Underwater Essentials: Best Dive Bags for Your Gear

If you have spent the money to purchase dive equipment you are going to want to ensure you have the best dive bag to protect your gear in transit. Check out these recommendations for the best dive bags to make sure you have the right bag to meet your diving travel needs.

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Dive Bag or Normal Luggage?

When making your decision to purchase a bag to carry your dive gear the first decision you will have to make will be: dive bag or just normal luggage?

There are companies that make dive specific bag (big names like Akona and Cressi for example). The upside is that these bags will be designed for salty, or watery equipment. In addition, these bags are designed with pockets, and storage to carry all the large or little pieces of dive equipment. The rumored downside (since I have not personally met anyone this has happened to) is that labeled dive bags are more likely to be swiped or have equipment stolen.

To counteract the potential of getting equipment swiped, or saving some money, some divers opt for bags that are not manufactured by dive companies. These bags will be discreet, but may not have the size for some fins, or the organization for storing the various parts of dive gear. These can be more affordable than dive bags, just ensure that you purchase a sturdy bag that can hold up transporting heavy equipment.

Stahlsac

Stahlsac is one of the best dive bags to look into for those wanting to have the luxury of a dive big organization, but a low key aspect for what you are traveling with.

Stahlsac is a smaller brand, meaning that most will not recognize the label on the bag as a dive company. However, the bags that Stahlsac manufacturers are the standard dive layouts with plenty of room and options of how to pack gear.

If you want the storage of a dive bag, but with some discretion, then this is a great option as one of the best dive bags.

Helly Hensen

This brand is a great option if you are avoiding the standard dive bag vibe. However, this is still a very popular brand name meaning that it will be recognized. The added note for this company though, is that the bag is sturdy and while not designed directly for diving is made by an outdoor company who is accustomed to accomodating the adventurous.

These make great dive bags due to the fact that some are hard on one side, and soft on the other making sure there is plenty of wiggle room while packing gear.

The bags are long enough to allow for a variety of fins at the bottom of the bag, and storing regulator set, mask, wetsuit, and BCD on top.

Samsonite

Want a popular and reliable brand? Look no further than a Samsonite to make one of the best dive bags. This bag comes in options that are either hard case, or soft.

If you want to ensure that your equipment is protected, and discreet. Then purchasing one of the Samsonite hard case bags is a great option for carrying dive gear on a dive trip.

The one downside for this brand is that you will be limited in the length of your fins. This is a standard size luggage case, meaning if you are diving with fins that are long then the fins will not fit in this dive bag. Ensure to check the length of the case against the length of your fins so that all your equipment will fit.

Eagle Creek

Another outdoor company, Eagle Creek offers divers several options of duffel bags that will be beneficial for those looking into the best dive bags.

These duffels will be able to fit numerous size of fins, and fit equipment on top, and then other vacation items on top of the dive equipment.

This is another pricey brand but offers plenty of storage space to fit dive equipment in a discreet duffel. Just be careful not to exceed the airline weight limit due to all the space available in these duffels.

Osprey

Yet another outdoor brand!

The reason this is a great option for transporting dive gear is the fact that the company offers a lifetime warranty for their bags which means this can be an easy choice for a dive bag for many.

There are options for a wheeled duffel bag. Or if you want a bag that is multi-purpose, you may be able to fit dive gear into a large backpack but will be limited on the length of the fins.

Ultimately, the great aspect about this brand is the lifetime warranty protecting you from future purchases of luggage if this one is ripped or torn.

Mares

There is a variety of dive brands that make bags for the divers out there. If you are looking for some of the best dive bags, these are going to be some of the best options available.

These bags will be built to survive corrosion and to accommodate the variety of sizes of dive equipment.

Mares is a popular company and has some great roller bag options for divers to fit one, or two, peoples dive equipment into the bag. I met someone who was able to fit their equipment, and their significant other’s equipment into the larger roller bag.

The dive company offers a variety of bag options from the standard roller bag to a duffel bag option.

Cressi

I bought my dive bag from Cressi and have been very happy with it. The bag has plenty of space for freediving fins, a BCD, regulator set, and two masks. In addition to this, I can pack all my vacation clothes in the bag with plenty of room. I have found all that equipment, and an extra set of fins in the side pockets and I am still within the weight limit at the airport.

Depending on how you pack, a lot of these dive bag companies larger bags can accommodate two-person equipment. So this is a great travel advantage to purchasing a dive company’s bag over other brands.

Cressi offers a roller bag option (which is what I opted for) or the option for a duffel bag. Check out the regulator set to ensure your equipment is well protected while traveling.

Akona

If you are looking for a variety of bag options this dive manufacturer creates a lot. From standard roller bag to the option of a duffel to carry all the gear.

This will give a variety of options for divers in bag selection. Selecting a bag from Akona provides divers with the comfort of knowing that the bag will withstand traveling and potential corrosion that comes with dive equipment.

If you are out traveling, you will see a number of people traveling with Akona bags.

I personally own the Akona regulator bag, as I like to ensure that my regulator set is well padded and protected even inside of my dive bag.