How to successfully take your diving equipment on flights – without getting charged!

This has been a real grey area for divers over the years and a controversial subject on many diving forums. The simple fact to remember is that airlines are in the business of making money and view anyone taking their own diving equipment on their flight as a potential way of making money – if you go outside the rules.

Some airlines (Virgin Atlantic, Oman Air and Sri Lankan to name but three) currently give divers a free allowance to take their own diving equipment and are certainly worth considering when you make your decision of who “ takes you there”.

If your airline of choice has a policy of charging you to take diving equipment one solution is to pack all of your dive gear into your suitcase and cut down on the clothes you take. Ideal if you are going to the Maldives or Red Sea – not ideal if you are ice diving in Russia.

The other option you have is to hire the diving equipment when you arrive. Most centres renew all their equipment each year and will service their equipment regularly.

If all else fails your last and final option is to smile sweetly and prey the person checking you in is having a good day………..

A list of all the airlines Tropical Sky Scuba Diving currently use can be viewed here.