Are you going on a scuba diving vacation and preparing to make it the best trip yet? Then you know, you've got a lot of diving equipment that you'd like to bring with you. However, have you considered the best scuba travel bag to transport all of that gear? It might not have crossed your mind yet, but your gear bag is among the most important things you’ll need for your trip to the ocean.
Depending on your needs and preferences, to choose the ideal scuba travel bag you'll need to pay attention to the capacity, durability, and of course, the style. As many brands offer high-quality scuba travel bags, choosing among the top options is not easy with so many to pick from. To help you out, we've rounded up five highly rated options on the market today to make your purchase a breeze!
Comparison Chart
Best Scuba Travel Bag Reviewed
1. Cressi Moby 5 Roller Luggage Bag
Cressi is a highly-rated and renowned brand in the scuba diving gear industry. Since their early start in 1946, Cressi has been delivering Italian-manufactured products to serve the needs of sea-sport enthusiasts.
Product Highlights
This versatile bag is made from durable 300 and 400 Denier fabric, which gives it longevity and makes it lightweight at the same time. Along with a quality build, the material doesn’t wear off even after long-term exposure to saltwater, sun and the elements.
The main compartment of this bag can be opened from three sides, so you can easily access your equipment inside. Also, it has two large pockets on the front, and two side pockets to store essential gear that you’ll need access to frequently.
Furthermore, this great bag features padded straps to ensure maximum comfort while you’re carrying it on your back. You can easily store these straps in special pockets so that they don’t get in the way when you wheel the bag around.
Another great feature, this bag allows you to easily switch between backpack and trolley mode. The handle is fully retractable and telescopic, so you can adjust it to your preference and needs. The wheels are also durable and can be easily removed and replaced if needed.
The Good
This bag is fantastic for ease in access to its contents. It also has a dual-handle system, with one handle on top and another one enclosed in Velcro at the bottom. This can help you in situations where you need extra support to carry the luggage.
Besides that, the bag stays upright when you place it on the ground for ultimate convenience. It has rods to support the structure, so you don’t have to worry about it toppling over and harming your gear and other essentials inside.
The Bad
While this bag is durable and well-made, its weight is a bit on the heavier side. The bag alone weighs about three kilograms, which is not much, but when combined with the weight of your diving gear, it may become strenuous to carry along. Also, while the material is durable, the stitching could be more robust.
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2. TUSA RD-2 Dive Gear Roller Duffle Bag
TUSA is well known as one of the world’s most popular brands for scuba diving gear. Operating since 1952 in Tokyo, Japan, it is known for making reliable products for sea-lovers around the world.
Product Highlights
This scuba travel bag by TUSA is designed to remain tough against seawater and convenient for ocean divers. The main, outer pocket has a double-zippered pocket, which is easily accessible and provides firm closure to protect your belongings inside. Similarly, the back has a waterproof layer that keeps your gear safe and dry in the elements.
This bag also features two large zippered pockets at the front. Here, you can store your essentials such as your passport, phone and other valuables, so you can fetch them easily when needed. Instead of backstraps, it has external straps adjoined to the front carry straps. These straps help compress your belongings to a more easy-to-carry size.
The Good
The numerous pockets and smooth wheels are the best part of this bag. The wheels glide with no issues and reduce friction to help you move quickly while on the go. The pockets help you to organize your stuff properly so that you can always find what you’re looking for with ease.
The Bad
One of the most noticeable drawbacks of this bag is that it doesn’t have a back strap to allow you to carry the bag on your back. Besides that, the compression straps make it a little more time consuming to access the stuff in the main pocket.
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3. Stahlsac Curacao Clipper Travel Dive Bag
This Germany-based brand literally means “a bag of steel” in the German language. The company has been producing quality products for adventure lovers since 1976. According to them, their bags can take just about everything you put them through.
Product Highlights
The Stahlsac Curacao Clipper is designed to fit much, if not all, of your diving gear. The main compartment makes up most of the space, while the top zippered pocket can hold your essentials and give you ease in access. All of the pockets are also secured with powerful, double-zippers to keep your belongings secure and safe.
Furthermore, the bag has multiple handles to make it easy to carry along on your scuba trip. The two handles at the top and the bottom allow you to carry the bag from both sides. Similarly, there’s a sturdy, retractable, plastic trolley handle that you can pull up if you wish to do so, allowing you to carry or roll the bag along with you.
The Good
The Curacao Clipper has a sleek, stylish design. The frame stays put even after you fill it to the brim with gear and essentials. This means it won’t topple over, damage gear inside, or look bulky and awkward. Additionally, the wheels are sturdy enough to facilitate fast movement when on the go.
The Bad
The bag is a bit on the heavy side on its own. Weighing almost four kilograms when empty, you’ll have to manage the weight you carry efficiently, especially if traveling by air.
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4. OGIO 2015 Stealth Terminal Bag
OGIO brings innovative and accessible personal carriage bags for travel and adventure purposes worldwide. While there certainly are newer models on the market today, it still offers some of the best features that you would benefit from.
Product Highlights
The OGIO 2015 Stealth travel bag is quite spacious inside for gear, enough to store all your necessary belongings in an organized and convenient way. The main compartment has a huge opening, so you can easily place stuff inside and take it out with no hassle. Similarly, the large, wide compartments have some convenient mesh dividers, allowing separate compartments for different gear and belongings. There’s also an external pocket which can house all the essentials that you’ll need frequently, like your phone, wallet and more.
All the compartments have a tough zippered closure to keep your things safe and secure. The grab handles are sturdy and reliable, and these can easily support the weight of the bag and all of its contents.
The Good
This bag is great for travelers who hate clutter because it is designed with pockets and dividers for easy organization and convenience. Additionally, the wheels and trolley are smooth and accessible enough to help you when you need to move fast while on the go.
Moreover, this bag is constructed using only high-quality, durable fabric and sturdy fasteners, so you can rest assured that it won’t succumb under heavy weights and rugged use outdoors.
The Bad
The bag can hold a considerable amount of weight, and it’s easy to carry on the smooth wheels. However, this doesn’t have backstraps, which means that you’d have to carry it as you would a duffel bag if the situation does not permit you to wheel it around.
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5. AKONA Dive Gear Bag
Review
AKONA is yet another highly rated and well-known brand for scuba diving and water sports gear. They make affordable products to make traveling easy for all the ocean lovers out there.
Product Highlights
This full-sized roller duffel bag is the only piece of luggage you’ll need on your scuba diving trip. It has one large main compartment with a huge, wide opening to fit even your largest pieces of gear. This certainly makes packing and unpacking very convenient.
Additionally, this bag is constructed out of high-quality polyester fabric. The PVC is tough against wear and tear caused by salty water and the sea environment. It’s also fully waterproof and quite durable, making it the perfect ocean and beach-sport carry along!
The bag has durable zippers made out of stainless steel. They’ll last even after rugged use, and they will never lose their original shine. This bag can also be carried like a trolley, thanks to its telescopic handle.
The Good
The best part of this bag is the material. Apart from being durable, it is also lightweight, which means more weight allowance for your stuff. Also, the material won’t fade, so your bag will look as good as new for years to come.
The zippers on the bag are hidden and enclosed, which provides a safe and secure closure and protects against theft and accidents. Also, there are compression buckles on the side, so it doesn’t look or feel too bulky.
The Bad
The only bad point about this bag is that it can’t be locked. The zipper holes don’t have much space to fit a normal-sized lock, which is problematic for people who like to use external locks on their luggage.
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Picking A Bag For Traveling With Scuba Gear: Buyer's Guide
Now that you’ve gone through all the reviews, you have an idea about the basic features that good-quality scuba travel bags have. To assess those features further and to decide whether it’ll function well for your needs, you’ll need some extra information.
Here we’ve gathered some top selling points to help you find exactly what you’re looking for:
1. Type of Bag
You’ll need to assess whether the bag you’re buying is a duffel, a trolley, or a backpack style, and which will best suit your needs. If you’re going on wet, bumpy terrains, then a trolley likely won’t be the best option for you. If you’re traveling long distances on foot, for example, a backpack is likely the best option.
A bag with a front handle is best suited for short distances; otherwise, the weight can get strenuous on your hands and arms. The ideal option is to choose a backpack with a trolley alternative to make carrying along a breeze.
2. Zipper
If you’re stuffing your bag to its seams with dive gear, then the zippers, fabric and stitching should be strong enough to endure it. Always choose a bag with high-quality, sturdy zippers to keep your bag working great for years to come.
Some bags also feature concealed zippers to keep your stuff safe and secure from accidents and theft. Also, if you’re a person who likes to put an external lock on their luggage, check the zipper size before making a purchase to make sure it’s lock-compatible. Some zippers just aren’t large enough to add a lock system.
Most importantly, keep in mind that your bag will be constantly exposed to salty water, sun and the elements. Make sure the zippers are made out of stainless steel or other reliable materials that don’t corrode in saltwater.
3. Material
The material used to make dive bags can range from supple and light to durable and heavy-duty. The heavy ones are constructed with thick, impregnable materials that you can rely on for years to come. They’re robust and can last you long even after rough use and exposure to the elements.
The lighter materials are used to help you manage the weight of your essential gear properly, especially for heavy packers. So, if you’re a light traveler, you could go for the sturdy, heavyweight bag, but if you tend to overpack, a lightweight material bag is likely going to be best for you to help with the overall weight of your gear.
Similarly, your scuba travel bags will be exposed to UV rays, salt water, and other damaging elements in abundance, so the material should be made to withstand this. You’ll likely be dragging your bag along rocks, sand, and terrains at some point, so make sure your material can take all that, without looking too worn out after just a few uses.
4. Construction
Sometimes, a bag ticks all the boxes with durable materials, sturdy zippers, heavy fabrics, and comfortable handles, but it’s just not constructed well. If that’s the case with your bag, all the high-quality materials will simply start falling apart at the seams, wasting both time and money.
To avoid such situations, you should check verified user reviews for the product you’re interested in purchasing. This way, you’ll know whether the construction will survive rigorous use or not based on other’s who have used it in those situations.
Besides that, when thinking about the construction, choose whether you’ll need a large-capacity bag or a small one. Usually, for scuba traveling, you’ll need one that fits all your gear, but if you’re a light traveler or you feel it’ll get difficult for you to manage, choose a smaller one. With so many quality products on the market today, finding the perfect bag for your needs is a breeze using these key feature suggestions!
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re an occasional ocean sport goer, or regular beach-sport enthusiast, a scuba traveling bag is an essential piece of your gear when heading out into the open ocean. Therefore, you should choose the one that’s sturdy, well-made, spacious enough for your gear, easily accessible and comfortable to carry. Purchasing the right bag can give you the ultimate convenience in your scuba diving travels and excursions!
Our reviews and buyer guide have covered all the details for you, and while all of these bags are great choices, we prefer the Cressi Luggage Bag overall. With durability and quality materials at the forefront of its attributes, it also features comfort straps for carrying and can easily switch between carry or trolley mode for ease in use. With its many compartments and zippered pockets, this bag truly is the do-it-all scuba gear bag.
If you still can’t decide, however, our buying guide will help you evaluate other options on the market today so that you can make a purchase you’ll be satisfied with for many years to come.
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For more of our top scuba diving gear recommendations, please visit the following articles.
Megan Jones leads the editorial staff of Seaside Planet. They are a multidisciplinary team of outdoor adventurers, water sports lovers, and passionate beach goers. You can learn more about Meg and the rest of the editorial team here.
