Dive trips are where most of us shoot our best footage, and also where camera gear is most likely to get lost, damaged or held up at security. Cameras, dive lights and their lithium batteries come with airline rules, your regulator deserves more care than a checked bag gives it, and a missing charger or memory card can sideline your camera for the whole week. This guide covers what we’ve learned from years of packing for dive trips: the battery rules that matter, how to split carry-on and checked luggage, and checklists that get your camera into the water on day one.
Key takeaways
- Spare lithium-ion batteries and power banks go in your carry-on, never in checked bags.
- Batteries rated 100 Wh or less are generally allowed in carry-on; 101–160 Wh needs airline approval; larger batteries are generally not allowed in passenger baggage.
- Rules change and airlines can be stricter. Check your airline and current FAA/TSA rules before every trip.
- Carry on anything expensive, fragile or hard to replace: cameras, regulator, dive computer, mask and your camera mount.
- Test your full camera setup before you leave, not on the first dive of the trip.
Lithium battery rules: the part you can’t improvise
Action cameras, video lights, dive computers, phones and power banks almost all use lithium batteries. In the United States, the FAA regulates what you can bring on a plane, and internationally most airlines follow similar dangerous-goods rules based on IATA guidance. Here is the general framework for lithium-ion batteries carried by passengers for personal use:
| Battery type / size | Carry-on | Checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| Spare (uninstalled) lithium-ion batteries, 100 Wh or less | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Spare lithium-ion batteries, 101–160 Wh | Allowed with airline approval, generally limited to two spares per passenger | Not allowed |
| Lithium-ion batteries over 160 Wh | Generally not allowed in passenger baggage | Not allowed |
| Power banks / portable chargers | Allowed (treated as spare batteries) | Not allowed |
| Batteries installed in a device (camera, light) | Recommended | Often allowed if the device is fully off and protected; carry-on is preferred |
Always check before you fly: This table summarizes the general rules, but airlines, countries and regulators can be stricter, and rules change. Some airlines now restrict using or charging power banks during flight. Check your airline and current FAA/TSA rules for every trip, especially for large dive-light or canister-light batteries and for connecting flights on other carriers.
How to find a battery’s watt-hour rating
Most batteries print the watt-hour (Wh) rating on the label. If yours only lists voltage and milliamp-hours, calculate it:
Wh = volts × (mAh ÷ 1,000)
For example, a typical action-camera battery rated at about 1,700 mAh and 3.85 V works out to roughly 6.5 Wh, far below the 100 Wh threshold. Small dive lights are usually well under the limit too. Larger video lights, battery packs for canister lights and some high-capacity power banks can approach or exceed 100 Wh, so check those carefully. If a battery has no readable rating, you may have trouble convincing an agent it’s allowed.
Packing batteries safely
- Protect the terminals. Keep spares in their original packaging, a battery case, individual plastic bags, or tape over exposed contacts so they can’t short against keys or coins.
- Keep spares together in one clearly organized pouch in your carry-on so they’re easy to show at security.
- Don’t fly damaged batteries. Swollen, cracked or recalled batteries should not travel at all.
- Turn devices fully off, not just to standby, and make sure lights can’t switch on accidentally in a bag. Many dive lights have a lock function; use it, or remove the battery.
- Gate-checked carry-ons: If an agent takes your carry-on at the gate, remove spare batteries and power banks first and keep them with you.
What goes in your carry-on vs checked bag
Bags get delayed. Dive operators can usually rent you a BCD, fins and a wetsuit; they can’t rent you your camera footage, your dive computer’s history or a regulator you trust. Our rule: if it’s expensive, fragile, personal or contains a lithium battery, it rides with you.
Carry-on
Action camera(s) and housings, spare batteries and chargers, memory cards, power bank, dive computer, regulator (with your RegMount installed or packed alongside), mask, prescription items, laptop or SSD for backups, and travel documents including your certification card.
Checked bag
BCD, fins, wetsuit or skin, booties, dive knife or cutting tool (knives are not allowed in carry-on), larger tools, weights if you must bring them, and bulky accessories. Pad hard items so they don’t damage each other.
Pro tip: RegMount is small, light and lives happily on your regulator, so pack the regulator with the mount installed in a padded regulator bag in your carry-on. Everything you need for POV video is then in one place, and you’re ready to “attach your camera and go” on the boat.
Security screening tips
- Keep cameras, batteries and electronics in an easy-to-reach section; agents may ask you to remove them.
- Regulators and dive computers sometimes trigger extra inspection. Allow time and keep them accessible.
- Tools in carry-on are subject to size and type limits. Use the TSA website’s “What Can I Bring?” search for specific items, and when in doubt, put tools in your checked bag.
- Outside the U.S., security rules differ. Check the rules for every airport on your itinerary, including the return trip.
Packing checklist for dive camera gear
Camera and mounting
Camera(s), dive housing with o-rings inspected, RegMount kit (adapter, stainless steel clamp, silicone band, chin stabilizer), Accessory Pack parts if you use them, a coiled camera tether and a spare replacement clamp if you’re going somewhere remote.
Power
At least two or three camera batteries, a multi-port charger, the right cables, a power bank and a plug adapter for your destination. Check the local voltage and plug type before you go.
Storage
Two or more memory cards rated for your camera’s highest video mode, a card reader and a laptop, tablet or portable SSD for nightly backups.
Tools and spares
A small metric tool for the RegMount clamp (it uses a metric nut, not an imperial one), spare o-rings and lens covers, o-ring grease suited to your housing, and a lens cloth.
Care supplies
Anti-fog, desiccant packs for the housing, a microfiber towel and a small dry bag for the boat.
Lights and filters
Video or dive lights with transport locks engaged, spare light batteries in your carry-on, and any red or magenta filters.
Before you leave home
- Update firmware on your camera a couple of weeks before the trip, then test it. Never update the night before a flight.
- Do a pool or shore test dive with the complete setup: camera on the RegMount, settings dialed in, housing sealed.
- Check fit if you’re bringing a different regulator or plan to use a rental regulator. RegMount fits most second stages with a body diameter of 2 3/8″ to 3 1/8″ (60–80 mm).
- Order spares early. If you need parts before a trip, order with time to spare and contact us through our contact page if your date is tight. See our shipping policy for details.
- Consider registering foreign-made gear. U.S. travelers can register expensive foreign-made items such as cameras with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP Form 4457) before departure, which helps document that you owned them before the trip.
- Check insurance. Make sure you have dive accident coverage, and consider whether your travel or homeowner’s policy covers camera gear.
At the destination: protecting gear on the boat
- Set up in the room, not on the boat. Close housings and fit the camera to the mount in a dry, shaded, air-conditioned space. Humid boat decks are where housings fog and o-rings pick up sand or hair.
- Keep cameras out of direct sun between dives. Heat builds quickly inside a sealed housing.
- Use the camera rinse tank carefully. On busy boats, crowded rinse tanks are a common place for scratches. Hold the camera in rather than dropping it.
- Back up every night to a laptop or SSD, and keep backups separate from your memory cards.
- Charge everything nightly, using a multi-port charger so you only need one outlet.
Saltwater, sun and sand are hard on gear over a week of diving. Our camera gear care and maintenance guide covers rinsing, o-ring care and anti-fog in detail.
Flying after diving
Plan your camera schedule around your no-fly time, not the other way around. Widely used guidelines from a Divers Alert Network (DAN) workshop recommend a minimum preflight surface interval of 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, and substantially longer than 18 hours after decompression dives. Many divers simply leave a full day without diving before flying. Use that day to back up footage, clean and dry your gear, and start editing.
Dive safely: Travel days, new sites and unfamiliar boats add task loading. Make your first dive of a trip an easy one, keep the camera simple and focus on buoyancy, buddy contact and the local briefing. The footage will come.
Packing mistakes to avoid
- Spare batteries or power banks in checked luggage.
- Dive lights packed without the lock engaged or battery removed.
- Only one memory card and no backup plan.
- A dive knife left in a carry-on bag.
- Forgetting the charger, cable or plug adapter.
- Assembling a brand-new camera setup for the first time on the dive boat.
The easiest camera mount to pack
RegMount is a compact kit that rides on your regulator: no poles, trays or bulky arms to pack. Free U.S. shipping on the RegMount kit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put GoPro batteries in my checked luggage?
No. Spare (uninstalled) lithium-ion batteries must travel in carry-on baggage. Batteries installed in the camera may be allowed in checked bags in some cases, but carry-on is recommended. Check your airline and current FAA/TSA rules before you fly.
What does the 100 Wh limit mean?
It’s a size threshold for lithium-ion batteries. Batteries at or below 100 Wh are generally allowed in carry-on. Batteries from 101 to 160 Wh need airline approval, usually with a limit of two spares. Batteries over 160 Wh are generally not allowed in passenger baggage.
Should I pack my regulator in my carry-on?
We recommend it. Regulators are expensive, personal and critical to your dive, and a delayed checked bag shouldn’t stop you from diving. Pack it in a padded regulator bag, with your RegMount installed or packed alongside.
Can I bring a dive knife on the plane?
Not in your carry-on in the U.S. Pack knives and sharp cutting tools in checked luggage, and check the rules for other countries on your itinerary.
How long should I wait to fly after diving?
Widely used DAN workshop guidelines recommend at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days, and substantially longer after decompression dives. Many divers wait a full 24 hours. Follow your training and current DAN guidance.
