Travel dive gear is lighter, so you can pack more stuff without incurring excess-weight fees, and it's more compact, allowing you to take what you want in fewer bags — eliminating extra baggage fees. And there are more travel-specific models on the market than ever. No doubt about it, globe-trotting is easy when the equipment you're traveling with is a lighter load.

It’s tough to find a more efficient breather than this bona fide road warrior. Sporting a feather-light titanium first stage, the yoke version weighs in at less than 2 pounds, and the Din rig (pictured) is about a half-pound lighter. A low-pressure port turret and titanium second-stage swivel are just two on a long list of features. The T2X also comes with its own padded reg bag.

MSRP: $1,599
Info: atomicaquatics.com

Designed specifically for travel, the Mikron is ultra-compact — the yoke version weighs just under 2 pounds — and it comes with a light-weight high-flex braided hose. It delivers top-notch breathing performance, pumping out air smoothly, even at extreme depths and breathing rates. And the user-control knob does a good job of preventing surface free-flows.

MSRP: $495
Info: aqualung.com

The Sg500 (formerly called the bonaire) weighs in at just over two-and-a-half pounds. It features a balanced diaphragm first stage with high-flow lP ports, an adjustable venturi switch, an orthodontic mouthpiece and a high-flex rubber hose. Breathing performance is stellar under virtually all diving conditions, including the extremes.

MSRP: $386
Info: subgear.com

The jet Sport does just about everything well, without leg strain. This is because the stiffness of its blade is counterbalanced by a flexy blade-to-foot pocket joint. In turbo mode, the fin cranks out impressive speeds; in casual kicking mode, it is stable and maneuverable. and its 24-inch length (size 9-10) can pack into virtually any dive bag’s fin pockets.
MSRP: $61
Info: scubapro.com

Proportioned right for travel (size 10.5/11.5 measures 25 inches), the Wave offers impressive performance; it’s stable, easy to maneuver and fast when it needs to be. A combination of thermoplastic rubber and techno-polymers, plus a large flex panel in the center of the blade, result in a fin that’s easy on the legs.
MSRP: $46
Info: mares.com

Lightweight and lively, the evolution is fast, powerful and also agile in the turns. The fin has a nice combination of rigidity and flex. Though rather narrow, this is a stable fin when kicking in turbo mode, and very maneuverable when ducking in and out among the reefs. A size medium measures only 23 inches for easy packing.
MSRP: $56
Info: tusa.com

Although smaller than your typical full-size roller bag, the RB-8 holds a lot of stuff. The main compartment is framed with a padded, semi-rigid material to add some body to the bag and protect the cargo. Over-molded handles on the top and side and a composite handle on the bottom make it easy to lift the bag onto Customs tables. also included is a two-position retractable tow handle.

MSRP: $189
Info: tusa.com

With its two large compartments, you can pack all your dive gear — including a pair of full-size fins — plus plenty of street clothes, with room to spare. It weighs fewer than 9 pounds empty, leaving plenty of available poundage. rugged handles on top and bottom, plus wide-tracked wheels and a telescoping handle, make for easy maneuvering. Both internal and external compression straps prevent load shifts.

MSRP: $279.95
Info: stahlsac.com

When collapsed, it acts as a padded reg bag. Once at your dive destination, unzip the rear compartment, and you have a full-size mesh duffel for hauling gear to the dive boat. The duffel has a full-length zipper for easy packing and sturdy double handles to carry the load.
MSRP: $58
Info: akona.com

For divers who want travel so light that they don’t need to check luggage, the Departure can fit a minimalist dive kit and topside attire in a bag compact enough to fit in an overhead compartment. While offering two small zippered sleeves on the outside of the lid, the bag boasts one big main compartment. Add a telescoping aluminum handle and easy-rolling wheels, and you’re ready to hit the road.

MSRP: $199
Info: aqualung.com

A big bag is perfect for carting gear, but where do you store it? In travel mode, the Cruise roller is a jumbo roller bag with a huge main compartment, side fin pockets and a couple of handy external compartments on the lid, one of which can be removed and taken aboard the plane with you. When in storage mode, it folds into a neatly zipped package not much larger than a laptop bag.

MSRP: $195
Info: mares.com

Waterproof, shockproof and virtually indestructible, the 1610 Protector is made of high-impact structural co-polymer, with four ABS latches and metal-reinforced padlock eyes to provide additional security. To muscle the case around, there are three fold- down lift handles, plus a pair of roller wheels and a retractable tow handle. Traveling this way might require paying an overweight fee, but for many divers, it’s well worth it.

MSRP: $210
Info: pelicanproducts.us

Waterproof, shockproof and virtually indestructible, the 1610 Protector is made of high-impact structural co-polymer, with four ABS latches and metal-reinforced padlock eyes to provide additional security. To muscle the case around, there are three fold- down lift handles, plus a pair of roller wheels and a retractable tow handle. Traveling this way might require paying an overweight fee, but for many divers, it’s well worth it.

MSRP: $210
Info: pelicanproducts.us

Ultracompact and rugged, this 9-megapixel dive camera is a handy travel companion that’s very simple to use. It can go down to 200 feet without a housing, and shoots video as well as stills. The instant focus mini wide-angle lens increases the shooting angle by 33 percent while providing a shooting distance of one foot to infinity. The large LCD makes for easy on-camera viewing, and a rubber grip and wide-spaced button controls make one-handed operation a cinch.
MSRP: $259.95
Info: sealife-cameras.com

You’ll need to look hard to find an HD video package that’s more micro-minimalist than a goPro. Now armed with an add-on LCD monitor, the Hero 2 provides 170-degree wide-angle 1080p video images as well as 11-mega- pixel photos. The package includes housing, Backscatter’s signature Flip Magic Filter, tray with handle, plus a Sola 1200 video light. And as we went to press, GoPro released an updated Hero3 that’s smaller, lighter, boasts impressive 4K resolution and more.
MSRP: $1,275
Info: backscatter.com

For fans of back-buoyancy BCs, the air travel is a keeper. Size medium weighs only five-and-a- half pounds, and its soft backpack can be folded into a tight bundle that stows in its own travel bag. In the water it’s stable and comfortable, with a great integrated-weight rig and an efficient valve system that includes a right-shoulder exhaust (something you don’t often see on rear-inflation models).
MSRP: $468.55
Info: cressi.com

The voyager divides its buoyancy between front and rear air cells, providing a comfortable and secure-feeling ride without a lot of bulk. It comes with nice padding, jumbo cargo pockets, a separate pouch for a pocket light, and lots of small Delrin D-rings for accessories. Integrated-weight pouches offer plenty of room for tropical ballast needs.

MSRP: $429
Info: tusa.com

Jacket-style BCs are not typically preferred by hard-core travelers because they tend to be bulkier than back-buoyancy models. Not the GO. This BC folds compactly into its own storage bag for easy packing yet offers a ton of features, including a super-secure integrated-weight system, huge cargo pockets and six big D-rings. It also carries minimal inherent buoyancy and enough buoyant lift for virtually any type of diving.
MSRP: $479; $599 with air2 (pictured)
Info: scubapro.com