Airplane travel with freediving weight as part of carry on luggage?

[neonh]

I'm wondering if airport security is going to have any problem with freediving weight as part of carry on luggage? Mine is self-made of lead shot, like most of us do, it took me some effort and money to make it, so I don't want airport security to confiscate it. Once at airport, they took away my toothpaste, although sometimes, they are ok with it, nowadays, I travel with travel size toothpaste, but I can't really use a "travel size freediving neckweight". Has anyone had any bad experience with neck weight at airport? Thanks.

 

[Apneaddict]

I've never carried on lead. I just carried on my lunocet in my hand luggage tho.

I pack lead in checked baggage. My stuff gets opened most times... but I fear that they'd say that it could be used as a weapon mid-flight if carried on.

 

[neonh]

The problem these days is, at least in the US, most airlines charge something like $15-25 for checked bags, so ...

 

[Apneaddict]

You can buy cheap weight belt lead anywhere... You really only need a neck weight for the dynamic disciplines.

I take it everywhere for swim-up pool bars, shallow Spearfishing, etc.

You can try. Let us know how it goes.
There SHOULDN'T be an issue. My normal one is 7lbs. I can carry 25lbs with me....

Maybe take it out for the X-ray? They will open your bag if you don't anyway.

 

[cdavis]

I've never had an issue with carrying on lead on a belt or otherwise, but others have. No pattern to it I can see.

 

[NZFreediver]

Post 9/11 i'd be weary as they could say it would be used as a weapon. Also most airlines have a carryon weight limit so it would be easier to pack it in your check in luggage but if you don't have room or it's heavy enough i guess you could

 

[neonh]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. From what I gathered, looks like there is some good chance that they could confiscate my neck weight if I put it in my carry on. I don't want to spend $25 just to put the neck weight as checked luggage, that's $50 round trip. I usually only travel for a week or so on business, certainly not worth the risk of losing my neck weight. Will be a problem if I go to some free diving classes, but I will worry about it then.

 

[schuwerk]

first time it went fine (neckweight 4kg, airport of oslo).
on the return (airport in rome) they declared it as a weapon.
half an hour of hopeless discussion (my fist, my teeth, my laptop are all more dangerous weapons than this innocent neckweight!).
as a last act of desperation I emptied the led into my pockets, showed the perplexed policemen a simple bicycle tube, saying "now its no more weapon, plus I am loosing my plane" and just walked away before they could answer.
suppose this only works in italy... elsewhere they would shoot you in the back, in the name of the safety rules...

 

[neonh]

suppose this only works in italy... elsewhere they would shoot you in the back, in the name of the safety rules...

Thanks for sharing your story, that's a really good one, at least you didn't lose everything. That indeed is what I worry, it really depends on the security personnel.

 

[REVAN]

I almost always take my lead in a carryon bag because my main suitcase is always bucking the 50 pound limit. Just treat your weights like a computer, and you will be okay. When you go through screening, take it out of the bag and set it in a bin separate from the other stuff so that it does not block anything else from view (the machines cannot see through lead). If you do that you should not have a problem. If you leave it in the bag, you will have to pull it out and send it all through screening again, answer questions, etc....

FYI: I'm in the US, and I travel with a combination of both lead shot neck weights and 2 to 3 pound ingots for a waist belt. This policy has worked well for all of them.

 

[hokey]

I travelled to tonga from sydney Australia with a few friends, we all had weights in our carry on, this caused confusion with customs and ended up being taken out of our carry on and placed in the luggage hold for free. We definitely got luck

 

[Mr.Ocean]

I travel from Canada to mexico, never had an issue

 

[Jacblue]

I'd only take lead in carry on if you don't mind potentially losing it. I carried a lead weight in carry on for years, only to have it confiscated as a "weapon" on an internal flight in Thailand. Have packed it in checked luggage since.