for my dive bag.

Fins? Reg? BC? Wet suit. Are you carrying it all in a paper bag?

I'm praying to the Check-In Gods tonight.

Nope - all proper kit.

There are three main areas to save:

1) Regs - mine are lightweight Titanium ones (plus I use transmitter instead of gauge). Total weight 1.5kg (heavy regs can weigh 5kg, with a big consol and drysuit inflator left on, to prove you are a cold water diver!)

2) BC - mine weighs 2.8kg (there are ones now that weigh <2kg) including knife and SMB. A few years ago it was hard to find BC's that weighed less than 4-6kg.

3) I wear foot fins. Weight 1.3kg (pair). Boot fins can easily weigh 3-4kg (pair). Then you have a pair of boots (c. 1kg).

So here I am saving 6-10kg over many people.

Which I think is very significant. You tend not to get caught with excess baggage that is 20kg over, you are often 6-10kg over. Which is what I have just saved!

Bags offer a good way to save another couple of kgs. And also wetsuits. I see lots of people diving in an old 5mm, when they would be warmer and more comfortable in a new 3mm. And they would save a kg too.

Alex

p.s. My dive kit is from Scubapro (sponsored - so I won't go into details). But most items are not the most expensive ones. In fact my BC and foot fins are the cheapest items in their range (although I also have their most expensive fins too!).

I'm wearing full foot fins now too which helps, but it is all more or less academic when my housing on its own takes up my entire luggage allowance! You still guys just have it sooooo easy!

Cheers, Simon

Hell that is impressive - if I could trim all of the other junk maybe I could keep the (proper) Jet Fins (and they are Scubapro Alex! ).

Paul C

Jet fins weigh 3.5kg. My fins weigh 1.3kg - and you know I can shift in them when I want to! And you need boots.

My full above 27°C kit comes up to 8.4kg.

Mask/snorkel,

Titanium reg w computer Miflex hoses and power inflator octopus combo and xmiter,

neoprene (1mm titanium shirts, full 2.5mm titanium, 1 titanium short hood),

full foot fins,

BP/Wing combo

One way to skim weight off... use MiFlex hoses which are significantly lighter, and to me, more comfortable because of the greater flexibility.

Thats very impressive Alex, what bag do you use. I cant seem to find a good quality bag which weighs under 3kg

Stew

One similar to this. Heavy duty mesh:

http://www.scubapro.com/europe/uk/scubapro...-2010/mesh-sack

Alex

p.s. That's my friend Steve on the background picture!

which BC?

i use all Scubapro product, i have the Glide Plus BC, i don't think its that light, never weighed it though

But, can't wear Scubapro fins

My current BC is a T-Sport, which is no longer in production. It is a bottom of the range one (Ele has a much fancier LadyHawk). I went for that one because it was the lightest a few years ago, before they started making specifically light ones (when the US baggage rules started to change). But it is also durable - I use it both in drysuit and tropical dives. It is not exactly handsome anymore. There are many photos of me wearing it on the web - as it is the only BC I have used for the last 3-4ish years!

If I was on location, like you, Mike. I would definitely have BC with more features.

I want to try Scubapro's Geo BC - which is much lighter than mine. It would save me over 1kg (and my BC is already light).

http://www.scubapro.com/europe/uk/scubapro...cy-compensators

Steve Frink (who was on a shoot) showed me one in Cayman at the start of the year, and I have been meaning to get one ever since. Still haven't. I have done very little travel this year, which has been baggage limited.

Anyway it is important to match durability with lightness. A few years ago I got a Seaquest Passport, which I bought, when my previous 10 year old BC (Seaquest Predator) got lost in Hurricane Ivan (2004)! I decided to get another Seaquest as I had been so happy with the Predator. And went for their lightweight one. In little more than 1 year it started to leak and when I sent it back - they said I should buy a new one as it had worn out!

Alex

I use this bag:

http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/product/pa...50&pcc=1128

Takes a lot of stuff, water proof and weighs under 3lbs/1.4kg and can be slung as a backpack and double as a camera drybag. Also lockable AND parts of it uses recycled materials.

I use to use the mesh bags until my stahlsac snagged onto some protruding thing and got ripped at an airport.

I use transmitter instead of gauge

Been there -- done that, I now dive with the smallest submersible pressure gauge I could find as a back up to my wireless transmitter.

I had an incident a few years back when diving the "Arabia" which is a shipwreck in the Fathom Five National Marine Park in Tobermory, Ontario.

My air integrated computer console quit on me about 50 - 60 feet down and would not restart. Lost the depth, time, and air pressure information all at once and had to abort the dive.

I was able to return to the surface without incident, but not knowing if I would get another breath of air out of the tank on the way up to the surface was an experience I care not to repeat.

I now use a DUI pressure gauge clipped off to my BC just behind one of my weight integrated pockets, so it's there if and when I need it, as well as the wireless transmitter.

I'm sure there are smaller sp gauges that would weigh less than half a kilo. It's good cheap insurance and not much of a weight penalty to endure for the peace of mind received.

Have a good trip to the Maldives. Looking forward to seeing more great pictures.

P.S. Maybe this is a scouting party for leading future escorted dive trips?

Jet fins weigh 3.5kg. My fins weigh 1.3kg - and you know I can shift in them when I want to! And you need boots.

Yea I know Alex - but have you seen your calf muscles recently ?

Over developed or what .....

You are quite right though - for travel the old jet fins need retiring.

Paul C

One similar to this. Heavy duty mesh:

http://www.scubapro.com/europe/uk/scubapro...-2010/mesh-sack

 

Alex

 

p.s. That's my friend Steve on the background picture!

Cheers for that Alex. I will be ordering a couple of them this weekend.

Stew

I should add that other companies make this type of bag too.

Alex

How much does your camera gear weight? Do you pack a hard case for it incase you are required to check it

Thanks.

No underwear I presume. Any change of clothes?

I just tested an Aqualung Zuma BC (2kg) for Diver Mag (Sept) and gave it 10/10. The test is not yet on divernet but you can see a round-up of lightweight BCs here: http://www.divernet.com/Diving_Gear/group_...ly_with_me.html

You can see an earlier round-up of lightweight gear here: http://www.divernet.com/Diving_Gear/group_...ling_light.html

Enjoy!

Those who like BP/wing configs should also check out the Oxycheq range. A full 8kg/18lbs wing with harness and backplate comes in less than 2kg. That's with a crotch strap (I prefer the Dive Rite one which is only 1" wide). A friend has this system and I like it but I have WAAYYY too many rigs to buy another. Plus 0.5kg isn't that much difference.