Ready to travel with your diving gear?

Trying to determine the best dive bag for air travel is important. Your dive gear cost a lot of money and you don’t want to package it in a bag that won’t withstand the jostling around airplane luggage  trucks and carousels!  

The main dive gear manufacturers have a variety of luggage available. Whether you are traveling to snorkel in azure shallows or dive into the deep, you need appropriate dive bags that can protect your expensive gear. 

Plus, it has to be large enough to accommodate the necessary gear and strong enough to protect it from damage.

Why do I need a specialist dive bag?

The answer is simple really. A bag that is made specifically to accommodate delicate and expensive scuba equipment is loads better than one you use to store your gym clothes in. Besides protecting your equipment during travel, the bag is made of materials that prevent salt water damage. 

In specialist dive bags, there are often separate compartments and pockets for certain gear like fins that make packing a breeze. 

Top Dive Bags for Air Travel

Depending on the gear you have, you have your pick of dive bags. So which one should you pick for your diving expedition? Here are the best dive bags for travel that give good value for money:

The Best Dive Bag for Air Travel?

Are you looking for a carry-on or a check-in bag? Cressi, the first of our reviews below is our top choice. They offer a large bag (the MOBY 5)  to check in and a more compact cabin bag (the Vuelo). 

Seasoned divers will know all about the amount of gear we have to transport! So if you think you’re going to get away with a carry-on alone, you must have gear waiting for you at your destination!

Carrying all your own gear, which you’ll build up over time and want to use, you’ll need a sturdy check-in bag plus a smaller cabin bag for your more delicate diving gear. 

Cressi MOBY 5 Roller Luggage Bag (115L)

cressi moby

The Cressi MOBY 5 Luggage Bag is large but will carry all your gear with ease. 

It is durable yet light made from 300 and 400 Denier fabric. There are several pockets and compartments including side pockets for fins. 

There are padded straps at the back so the bag can be used as a backpack. Special pockets are provided for these straps for when you are wheeling the bag. 

The bag comes in black with red or blue finish, with or without an additional carry bag for regulator. 

This bag will need to be checked in. If you’re looking for a smaller bag, check out the next option we cover here, the Cressi Vuelo. 

Cressi Vuelo Carry-on

cressi vuelo

If you want a carry-on bag, Cressi also have you covered with the Vuelo Carry-On Roller Bag. 

Weighing in at only 6.2lbs, the Vuelo Carry-On is made from strong 300/400 Denier nylon and provides 43 litres of volume.

 Multiple pockets and sections provide easy access to gear. The retractable trolley handle is padded and allows you to move with ease through busy airports. 

Aqualung Explorer II Roller Bag

The Aqualung Explorer II Roller Bag is ideal for globetrotting scuba enthusiasts who need a bag that can take the rigors of travel head-on. It boasts a solid design, robust corner reinforcements (8 corner guards), and stiff skid rails. 

Once it is set upright, it doesn’t fall over or tilt, making it solid as a rock – a feature that you will be grateful for when you’re standing in those long, jostling lines.

Besides being sturdy, the Aqualung has a lot of room for bulky dive gear and even though it does not come with side handles, it can be lifted and rolled easily without them. Plus, the side pockets are designed to fit large and wide fins and the organizational pockets in and outside the main compartment flap can accommodate small items while protecting them from damage. 

The bag is made with 1680D polyester, with PVC coating for extra protection. Plus, the retractable top handle and the rugged wheel set make it navigable at busy airport terminals. The zippers are corrosion resistant complete with extended pullers and lock holes. The Aqualung Explorer II Roller Bag weighs about 9lbs when it is empty. 

Scubapro Caravan SCUBA Gear Bag

The Scubapro Caravan SCUBA Gear Bag is designed to be rolled easily from your car to the airport and straight to a boat without damaging the delicate gear inside. 

It is made from a material that is a combination of reinforced polyester PVC, nylon, and a strong polyester/PU lining in the interior that prevents salt damage. Traction polyester thread provides extra strength and durability that gives this bag a big thumbs-up from satisfied divers.

The dive travel bag also comes with coil zipper closures and custom pullers to accommodate wet and slick fingers. This includes double zipper sliders in the main compartment that create a convenient locking system. 

It is easy to see why the Scubapro Caravan SCUBA Gear Bag made our list of one of the best dive bags for air travel when we look at its design. The bag comes with multiples that can be grabbed from the front as well as the side via padded handles. This feature will come in handy when you have to lift the bag on a conveyer belt. 

The wheels are saltwater-resistant and made of stainless steel, which makes it easy to navigate the bag across a busy terminal. It also comes with an ID card holder so you can spot the bag as soon as you see it on the conveyor belt or a boat crowded with other bags. The bag weighs about 10lbs when empty.


Scubapro Travel Bag

The Scubapro Travel Bag is described as a 2 in 1 transport system that is designed to remain sturdy and protect gear during travel. 

The 2-piece system comes with a removable backpack that is perfect for valuable equipment that you want to take on the plane with you, while the main bag has enough space for your dive gear and clothes.

The idea behind the design of this travel diving bag was to ensure users can benefit from a 2-part system that allows them to roll through an airport easily. The one-hand control and double-bar tow-handle make sure of that. So when you reach the baggage counter, all you need to do is check in the rolling bag and detach the backpack to take with you on the plane. Just zip the 2 pieces back together when you arrive at your destination.

The Scubapro Travel Bag also comes with handles at the top and padded sides so you can haul it easily onto overhead storage bins in a plane or onto an airport customs table. The bag is made from a material that is a combination of strong nylon that is stitched with polyester thread for extra strength. The zipper closures come with pulls for easy access and removal of the detachable backpack. Additionally, the bag weighs just 7.8 lbs when empty.

Mares Cruise Buddy Roller Bag

The Mares Cruise Buddy Roller Bag is spacious, robust and boasts a range of features that the globetrotting diver would appreciate. The telescoping handle and wide wheel base provides stability which is essential when you are navigating a busy airport. 

This also includes compression straps that are adjustable so that the dimensions of the bag can be compressed if it is not packed to the brim. In other words, you don’t have to look for a smaller bag if you don’t have much equipment to take.

The 2 air mesh handles allow easy lifting on luggage carousels while the front pockets are zippered for essentials. The tie-down straps prevent the contents of the bag from getting knocked around during travel and the ample U-shaped main storage compartment can be accessed easily via pull tabs.

The card window on the bag ensues that you can identify it as soon as it comes rolling by on the carousel. The bag weighs about 7.7 lbs when it is empty thus allowing users to pack all the diving gear they need during their trip.

TUSA - Dive Gear Roller Duffle Bag in Black

The 70L Tusa Dive Gear Roller Duffle is a large heavy-duty durable gear bag that will hold all your gear and more! 

The straps and zippers are strong and well designed to withstand packing all your gear and equipment in tight… in a hurry!

External sections such as fin pockets are provided for easy access to essentials. 


Remember, you spent a lot of money on that expensive dive gear. Give it a safe home during your travels with a diving bag that is as strong as it is travel friendly. 

Out of these diving bags, the Cressi MOBY 5 Luggage Bag  takes top prize because of the convenience it offers. The design allows stressed out travelers to ensure their expensive equipment and travel essentials are in one place when they head to the airport. We regard this to be the best dive bag for air travel.  


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