How often do you return home from a dive trip with at least half the items you brought with you never having left your room? Not surprisingly, it happens all the time. So unless you really like packing and schlepping around all that extra weight, here are some hints to make “light” of your next dive trip.
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Do a packing list 4–6 weeks before you travel. As you get closer, begin to assemble everything in one place to review. As time passes, remove items from your collection, because everyone always starts off with too much stuff. And if you need to add something, remove two items to compensate.
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Bring only the dive gear you really need and believe you’ll use. Bring rechargeable lights and batteries. We provide mesh bags, so leave yours at home. And unless you’re really cold natured, you probably won’t need more than a 3-mil wetsuit at any time of year. Our dive shop is stocked with newer, high-quality gear and general replacement parts like mask and fin straps if you forget something or don’t want to carry yours.
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Make a separate clothing list, indicating exactly what you’ll wear each day. Then go back and delete 1/3 to 1/2 of your list, because you’ll live in your swimsuit and T-shirt or coverup most of the day. And when you only have clothing on for several hours (including underwear), it’s really okay to wear again. We won’t tell your mom.
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Leave your towels at home. We provide them in rooms for pool and beach use and on the boats for diving.
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Leave your coffeemaker, hairdryer, shampoo and conditioner, and iron and ironing board (does anyone really iron on vacation?) at home. We have them for you to use.
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As you do your final packing, lay clothing flat and roll tightly. It generally takes up less room and is better protected from wrinkles.
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Some useful items that can be tucked in almost anywhere include a few zipper-lock bags, a large trash bag in case you have to pack wet items for the return home (also doubles as a rain poncho), mosquito repellant wipes, sunscreen, a hat, and a small power strip to provide multiple outlets for recharging.
Pull out your final packing list after you return home, crossing off anything you took with you that never came out of your bag. This will make preparing for your next dive trip even easier. With thoughtful packing, you should be able to reduce the volume of items you bring with you and the weight of your luggage.