If you’re looking to take your diving experience to a whole other level entirely, it pays dividends to invest in the best quality diving gear that your budget will allow for. In order to keep your diving gear and equipment safe and secure you’ll need somewhere safe and secure to store it. That somewhere is a diving bag. Diving gear does not come cheap, especially if you invest in good quality kit. Needless to say, you’re going to want to keep it in the best possible condition. This is where sourcing the best dive bags proves to be so useful.
Different bags are designed for different gear and different uses. Whether you’re embarking on a long scuba vacation, or are just enjoying a quick dive at the weekend, ensuring your kit and equipment is safe, secure, and protected from the elements is vital. The problem is finding the right bag for your diving goals and the kit that you own.
To make your search even easier, here’s a look at several of the best scuba diving travel bags for safe and easy transport of scuba gear.
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What to Look for When Buying a Dive Bag
Before we can take a look at some of the best dive bags currently on the market today, to help you find your dream dive bag before you next take to the water, here are some useful tips on what to look for when searching for the best scuba bags currently available.
The Size
The first thing you need to consider when you’re on the hunt for a dive bag is the size of the bag.
Think of what you need the bag for, and what type of gear you’re going to be carrying. For example, if you’re a casual diver, you’ll likely only have the basics and won’t be carrying as much gear as a seasoned tec diver for example.
If you don’t have much gear and only need a bag for the basics such as a wetsuit, snorkel, and perhaps some fins, you can get away with looking for smaller bags. On the flipside, if you’re serious about your diving and you carry a lot of gear and equipment, you’ll want a bigger bag with more storage.
Always remember to factor in extra space, because you never know when that extra space will come in handy.
Your Budget
Before you can get serious about shopping around for the best scuba diving travel bags, you are going to need to figure out a realistic budget.
Work out how much you can realistically afford to spend, and then start looking at bags within your price range. It’s no good looking at the most expensive and sophisticated dive bags on the market today, if you know for a fact that they are way outside of your price rice range.
Don’t assume that the most expensive are also guaranteed to be the best either. Some of the best dive bags come in at surprisingly low prices.
Bag Quality
Of course, this should go without saying, but when you’re on the market for the best dive bags, you should always look for a bag of the finest quality you can find.
Inspect the bag before buying and look for signs of obvious wear and tear. You should also try the zipper several times to make sure it opens and closes nice and smoothly, and that it doesn’t get caught or jam.
Any metal parts should be non-corrosive due to the sea water, and the materials of the bag should be sturdy, durable, waterproof, or water resistant if you don’t plan on getting the bag soaking wet.
Comfort
This is perhaps one of the most important considerations when buying a dive bag, yet it’s also something that so many people tend to overlook.
When you’re carrying your bag, you need it to feel comfortable. If it has shoulder straps, try them and see how they feel. Ideally, they should be padded and should not dig into your shoulders at all.
You should also look for carry handles, bars, and even wheels with larger bags as these will all make it easier for you to pick up and carry your bag from A to B.
Make sure you try the bag with diving gear inside, as obviously that’s what you’ll be using it for in the first place. Just remember that your gear will also sometimes be wet, which means it’ll be heavier.
Best Dive Bags for Long Distance Travel
Now that you know what to look for when buying the best scuba diving travel bags, to make life even easier, here’s a look at 2 of the best dive bags for safe and easy transport of scuba diving gear for long distance.
These bags are sturdy, durable, and can easily be used as check-in luggage on long trips away.
Scubapro Caravan Gear Bag
Up first on our list today, we have what we think is one of the best scuba diving travel bags currently on the market.
The Scubapro Caravan Gear Bag is an ultra-strong diving bag that was developed to make life for divers as simple and as straightforward as possible.
Made from strong, durable, and robust 420D NT fabric, coil zipper closures, several grab handles, retractable top handle, and in-line roller skate quality wheels which are durable and saltwater resistant, you can get this bag, and more importantly, your gear inside, from A to B in no time at all.
There is even a removable ID card holder so you can rest assured that nobody will collect your dive bag from the airport by mistake.
Key Features
- Ultra-strong scuba gear bag
- Telescopic pull top handle
- Numerous grab handles
- Rustproof wheels on stainless steel axils
- Engineered for prolonged use
- Corrosion resistant coil zippers
- Reinforced heavy duty design
What We Liked
- If you want one of the best dive bags for keeping your gear safe and secure, this is the bag for you. We loved how robust and well-designed this bag is.
- The removable ID holder is a simple, yet very nice touch that could save divers a lot of potential travel headaches in the future.
What We Disliked
- Only a minor criticism, but the plain black design is perhaps a little dull.
XS Scuba Voyager 60 Roller Bag
Widely regarded as one of the best scuba diving travel bags we have the XS Scuba Voyager 60 Roller Bag.
Featuring heavy duty roller wheels that work on all terrain types, this bag offers everything you could ever want from a dive bag. With 5 handles, wheels, and external cinch straps, this bag also doubles as a backpack to make transporting your scuba gear easier than ever.
The Voyager 60 is one of the most reliable dive bags we’ve come across. It won’t rust, it can withstand the harshest of conditions, and it can easily be rinsed out after a dive, and left to dry quickly and efficiently.
For even better organization the bag even features internal fin straps so you can keep your fins held in position along the interior sidewalls of the bag. It’s the little touches like this that help make the Voyager 60 one of the best scuba diving travel bags currently on the market today.
The handy accessory pocket will also help keep smaller items, gadgets, gizmos, and valuables safe and secure, and separate from your main scuba gear.
Key Features
- Heavy duty, all terrain wheels
- Carry handles
- Comfortable cinch straps
- Rust protected
- Easy to clean after each dive
- Internal fin straps
- Aesthetic design
- Made from a blend of 6 different forms of Polyester
- Handy accessory pocket
- Telescopic trolley handle for easy transportation
- Spacious secondary compartment to keep fabrics separate from your dive gear
What We Liked
- The secondary compartment for separating your dive gear from towels, clothing, and fabric materials is a very nice touch.
- The all-terrain wheels really do cope well on a number of different surfaces which divers are likely to encounter.
What We Disliked
- The bag is a little heavy, weighing close to 9 pounds when empty, though the wheels and telescopic handle help alleviate these problems.
Best Mesh Day Bags and Backpacks for Diving
If you’re looking for more convenient bags and backpacks for your diving gear, these 4 should prove especially useful.
The dive bags listed below are lightweight, feature a mesh design for convenience of rinsing and drying your gear, and are perfect for day trips and more basic dives.
Scubapro Mesh N’ Roll Bag
If you want a no-nonsense, ‘does what it says on the label’ kind of dive bag, this is the bag you should be looking at.
If storage space is an issue for your diving kit, and you don’t want to have to deal with unzipping and zipping closed countless pockets and compartments when packing and unpacking your gear, the Scubapro Mesh N’ Roll Bag is absolutely perfect.
This is a large, mesh, duffle style travel bag that is perfect for transporting a wetsuit, along with a couple of sets of diving equipment at the very least.
This bag features a large, dual-zipper main compartment where you can store you gear in and remove easily thanks to the U-shaped opening. For extra storage however, there is also a zippered side compartment too.
As far as comfort goes, this bag features carry handles and fully adjustable padded top, a durable carry handle, and heavy-duty wheels for true ease of transportation. If transportation is one of your primary concerns, this is one of the best dive bags you could wish for.
To make life even easier, the bag is also fully submersible due to its fine mesh design, which means you can dunk it in the rinse tank at your dive site, or on the boat deck, to get all of the seawater and sea detritus off of it and your diving gear. It will then dry very quickly because of the PVC mesh and nylon material.
You can also use the bag as a regular travel bag before you reach your dive destination as well.
Key Features
- PVC mesh and nylon material
- Heavy-duty wheels for easy transportation
- Plenty of main storage space
- Very simple and effective design
- Fully removable and padded shoulder straps
- Collapsible for easier storage
- Spacey dual-zipper main storage compartment
- Side zippered accessory compartment
- Fully submersible
- Mesh design for quick drying and ventilation
- Drip dry handle
What We Liked
- Plenty of storage space and very easy to open and close
- The wheels make it very easy to transport
What We Disliked
- The bag is a little big and clunky
XS Scuba Coastal Deluxe Bag
Here we have the XS Scuba Coastal Deluxe Bag.
If you’re looking for a bag large enough to easily hold a full set of diving equipment, as well as a few accessories and extras for good measure, the XS Scuba Coastal Deluxe Bag is well worth checking out and could be exactly what you’ve been looking for. There’s a reason why it’s one of the best scuba diving travel bags currently on the market.
XS Scuba are renowned for making stylish and practical duffle bags as part of their Coastal Bags range, and this is a prime example of why they’ve proved to be so popular.
Whether you use them on dry land, in the sea, or even in the rinse tank after a successful dive, these duffle bags are great for divers looking for a bit more storage space and plenty of durability and resistance in the process.
Made from quick-drying fabrics such as abrasion resistant poly tarpaulin, along with snag and rip resistant polyester mesh, this bag has been built to withstand some real punishment, and has been built to last.
With a U-shaped opening, self-repairing zipper with two pull tabs, using this bag is effortless. There are even tarpaulin side panels to help keep your leg dry when you’re carrying wet gear. For added comfortable and ease of transportation you’ll also find triangle rings located on either side which will allow you to attach an optional shoulder strap, if you wish to do so.
Key Features
- Optional shoulder strap
- Self-repairing zipper
- Large U-shaped opening
- Tarpaulin side panels to keep you dry when carrying wet diving gear
- Large enough to store a full set of diving kit
- Durable, hardwearing, snag and abrasion resistant polyester mesh material
- Quick drying fabrics
- Extra ventilation thanks to the mesh design
- Rinse your kit while still in the bag
- Hook to hang the bag to drip dry after a dive
- Corrosion-free zippers that aren’t affected by the salt water
- Top grab handles
What We Liked
- The grab handles and optional shoulder strap make this a very comfortable and easy bag to transport.
- Large storage capacity that will easily hold a full set of diving kit.
What We Disliked
- The bag didn’t dry quite as quickly as some of the others we’ve reviewed, though the difference in drying times is not a huge issue.
XS Scuba Seaside Pro
If you’re looking for a smaller bag for carrying basic diving kit, the XS Scuba Seaside Pro is the perfect backpack for you.
Available in yellow, red, pink, blue, or black, this bag features a mesh design, a very comfortable padded sling strap, grab handles at the top for easy transportation, and one of the most durable designs we’ve come across when looking at the best dive bags currently on the market.
This is a durable piece of kit that can be used as a dive bag for your diving gear, as well as a travel bag as you make your way to your dive. What’s even more impressive is the fact that the XS Scuba Seaside Pro also allows you to fully submerge the bag and your diving gear and rinse it off after your dive. You can then hang the bag up, complete with your gear inside, and leave it to drip dry and air itself off.
Key Features
- Padded shoulder sling strap
- Mesh design
- Grab handles at the top for convenient lifting
- Rinse and dry you gear inside your bag
- Thick tarpaulin bottom panel
- Ideal for shorter, less demanding scuba dives
- Lightweight design at just 12 ounces when empty
- Stylish and modern design
- Limited warranty of 24 months
What We Liked
- The simple rinse and dry feature of the bag is great and very convenient
- We loved the top grab handles which made it very easy to move the bag, especially when it was full of heavy gear.
What We Disliked
- The bag could have perhaps been a touch larger, though it still provides ample space for diving kit and essentials.
Deep See Heavy Duty Mesh Diver’s Bag
And finally, we have a fairly simple, no-nonsense dive bag that’s ideal for the more casual divers amongst you.
This Deep See Heavy Duty Mesh Diver’s Bag features a breathable mesh nylon design, an exterior pocket, again made from mesh and complete with loop closure and hook on the side of the bag, and D-rings for the optional shoulder strap that goes with it.
Featuring a typical tooth zipper opening, this is one of the more simpler diver’s bags currently on the market today.
The bag offers plenty of water resistance, a useful side pocket for smaller items such as keys and small parts, and is very well constructed and designed to hold basic dive gear.
While you probably wouldn’t use this bag for deep sea diving, for simple dives and shorter scuba trips, it’s a wonderful little bag that does everything that is asked of it, and a little more besides.
Key Features
- YKK tooth zipper opening
- Useful side pocket
- Durable nylon mesh material
- 2” nylon web straps
- D-rings for optional shoulder strap attachment
- Added strength and support thanks to the straps that span the entire length of the bag
- 12 month limited warranty
What We Liked
- Very durable and breathable material that copes with moisture very well
- Ideal for casual divers or smaller diving/snorkelling trips
What We Disliked
- The bag can be a little awkward and uncomfortable with the shoulder strap attachment fitted.
Final Thoughts
So, that brings our look at the best dive bags for safe and easy transport of scuba diving gear to a close.
As you can see, finding the right dive bag for you is not as simple as heading to your nearest diving store and grabbing the first bag you can find. There’s a lot to consider and there are a lot of bags out there to choose from, so finding the right one for you is vital.
Any of the 6 bags listed above come very highly recommended indeed, though be sure to try before you buy, and don’t forget to factor in exactly what kind of scuba gear you’re going to be carrying in the bag in the first place.
