44 replies to this topic

[scubaski]

Hi All,
Anyone ever had any issues with TSA screeners at airport for Scuba gear as carry-on baggage??
I use a intergrated jacket bc. I should be able to get my .5 suit, bc, mask and reg along with some shorts and tees in my carry-on. The rest of my gear will be checked.
Thank You All.
Stan

[Capn Jack]

My routine is to take everything I need to dive with on my outbound leg. To state the obvious bad ideas:

Knife, flares, speargun.

Rarely they will pull out the reg and look at it, but usually one or more of the screeners has seen the stuff before.

Returning I check everything except my computer and EPIRB.

[DandyDon]

Hehe, I've had a lot of experiences with them. For a few years they did not have a real policy on scuba tanks - up to the airline and the TSA agent, so I didn't bother removing my valve from my pony bottle in checked luggage. We heard of ponies being confiscated, but never confirmed any of those stories. Never had a problem. Spare Air co was losing much of their business tho - as divers didn't want to buy one but not be guaranteed they could travel, so the company lobbied the TSA to issue an official statement. Now the valves do have to be removed, but no risk.

You asked about carry on, tho. When they say No Tools, they mean No Tools - no judgement calls. My buddy did not review the site before our trip to Coz and tried to take a multi tool of some sort in his carry-on. The luggage was already gone, but in this small airport - where I know all of the Cont Air agents, they held it at the desk until we got back.

They always look at mine hard on the Xray, usually open it in Lubbock, probly not in airports where they see a lot of divers. I carry 2 masks, 2 regs, 2 computers, O2 analyzer, strobe, etc in my roll-on, cameras in my laptop bag as my roll-on gets gate checked on small planes. No problems. No way my BC is going in that roll-on, and I don't want to wear it onto the plane, so I check that, as much as I hate to.

Any liquids must be in not greater than 3.4 oz containers, in a one quart zip-lock bag, one to a passenger, presented separately, of course. There was a problem with some agents requiring "Zip-lock" brand at first, but that got fixed. I carry a few extra bags to share with passengers I encounter who didn't know. Mr. Nice Guy here. No knives in carry-on, altho I have accidentally left mine pocket knife in my laptop bag a couple fo times; they searched after seeing it on Xray, couldn't find it. No lighters allowed, but they never catch those. Do remove batteries from lights, etc - looks funny on Xray and increases chance of damage.

The stoires can get funny on returning to the states.

Edited by DandyDon, 19 April 2007 - 07:10 PM.

[shadragon]

I carry my regulators and DC with me on-board. Everything else is packed in checked luggage in a scruffy, well worn back pack.

Every US airport TSA screener always takes my regs out to look at them. In Boston the lady who search my bag took my reg out by the hoses and it smacked against the table with a thunk. I half lunged forward to grab it and she looked at me with great suspicion. I said, "Miss, there are three really good reasons why you should treat that with respect. 1) That piece of equipment cost more than my airline ticket. 2) My life literally depends on it at depth. 3) My life insurance is still in my ex-wifes name..."

She laughed quite a bit and treated it with due care afterwards...

[Latitude Adjustment]

No lighters allowed, but they never catch those.

The no lighters rule predates TSA. They were never designed to hold fluid at altitude and can leak under the reduced presure. You really don't want lighter fluid in your carry-on or in the cabin!
In the USAF we carried waterproof matches in our flightsuits even if we didn't smoke just in case we had to walk home.

[Scubatooth]

just remember anything is possible with TSA as they will take literally anyone. Im holding my tongue because this is a sensitive issue that my opninon would violate the TOS in less then a second.

Sha having flown enough if got that attitude from a TSA agent i would have asked for the supervisor, as thats not right. Them mishandling/damaging peoples property isnt what there for.

I do it the easy way because Im always carrying gear that i will never check (laptop, and camera gear (including film). as a result I normally have all of my stuff gone through but i zip tie evening shut so that they don't open it without me being right there in front of them.

as for the film i insist on hand inspection (for which they have to even though they dont like it) as i wont put the film through any x-ray scanning because of potential damage (even with what they say and post) as im carrying normally professional slide, negatvie and infared films (most sensitive to x-ray). I pack all of it in lead wraps that a put into there own bag for easy of inspection, and this third bag is fine with the airlines as i have cleared it multiple times before. I bring documentation from the manufactures saying that X-ray's damage the film, along with the TSA guidelines because i have run into several who either make up the rules on the fly or ignore them.

FWIW

Tooth

[scubagalpal]

Those before me have all had good input. For my own experience, I haven't had trouble with my carry-on bags. I usually carry-on my camera, computers and regs along with a change of clothes, swim suit and toiletries in the prescribed amounts.

What I have had problems with, though, is my dive lights. I had a brand new HID light badly broken by TSA in checked bags at the Miami airport. Now I carry-on everything I can possibly get by with.

[DandyDon]

I did remove my compass from my reg on a couple of trips, since it has liquid in it. Didn't bother last time. Think I'll lose a compass that way...??

[Latitude Adjustment]

I did remove my compass from my reg on a couple of trips, since it has liquid in it. Didn't bother last time. Think I'll lose a compass that way...??

I'm sure the pilot already has a compass!

Edited by Latitude Adjustment, 20 April 2007 - 11:02 AM.

[Dive_Girl]

My routine is to take everything I need to dive with on my outbound leg.

It's true - he is the packer extraordinaire!! My next trip, I am taking a page out of Capn Jack's travel book! They guy knows how to travel!

[secretsea18]

just remember anything is possible with TSA as they will take literally anyone. Im holding my tongue because this is a sensitive issue that my opninon would violate the TOS in less then a second.

Sha having flown enough if got that attitude from a TSA agent i would have asked for the supervisor, as thats not right. Them mishandling/damaging peoples property isnt what there for.

I do it the easy way because Im always carrying gear that i will never check (laptop, and camera gear (including film). as a result I normally have all of my stuff gone through but i zip tie evening shut so that they don't open it without me being right there in front of them.

as for the film i insist on hand inspection (for which they have to even though they dont like it) as i wont put the film through any x-ray scanning because of potential damage (even with what they say and post) as im carrying normally professional slide, negatvie and infared films (most sensitive to x-ray). I pack all of it in lead wraps that a put into there own bag for easy of inspection, and this third bag is fine with the airlines as i have cleared it multiple times before. I bring documentation from the manufactures saying that X-ray's damage the film, along with the TSA guidelines because i have run into several who either make up the rules on the fly or ignore them.

FWIW

Tooth

The trick that stops the TSA dead in their tracks for film inspection is to just say "It is scientific information on the film." Plus take out of the canisters and put into plastic bag.

I once had to wait for 30 minutes while the ^@*+& TSA swiped each and every canister of film (>80 rolls) individually for explosives residue. I nearly missed boarding my international flight in time... this was LAX.

And they also ALWAYS open my camera gear (an entire rollaboard).

FWIW, I never carry on stuff I can get at destination, like regs. The camera crap takes up all my carry on luggage, that plus prescription dive mask, computer (laptop + dive) swimsuit, toothbrush and change of clothes. Getting an overweight camera bag aboard is one thing, getting an overweight bag with other stuff is another.

If any of you are flying in Australia, be ready for limited (by weight) carryons... and YES they weigh them right at the ticket counter! And if Qantas, even worse ... they are the nastiest airline people I have ever encountered!

[ASDmike]

If you don't have too much "suspicious" stuff, you could try something I do...

I got tired of them tearing into my carry-on bag to find the 1st stage. They see a big chunk of metal, hoses and the regs, but for some reason most security folks feel they have to visually see it. So I found a rugged/square/clear "tupperware-like" container that is just big enough for the setup and my dive computer. I put thin padding material around the bottom/sides and then place one of my "Oceanic Diving Regulator - Owners Manual" just under the lid and clearly visible through the top but not blocking the "view" to the 1st stage.

So I pull this box out of my carry-on bag, carefully place it on the belt, normally just pick it up on the other side and put it back in my carry-on bag. I run through an airport X-Ray with it about 10-20 times a year and I immediately dropped my hand search "rate" of my carry-on bag from about 80% to almost zero. I almost always catch the X-Ray agent glancing down at the box but not calling for inspection. In general, about 30% of the time they call for inspection of it now. Many times the inspector only picks up the box and looks though the lid. Most of the time they open the lid, but do not remove anything but that owners manual. Only once did the inspector feel it necessary to remove everything and... like sha's experience, I think she was bored, not interested in doing her job right and sloppy in handling my regs.

In any case, that box is easy for me to pack in/out of my carryon and I don't get everything shuffled through. And on the boat, that box is a perfect dry spot for me keep my hat/sunglasses and DAN card in, on the dive deck...

[pir8]

If you don't have too much "suspicious" stuff, you could try something I do...

I got tired of them tearing into my carry-on bag to find the 1st stage. They see a big chunk of metal, hoses and the regs, but for some reason most security folks feel they have to visually see it. So I found a rugged/square/clear "tupperware-like" container that is just big enough for the setup and my dive computer. I put thin padding material around the bottom/sides and then place one of my "Oceanic Diving Regulator - Owners Manual" just under the lid and clearly visible through the top but not blocking the "view" to the 1st stage.

So I pull this box out of my carry-on bag, carefully place it on the belt, normally just pick it up on the other side and put it back in my carry-on bag. I run through an airport X-Ray with it about 10-20 times a year and I immediately dropped my hand search "rate" of my carry-on bag from about 80% to almost zero. I almost always catch the X-Ray agent glancing down at the box but not calling for inspection. In general, about 30% of the time they call for inspection of it now. Many times the inspector only picks up the box and looks though the lid. Most of the time they open the lid, but do not remove anything but that owners manual. Only once did the inspector feel it necessary to remove everything and... like sha's experience, I think she was bored, not interested in doing her job right and sloppy in handling my regs.

In any case, that box is easy for me to pack in/out of my carryon and I don't get everything shuffled through. And on the boat, that box is a perfect dry spot for me keep my hat/sunglasses and DAN card in, on the dive deck...

I like it, have ta see if I can find one . Gotta find the reg manual also, I know its around here somewhere. I know where my computer manual is. That might work and be a nice reference to have on the trip.

[BubbleBoy]

The thing I consistently got tagged on the last few times was my little 6 cu ft. pony tank. Even with the integrated 1/2 reg and valve removed, the TSA operators are afraid to pull the plastic protector out of the neck to look inside the tank. The last time they called the supervisor over and he asked me what was inside the tank. When I told him nothing, his response was, "then what do you need it for?". I surrendered and agreed to check my bag, but, they sent one of the TSA operaters with me all the way to the bagage counter.

[ev780]

No lighters allowed, but they never catch those.

The no lighters rule predates TSA. They were never designed to hold fluid at altitude and can leak under the reduced presure. You really don't want lighter fluid in your carry-on or in the cabin!
In the USAF we carried waterproof matches in our flightsuits even if we didn't smoke just in case we had to walk home.

If that were the case then we could have no lighters in our part of the world. Planes are pressurized to 8500ft. Roughly the elevation of Colorado ski resort base areas. Mythbusters actually showed that these things are pretty benign all things considered.

F