Quote: (Originally Posted by
Mossyback)
This is an interesting thread. As I'm flying to the Bahamas with my IDA-71 in less than a month, I'm trying to find the safest way to get it there and back.
I was skeptical re: the fish tote but Dave's convinced me. The clincher was the fact that you can test for leaks right in the tote itself rather than hanging over the side of the dive boat.
I just called Wilcox Marine and the person I talked to was most helpful. They currently don't have lids so he suggested I call Ropak since I'm in Canada.
Hank,
The IDA-71 fits the box perfectly. You'll love it. To wash it, just drop the rig in the box and toss in a garden hose and go drink a beer. Heck, drink three. You're rig will be clean when you are done. An IDA-71 fits so well there's not even any side to side wiggle.
There's another place here that sells the boxes and tops, and I know that they have 100 of tops in the yard. They buy these boxes and tops by the 18-wheeler load from Canada (no kidding). Call them. I buy all of my line, chain, bouys, shackles, and other equipment here: I know they have boxes and lids. Buy a few, to make it worth their while, and to save shipping. They can nest a few together, tie-wrap the lids to the bundle, and UPS them. They have the good knives too....
Call these folks:
Industrial Marine Marketing
28 Blanchard Place, Wakefield, RI 02879
(401) 782-4412
The boxes were about US$14.00 each when I last bought them. The tops were almost as expensive. I buy them 10 at a time and get a local-boat industrial discount, but no matter what they are still cheap.
When you travel, put (2) tie-wraps on each handle (locking part up so they don't hurt your hands), and then put a handful of tie-wraps and a note to security in an envelope on top of your rig. Ask in the note that if they cut the tie wraps off to inspect, to please use the spare tie-wraps to resecure the box. The lid will NEVER come off by itself, even if the box with it's 150 pounds of fish or dive gear rolls over (it's held on by 8 snap-fittings), but the tie-wraps keep honest people honest. You CAN drill holes in the handles and tops to put on padlocks, but I never have bothered.
BTW: The approved method of snapping down the 8 locks is to jump on the box and stomp the lid down with your feet. Try it. And, Uhh..... make sure you have some way to remove the tie-wraps? I flew out on a trip, tie-wrapped my rig and knives (naturally) in the box, got to the dive site, and guess what? Let's just say that it takes a long time with a set of nail clippers to get past 4 heavy duty tie-wraps. "Special Vocabulary Used".
Dave
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