Dawhale,

While some of the liveaboard operations have space on the vessel for large
hard luggage.....many don't. Just call and ask the operator. Some operations
will stow your hard bags at your demark with the boat, but some operations
just don't have the space or don't have a secure location for the storage
ashore. I recommend soft sided luggage. Even if it has a hard backed
shell....it will work if the bag can be flattened to save space.
Most good liveaboards will have space on deck and in safe areas for hard
Pelican type camera cases.

"how are you securring you bags ?"

Bags were never really secure before.......think good travel
insurance......(if there is such a thing)
I travel a lot with my SCUBA tour business and have not had problems with
theft. It happens...but not often. Lost bags into some remote places with
lots of connections....yes....

Forest Aten

From the UK our allowance is usually either 20+ or 30Kilos, so there is
not much room for anything else other than dive gear, shorts and tee
shirts is about it.
Stowing on liveaboards can be a problem, if the boat is full you will be
expected to stow your bags in your cabin, if not, we use an empty cabin
for the empty bags.

To secure the bags we carry "lots" of plastic ties and tie up the zippers
at check in after security, keep a small pair of either nail clippers or
wire cutters in a pocket in carry on or in a pocket in main luggage. Make
sure that where you put the clippers is easily accessible and has nothing
else in that pocket.

Nail clippers can be stowed in carry on if you break of the "nail file"
part of the clipper.

Dave in UK.

I'm interested in the two week liveboard. Do you have a website for it?

For what it's worth - I went on a one week liveboard in Australia. You
really don't need much stuff. Two weeks of shorts, shorts, and underware,
a few pair of  socks, the normal toiletries and such, and your dive gear.
Leave the rest of whatever luggage you have in twon, in storage somewhere.
As for securing your bags, you really can't. I recommend using zip-ties.
The security Nazis can cut them off without damaging anything (and
sometimes put new ones on), while the average passer-by as to go through
some effort to get into your stuff. I recommend carrying your dive
computer, regulator, and mask with you on the plane in a hard case, such
as a Pelican case.

..

Bags never were secure in any meaningful sense.  Now that TSA xrays
all luggage they can see which bags to open for good pickings -- if
they are so inclinded.  Some of them probabaly are.

I recommend two things:

(1) In addition to your photo/video equipment, carry on your regulators
and dive computers.  Also your masks if they have corrective lenses.
I have an oversize regulator bag that can contina my wife's and my
regulators.  I've never had a problem calling it a "brief case" --
which doesn't count as a carry-on bag.  My "real" carry on is a day-pack
which can carry toiletries, a swim suit and a change of cloths.

(2) Do NOT use a "SCUBA" bag for checked luggage.  A bag marked with
dive flags or logos just screams out to be ripped of.  Inexpensive,
generic duffle bags seem to be the best choice.

Also, I recommend that all checked luggage be secured with a non-locking
luggage strap in addtion to whatever zippers/latches it has.  One of the
saddest sights has to be a broken open bag on the luggage carousal.
A strap will minimize the loss.

I use soft sided luggage only, except for my camera gear. So my travel
baggage looks like this:
1) Large roller duffel (I tend to use cheap ones, at the moment it is a
"Jeep" logo'ed duffel) for scuba gear and clothing
2) Pelican 1620 for camera gear (at 70+ pounds is always overweight but if I
check-in at the curb I have not yet been charged)
3) Tumi carry-on (actually a Tumi laptop brief) in it I carry my film, meds,
some toiletries and reading stuff. I never carry regs or computers or
cameras onboard, they go with the luggage. The earlier post about computers
locking out because of the cargo hold pressure is the first I have ever
heard of this. It is not something I take precaution against.

I never have and of course now cannot lock any cases or bags. The zip-ties
are worthless if securing your bag's contents are the goal. The only
problems I have is that when TSA inspects my camera case, and TSA **always**
inspects my camera case, they are not bright enough (or care enough) to put
it back the way they found it. Is it just me or has anyone else ever noticed
how most TSA people think the traveling public are the ones without ability
or sense? I have suffered some minor damage to a couple camera bodies
because of this. Luckily no lens damage yet...knocking on wood.

If you enjoy diving, you're gonna really enjoy the liveaboard
experience.....these days it's just the travel to and from that is the
issue.

dawhale@pacbell.net (dawhale) pounded away at his keyboard resulting
in:

It depends on the boat.  I have been on a lot of them.  Last week we
stored our luggage under our bed.  I have also stored it in a cargo
hold.

It has never been a problem.

Mind you, if I had a large rigid case, like a steamer trunk, it
wouldn''t fit under the bed.

Dan Bracuk
If at first you don't succeed, you run the risk of failure.
The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/

Go to WalMart and buy the largest vinyl softside piece you can buy.
Preferably puke green. Put your name and address on it in large letters
with a permanent marker, both sides. Next, some grass stains, paint,
garage-floor oil, whatever.

Pack the towels, fins, stuff like that on the outside, reg and delicate
stuff in the middle. Generous swabs of duct tape to close it (they'll
cut through it at the airport, but that's OK, it's the look that's
important.

Never ever use designer/leather/aluminum/expensive-looking luggage.

On the boat, crumple the bag in a ball and sucure it with some of the
duct tape attached.