Dive bag for Red Sea

[Ian@1904]

I have managed to book on to a couple of Red Sea trips this year. I need a new dive bag but cannot decide on the most appropriate size.
I plan to take fins, regs, BCD, 3mm full suit and a shortie, weight belt, floats and frame for video system, some spares, and probably some clothes.
Hand luggage will have video lights, batteries, dive computers, notebook computer.

My question is what size of wheeled bag should I go for?
Is 100 litre too small, 140 litre too large?

Northern Diver seem to have some good deals at the moment. Has anyone used their bags?

[John63]

How big was your old bag? Did everything fit in?

How bulky is the video frame / arms?


If it helps, for a tech trip to Truk - mixed live aboard and shore based- I had clothes, canister lamp, 3mm suit, backplate & wing, 2 backgas regs & 2 deco regs, spare mask, spares box etc

I used 2 x 70l bags with room to spare. Can’t remember but think there was an individual bag limit in one of the flights so had to split into 2 so couldn’t use my normal bag which is one of these

https://www.akona.com/products/gear-bags/product/%7E836-PRIMITIVE-FROG-ROLLER-BACKPACK?filter_87=1

It 149 litres and bomb proof. At least 15yrs (old and has withstood numerous trips through Middle East and Asia. Have used for both tech & rec trips and always been able to fit everything in even in colder weather with 5mm suit plus shortie.

Heavy though.

Personally, I would opt for the larger bag 140 not 100 as can always cinch it in with luggage straps if not full.

[Ian@1904]

How big was your old bag? Did everything fit in?

How bulky is the video frame / arms?


If it helps, for a tech trip to Truk - mixed live aboard and shore based- I had clothes, canister lamp, 3mm suit, backplate & wing, 2 backgas regs & 2 deco regs, spare mask, spares box etc

I used 2 x 70l bags with room to spare

20 year old bag. No idea about size.

[Aqua Maria]

I have a Northern Diver wheeled lightweight holdall that has survived quite a few trips. I think it's 140 litres. I have a smaller very lightweight nylon bag that I usually stuff my clothes in and that goes inside the dive bag.

[Allan Carr]

We've got the Northern Diver Voyager bags which did three trips last year, two to the Caribbean and one to the Red Sea and have survived well. The new models have plastic zip sliders so don't have the old problem of the sliders corroding away. The larger 140l bags have tywo seperate compartments so dry stuff can be put in one. If you want to pop around and have a look at ours, let me know.

[Stig]

100 litres probably OK, I think it would rattle about a bit in 140 litres. I'm after a new wheeled holdall as cobbled streets knackered the wheels on my old one, I think it's about 100-120 litres and fits dive gear plus clothes and a 5mm suit.

[MarkP]

100 litres probably OK, I think it would rattle about a bit in 140 litres. I'm after a new wheeled holdall as cobbled streets knackered the wheels on my old one, I think it's about 100-120 litres and fits dive gear plus clothes and a 5mm suit.

I have 20 year old Stahlsac and its wheels lost their covering. Despite Stahlsac's "lifetime" guarantee, it was considered irreparable by Stahlsac as the wheels were no longer available.

So I looked for "inline skate wheels" on Amazon and bought and fitted a pair. Total cost? £7.99.

You do have to measure things properly before you start buying replacements.

[Paul Evans]

https://www.thediveforum.com/showthr...hlight=rolling

we did this not long ago

[wibble32]

I bought a Red Berghaus 100L Mule wheeled bag.

It does not look like a dive bag, or worth looting
It has wheels and a dual post extending handle for civilised airports
It has 2 side straps so you can carry if needed over the shoulders like a rucksack.
It has a single strap for light carry
It folds flat so can be stowed easiily on a liveaboard
The zips open up a huge amount of bag so you can find stuff without turning it all out, and lay stuff in flat for neat stowage.
It has a net compartment under the top zipped flap wher I put documents.
I chose red over the darker colour so I can write on it with permanent marker to identify it with a mark that cannot be detached.

I thought by now the zips might have corroded or jammed from salt air but they have not.
Rgds

[Mark Chase]

I think the above is the better bet. Why advertise your bag as £1000 worth of dive kit in it?


Personally, I use a mid-sized wheeled suitcase.

When I first started I had a cool dive kit bag but in truth, it was way too heavy empty, and when the zips failed I just started using my boring-looking suit case.