Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Dive kit weighs too much!

I did a test pack of dive gear into my suitcase for my forthcoming diving trip to Egypt last night. Excluding the torch, camera, camera housing and computer (which I'm taking in hand luggage) my dive kit + suitcase weighs around 22.1kg.
I took out the red sea fish book to save a kilo and take it down to 21.

But this is before I've packed any clothes or toiletries or a towel! And I have a weight limit of 25kg - since the airline only has a 5kg dive kit allowance... 10kg used to be standard.

Plus I daren't take much more than 22kg outbound because you can guarantee the BCD and wetsuit will still have some extra water related weight on the return leg.

I could shave a bit off by leaving SMB/Reel/Dive knife at home - but that's hardly sensible from a safety perspective is it.

I phear my t-shirts could be a tad mingin' by the return flight - I pity whoever has to sit next to me ;-)

Airlines are getting increasingly anal about luggage weight - but it's ridiculous that you can't buy extra weight allowance at a sensible price that reflects the true incremental fuel cost of your suitcase being a tad heavier, rather than a punitive rate.

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