Flying with Rebreather (and cylinders)

londonsean69 · 23rd March 2005, 09:22

OK people, I have had a quick search and could not find any info on this.

I am off to the Canaries for a summer of diving, and will be taking my EDO with me. I know flying with the rebreather is OK, if a little bulky, but what about your cylinders, or do you just hire them there??

I will be having a lot of stuff air-freighted out, and as by then I will have a manifold on the Rebreather twins I want to take them. Is it the same as if you take a pony bottle, just take the valve out to show it is empty (and contains no white powder

)

Cheers

***EBT*** · 23rd March 2005, 09:59

Sean,

Get real mate..... twin 7's on a flight to the canaries?

Seriously, just hire some.

Edit; Just re-read this and noticed a "summer of diving" and "airfreight".

Depending on how long you're spending there, I guess it could work out cheaper to airfreight. Yes, you'd need the valves out.

/Z

Padowan · 23rd March 2005, 10:34

If you REALLY want the manifolded setup, then I'd just take the valves and manifold, and ask in the place where you hire the tanks to pop it in. You must have an idea which dive centre you're gonna be using, so I'd check that they are OK with this first.

Taking tanks is overkill, if you ask me....

londonsean69 · 23rd March 2005, 12:44

Quote: (Originally Posted by Padowan)

If you REALLY want the manifolded setup, then I'd just take the valves and manifold, and ask in the place where you hire the tanks to pop it in. You must have an idea which dive centre you're gonna be using, so I'd check that they are OK with this first

Oh yes, after Sundays little adventure http://www.rebreatherworld.com/t493-...mplete-cf.html I definitely want the manifold. Although there would be no problem swapping valves at the centre, they do not have many 7's, mostly al80's, and they "might" be the imperial thread.

The cost of airfreight is not actually that much, I can get an extra 60 Kg in 3 packages sent over for about £200. My friend who was living with me has moved out there with her parents, and I am going to stay for the summer. I still have a huge amount of her stuff (bloody shoes

) which I am going to have to send out, so tacking on an extra 30kg for my Rebreather is not too much aggro or cost.

I was just wondering what the regulations are regarding cylinders on flights.

Cheers

Sue · 23rd March 2005, 13:23

Quote: (Originally Posted by londonsean69)

I was just wondering what the regulations are regarding cylinders on flights.

Which airline are you flying with?

3 weeks ago I flew from Vancouver to Lisbon with BA. A friend was carring two 13cuft cylinders in the cargo luggage. No problems up to London, where we stayed two days, but from London to Lisbon, he was called at the gate because of the cylinders. That fact was that they were without the valves but with a little plastic cover. He had to take that cover away to prouve they were emply

. No further problems besides that!

S.

ROB DAVIE · 23rd March 2005, 14:04

Sean,

I am well-versed in the things that affect your choices here, since my BBOD has seven-liter Luxfer cylinders. I work in the pointy end of those high-speed aluminum tubes, and I STILL find the security folks hard to deal with at times. Having gone through many headaches over this already, here is how I order my choices:

(1) If I can get in contact with the supporting dive centre I check carefully to see if they can rent the SPECIFIC cylinder, and also supply sorb. (If you MUST take sorb with you, have it in the factory cannisters, and have EVERY piece of factory documentation attached to it, and a copy with you.)

(2) If I must take the cyllinders (the usual case), I obtain the threaded plastic plugs with the o-ring on them, clean them carefully, and install them in the neck of the cylinder. I then tape a statement in large print to the effect that the cylinder is EMPTY, AND MAY BE VISUALLY INSPECTED BY REMOVING THE PLASTIC PLUG, with an arrow pointing toward the plug. (Install them only finger-tight.)

(3) Obviously, you should take your manifold, because no one will have that, and a spare parts kit for your machine.

(4) Get to the airport early, and leave lots of time, in case you have to go show the folks what the things you have are all about.

(5) Practice repeating these words: THIS IS RECREATIONAL DIVING GEAR. YES, THESE ARE EMPTY AND MAY BE VISUALLY INSPECTED.

(6) SMILE---SMILE---SMILE

Good Luck!!!

Rob Davie

londonsean69 · 23rd March 2005, 14:23