Dive travel gear: what to pack and what the rules say.

What to carry, what to rent

PADI's blog (2016) lists airline baggage limits among the drawbacks of owning gear, and says that on liveaboards and in remote areas a diver may need at least their own mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuit, because storage is limited. PADI also names lightweight travel BCDs, and describes full-foot fins as light and travel-friendly. If you rent at the destination, DAN's Alert Diver (2023) says to allow extra time to learn the gear and to check a rental computer's gas setting and transmitter pairing, because some keep the previous user's settings.

PADI's blog (updated November 2024) says divers must have proof of certification, that non-PADI centres and most liveaboards generally cannot look a diver up online, and so recommends carrying a physical card and an eCard.

Scuba cylinders and aircraft

If you plan to fly with a cylinder, these are the rules as published, with their dates:

• TSA (United States): its "What Can I Bring?" listing says that, apart from personal medical oxygen, only an empty compressed gas cylinder is allowed, visibly empty with the regulator valve fully disconnected; officers will not remove valves, and a sealed cylinder with its valve attached is prohibited. The listing is not consistent: the same entry shows "No" for both carry-on and checked bags while its note allows an empty cylinder with the valve removed. TSA also states, in a listing we saw only as a search summary, that the final decision on any item rests with the officer.
• CATSA (Canada, page updated 22 December 2022): scuba tanks are not allowed in carry-on and may be allowed in checked baggage only if the air carrier approves.
• DAN Europe (about 2015): a scuba cylinder pressurised at 2 bar or more at 20 C is dangerous goods listed by IATA, and some airlines refuse cylinders altogether.
• FAA PackSafe: a search summary of the page says cylinders at or above 200 kPa at 20 C are regulated as hazardous materials and that airlines and screeners may require the valve to be opened fully; the page itself could not be read, so we could not confirm the wording.

DAN Europe adds two points for after the flight: some dive shops will not fill a cylinder whose valve was removed for travel until it has had a new visual inspection, and a destination country may require its own test stamp or certificate before filling. See cylinder inspection and testing.

Dive lights and lithium batteries

DAN Europe (Caren Liebscher, 2016), citing paragraph 2.3.4.6 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations on heat-producing articles, says high-intensity diving lamps can produce dangerous heat when lit, so the battery or bulb must be removed, or the light otherwise kept from switching on, for carriage. It says lithium battery devices and spares are governed by the ICAO Technical Instructions, with airline approval also needed in some cases, and summarises the lithium-ion limits as:

A search summary of the FAA's PackSafe page says spare lithium batteries must travel in carry-on baggage only, with terminals protected against short circuit; we could not read the page itself. DAN Europe's guidance is from 2016 and the article itself says to confirm the current rules, which we did not check against the current IATA text.

Driving in Europe

DAN Europe (about 2015) says that under the ADR agreement a filled scuba cylinder is dangerous goods class 2.2, but that a private individual carrying cylinders of air, nitrox or argon for their own use is exempt, provided the cylinders are packed and secured safely. Dive businesses fall under different rules.

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Flying home

The bodies publish different waiting times before flying after diving, and none is a rule. DAN's 2002 workshop consensus (published 2004) suggests a minimum surface interval of 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, and substantially longer after dives with decompression stops, with no figure given. DAN says these intervals reduce but do not guarantee avoidance of decompression sickness. PADI's blog (updated 2024) recommends 24 hours after any diving and following your computer's no-fly time. See flying after diving.

Insurance

DAN's 2024 blog says traditional health insurance plans often exclude diving-related incidents, and that DAN membership alone does not pay for a dive accident; its separate dive accident insurance covers chamber treatment and hospital care for covered diving injuries. We do not compare policies; see dive insurance and chambers.