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Best Dive Bag for Scuba Diving – Top 6 Picks for 2023

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The best dive bag for scuba diving is Beuchat Mundial Long Fin. This dive bag tops our list because it’s durable, spacious enough to accommodate all your spearfishing gear, and has a cool compartment that you can use for carrying fish or your cold drinks. The other best alternative is Scuba Choice Palantic, which is also spacious, durable, and easy to carry, thanks to its backpack style.

If you are looking for a diving bag for your next adventure, this article looks at the different types and brands available in the market, how to care for your bag, and the buyer’s checklist to use.

Listen to more diving tips on the Cast & Spear Podcast

6 Best Dive Bag Reviews for 2023

1. Beuchat Mundial Long Fin

Best Dive Bags for Scuba Diving

This bag provides the necessary space to carry one man diving equipment. It is made from good materials and had a lot of space for other items inside. One cool feature of this bag is that it has a cooling compartment to keep your drinks cold after a long dive.

The sheath might be super convenient, but there is a huge downfall. It is made of poor quality ABS plastic and you may have to replace it.

It’s low-cost and gets the job done. The materials are good and they can withstand the abuse. The space of the bag is generous, allowing for all the diving equipment to fit well inside it.


2. Scuba Choice Palantic

Best Spearfishing Bag

This bag allows for an easier method of carrying your speargun around. It has a lot of space inside. It comes with a pocket that will keep the speargun secured. It allows for carrying up to 40” fins inside.

Usually, the position of the straps can cause the bag to hang very low.

The bag is well built. It has a lot of space to fit a lot of diving equipment. The building materials are strong and durable. The speargun is well secured with velcro side straps.


3. Athletico Scuba Diving Bag

Best Scuba Diving Bag (Mesh Bags)

It provides a lot of space to carry all your scuba gear in it. It is lightweight, padded shoulder straps, and it has a breathable design.

The zippers tend to break very easily. Metal parts of the bag are prone to rust if you don’t let them dry properly after use.

This bag is huge, it can easily fit a complete scuba kit inside it. It has drain holes in the pockets. The internal pocket is great for storing valuable items.


4. Cressi Strong Large Capacity Trolley Bag

Best Dive Gear Bag with Roller

Large trolley bag that can also be used as a backpack. The reinforced pull handle is telescopic and fully retractable. The wheels have a large diameter and can be removed and easily replaced in the event of breakage. The amount of space is very generous.

The larger of the two pockets can get caught if open too wide and gets snagged.

The bag is designed by someone with the mind of a diver. It has a lot of space in which to fit all of the diving gear. Being able to carry it as a backpack from time to time is an amazing feature.


5. Florida Freedivers Long Fin

Best Snorkel Gear Bag

A bag that every diver needs. It is made from quality materials and the space provided inside is sufficient for complete dive gear.

The external bungy can get caught on things from time to time.

Made from high-quality materials. It is able to hold long fins and provides room for more dive gear. Side cords are able to hold a spear gun.


6. Cressi Dry Gara Backpack

Best Dry Bag

Comfortable watertight daypack made from black highly resistant PVC material. It has side fasteners for carrying a spear gun, padded backpack straps, adjustable shoulder strap, and a special front pocket for storing long fins. Once rolled down and fastened the closure doubles as a grab handle.

If you forget to wash this bag it can develop an odor. Always rinse it out from time to time.

It comes with a generous amount of space. I was able to fit all the gear I needed inside this bag. The build quality is very good and the materials are also good.

scuba best dive bag
The last thing you want to worry about while diving is if your equipment was damaged due to improper transport.

You drop them on the rocks and they tumbled down a few feet.  At best they’ll only be scuffed up…at worst they’ll be destroyed.

This wouldn’t have happened if you secured them in a bag.

Diving backpacks have also become popular. They make it easy to carry your diving equipment on your shoulders for added comfort. You can also pack in your personal items like cell phone and keys safe. Also, it’s helpful to keep your sensitive items in a bag so they don’t get wet from the incoming tide or left visible for people to snatch.

A good diving bag needs to be made out of quality materials so they can resist the enviable wear and tear of lugging your gear.

There are many dive bags to consider, such as simple bags, mesh bags, backpacks, and dry sacs.

Why Do You Need the Best Dive Bag?

Diving bags help you keep your dive gear organized, safe, and offer a convenient mode of transportation. Nothing is worse than trying to carry expensive gear over vast distances using your hands and arms…especially if you accidentally end up damaging them!

Most diving bags are made from waterproof materials that will ensure good protection for your items. The last thing you want is to have a ruined cell phone because you left it to be exposed to the elements while diving.

Just having peace of mind while diving is worth getting a bag.


Types of Diving Bags

Standard Bag

Your standard diving bag is the simplest way to carry things around. It will provide basic carrying capacity for your items. Most of the time these bags will be the duffel bag style where it’s just one large pouch to put everything in.  They are made from simple materials like nylon and provide a minimal level of water protection for your items. It also helps separate your wet gear from the dry ones.

The main disadvantage is that it doesn’t have any separator pockets, so your items will juggle around. This is not good if you have many delicate items in your bag, such as carbon fiber fins.

Scuba Bag

A scuba bag is a bit different than an ordinary diving bag. Your scuba bag needs to be big enough to be able to hold all your bulky scuba equipment like a BCD.

Many times scuba divers travel vast distances to see the top dive locations around the world. Therefore the bag needs to be resilient enough to be taken on a plane. If you’ve seen how airline baggage handlers handle bags, you’ll know these bags need to be able to take a beating.

Not to mention if you plan to take your air tank…opt for the massive roller bags! A backpack diving bag might be out of the question.

Scuba Backpack

Scuba backpacks are similar to scuba dive bags, however, they have backpack straps (usually with an adjustable shoulder strap) that allow you to carry the bag easily on your back.  This allows for the weight of the gear to be evenly distributed on your shoulders.

The scuba backpack has one big advantage when it comes to holding the BCD. Usually, it is mounted on the front of the backpack, making it very convenient to carry around.

Beuchat Mundial dive bag
Make sure your bag is specific to the activity you plan to do. This one holds spearguns, making it easier to traverse cliffs for the spearo.

Snorkel Gear Bag

Snorkel gear bags tend to be lightweight since the gear for snorkeling is minimal.

When you are looking for a snorkeling bag, you need to make sure that you find one that will provide you with enough space for your mask, fins, snorkel, and potentially any wetsuit gear you need to carry.

Dive Travel bag

A traveling bag needs to be able to sustain the stress of a long journey, be it by plane or by car.

A good traveling bag is able to keep your items safe during the journey, no matter your means of travel. Always look for bags that have shock pads on them.

Some divers opt to get the largest travel bag that’s allowed to be checked in on a plane and use the extra space for their personal items so they can minimize the number of bags on a trip.

Diving Bag Mesh

The mesh bags are used by people who want to carry less equipment when diving. Since the material has holes in the bag walls, this allows the items inside to dry faster than in a normal bag. You can put wet gear inside without having to wear about water accummulating. Usually, those bags are not that resistant to tear because of the lightweight material and because the holes can get snagged on rocks or gear.

Those bags are not waterproof, so only take one if you are going to carry items that can get wet.

Waterproof Dive Bags

Waterproof dive bags are made from water-resistant material. They don’t let the water slip through the walls of the bag and usually, the mouth of the bag is sealed in a special way to prevent water from leaking through there. Dry bags have a design where you roll the opening a few times and then secure it with a clip.

You can use those bags to store valuable items that will not withstand the harsh salt water of the ocean or items that don’t belong in the water. These double up as dry bags so while you’re diving you can keep your after-dive clothes clean.

Just make sure you wash these bags from time to time as they can carry an odor if left wet for too long.

Roller Dive Bag

The roller diving bag is great because you don’t need to carry the weight of the gear on your body, but rather roll it around on the ground.

Make sure your roller bag has large enough wheels that won’t seize up from sand and debris. You’ll probably be doing some serious rolling over a wide variety of terrains, so it’s good to plan ahead so you don’t have to drag a bag with a stuck wheel.


Diving Bag Brands

Akona

Akona is one of the top diving gear brands out there. They produce good quality diving wearables and bags. And when it comes to bags, their diving bags are known to be top-of-the-line.

Stahlsac

Stahlsac is a German manufacturer of scuba gear. Their name inspires confidence in their products. They are in business for 35 years and they never tend to disappoint their customers. Their dive bags are made from quality materials and they are some of the most resistant ones on the market.

Aqua Lung

In business since 1943, Aqua Lung has long dominated the diving gear market. With products ranging from wearables to knives, this brand is sure to withstand the test of time.

REI

REI Duffel bags are excellent traveling bags for every scuba enthusiast. They come in a variety of sizes, suitable for everyone. REI is a brand that sells high-quality outdoor equipment and it has built a good reputation and long-lasting clients.

Mares

Another Italian brand, Mares entered the market in 1949 and today stands among other top brands. The Mares diving bags are well known for their large carrying capacity, making them suitable for someone who likes to take a lot of gear when going diving.

ScubaPro

ScubaPro is a well-known brand that produces diving gear. Their high-quality products earned them a good reputation. The ScubaPro diving bag is made from quality materials, resistant and it has a lot of space to fit all your diving gear.

Cressi

This Italian brand has gained a strong reputation because of its diving gear products. Their diving bag is a great product, worthy of the brand’s name.


How to Care For Your Dive Bag?

scuba dive bag
Scuba dive equipment can be heavy and hard to transport. Make sure you get a quality bag to protect your gear and make your outing enjoyable.

How to Clean a Dive Bag

Taking care of a diving bag is not complicated. You should always let the bag sit in a well-ventilated area when you come back from your trip. This way some of the odors will come out.

The traditional soap and water cleaning method works very well as long as you don’t use products that are prone to damaging the materials the bag is made of.

Vinegar Cleaning Method

One good method of getting rid of unpleasant smells is by using vinegar. One part vinegar, one part distilled water, wipe your bag using a sponge and the vinegar solution then let wipe it off with a clean towel.

Once that is done, simply let the bag dry in a well-ventilated room, away from direct sunlight. The vinegar will negate all the bad odors from your bag.

How to Repair a Dive Bag

There may come a time when you will have to repair a damaged dive bag. Don’t worry, this happens to everyone. Usually, if the damage is too severe, it is recommended that you replace the entire bag.

But for fixing small holes or tears we have two classic methods:

Holes can be fixed using epoxy patches. This is the same way you would use to fix a bike tire air tube. This will ensure that small holes are sealed and no water can get through. If you’re not worried about water getting in, the patch can also be reinforced with thread.

Another method for fixing holes and even tears in the fabric is by sewing them closed. This method has one big disadvantage: the area that has been repaired will be prone to water infiltration. Sewing materials can vary from simple textile thread to using specialized nylon thread that it’s much stronger.


Dive Bag Buyer’s Checklist

  • What will you put in your diving bag? Most divers use their bags to carry their gear to and from a car.  If you plan to store valuable items in your bag then a waterproof bag is preferable.
  • How do you want to transport your gear? A common type of diving bag is a diving backpack or bag that has shoulder straps similar to a backpack. These bags are more convenient to carry around. Travel bags also come with a retractable handle and wheels that will make the process of carrying heavy gear much easier.
  • Is quality important to you? Durability is a must when it comes to diving bags. They must be able to hold your gear and be resistant to wear and tear. The most important factors when it comes to durability are the materials and the quality of the stitches. You might be putting sharp items like your speargun or knife into the bag. It shouldn’t be easy for them to rip or tear. Pick a bag from a reputable brand.
  • How heavy do you want it? Having a light bag is nice, but you’ll tend to sacrifice robustness and durability. Lightweight bags tend to be made of mesh material or some other thin nylon/PVC material. They tend to break easily.
  • Will you travel with this bag? If you are a traveler and you carry around heavy equipment, having a roller bag can easily make your day better. Usually, rollers are large traveling bags. They come with a lot of space for you to put all your gear in.  Non-roller bags are bags that you carry around in your hand or on your back. If you are traveling light, a non-roller is the right pick for you.
Jon Stenstrom
Founder & Angler
Jon Stenstrom is a fishing enthusiast. He has over 25 years of fishing experience, and 6 years of spearfishing experience, and is currently learning how to boat. Jon has his Open Water PADI Certification and FII Freediver Level 1 Certification. Jon has traveled the world to fish and dive, most notably in the Great Barrier Reef, Baja Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia. More Articles
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