December 2002
By John Brumm

Dive equipment is heavy and cumbersome, so your travel dive bag must be able to get your gear safely from home to airport to dive resort with a minimum of hassle. That means a durable bag with lots of volume, a variety of shoulder-slinging choices and, most of all, wheels.

Your average travel dive bag offers five basic storage compartments: the big main compartment for the bulk of the gear, two external compartments on the lid to accommodate regs and smaller accessories, and a couple of fin pockets. Travel bags normally have rigid backs and bases, many have rigid sides. All must be able to withstand the rigors of life on the road. Back in May we gathered 13 of the biggest wheeled dive bags we could find and took each one for a test drive. The top performers follow:

AERIS

Deluxe Travel Bag

A rigid lower box and a soft upper duffel. En route, it's one piece of rolling luggage. Get to your destination, simply unzip the duffel, load in your gear and you're ready to head to the dive boat. $269.95

ARMOR PRODUCTS

#5 Stealth

A dive bag designed to look like regular luggage. Huge main compartment. Lid has huge expandable regulator and accessories pouches. A built-in "breathing system" permits air flow. Widest wheel base of all bags tested. $249.95

DEEP SEE

Travelok 2000

Rigid sides, reinforced corners and a big zipper set in from the edge of the bag to protect it from damage. Double wide wheels and a lockable tow handle provide control on the roughest terrain. Yes, this bag is built for traveling. $275

MARES

Partiamo Convertible Backpack

Rolls Royce of dive bags. Fully lined main compartment features a fold-up divider panel for stowing a reg. Deepest fin pockets and they can expand even more. Most comfortable bag in backpack mode with a full-length pad. $499