What to Bring on your Scuba Diving Vacation

Packing for Your Scuba Diving Trip

You need to bring the equipment appropriate for where you’re diving, except your tank and weights. You normally rent those at your destination. If you don’t yet own your own gear, most dive shops and resorts have rental stock (but confirm this prior to your trip).

Make sure to also pack a recent certification card , logbook, sunscreen, passport (for international travel) or photo identification, seasickness medications and bathing suit. Carry prescription drugs (with a copy of the prescription), contact lens cleaners and the like with you in case of a baggage delay. For some destinations a voltage adapter may be useful.

Download the Scuba Diving Vacation Checklist (PDF) to make sure you pack the appropriate gear.

Airline Excess Baggage Fees and Restrictions

With some airlines charging for bags that weigh more than 22 kilograms/50 pounds to most destinations, you may have to pay an added fee for your scuba gear bag (up to 32 kilograms/70 pounds) if you have many accessories (such as a large underwater photography system). For typical scuba equipment needed for warm water destinations, it’s not hard to stay within the weight limit.

An extra piece of baggage will cost extra regardless of what it weighs. Remember, you can equally distribute the weight of your gear among your bags to stay within limits, then redistribute everything once at your destination. Weight allowances and costs vary depending upon carrier and destination.

A dive knife or cutting tool must be in your checked baggage and not in any baggage you take into the cabin. Some regions prohibit dive knives – either entirely or over a certain size - and many countries prohibit spear fishing equipment. Although you wouldn’t typically carry a scuba tank when traveling by air, if you do for some reason, it must be depressurized with the valve removed. For latest, most accurate information, go to your airline website.

Special Permits

In most places you don’t need a permit but where you do they are usually easy to obtain and the local PADI Dive Shop or Resort can help get the permit for you. One or two places, particularly in the Middle East, don’t allow you to get a permit on short notice. If you’re not sure about permit requirements, check with your dive travel specialist.