Cabin or hold: how to distribute your photo and diving gear

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Dividing your gear between cabin and hold is the first real puzzle of any photo diving trip. The short answer: everything expensive, fragile or containing lithium batteries travels with you in cabin. The rest can go in the hold, properly protected. This strategy protects your investment, respects IATA regulations and prevents the nightmare scenario of arriving at the dive site without a working camera.

In 2022, before a week in Gozo, I had packed everything into one hold suitcase. Housing, camera, lenses, dive computer, wetsuit, fins. The whole setup in a 25 kg suitcase. At check-in, an agent asked if the housing contained batteries or a camera. I said no (it was empty), but the camera was right next to it in the same bag. He explained that the camera and especially the housing batteries had to travel in cabin. I reorganized on the spot, standing at the counter, while the queue behind me grew. Since then, I always leave home with two bags prepared the night before.

Some items cannot go in the hold, either for regulatory reasons or plain common sense.

Camera body and lenses. A mirrorless camera in a housing represents between 800 and 3,000 euros. Baggage handlers do not know what is inside your suitcase. Bags fall, get crushed, get stuck. A lens in the hold is an unnecessary gamble. Pack the camera in a padded sleeve inside your backpack.

Dive computer. It costs between 200 and 800 euros depending on the model. It contains a battery. It is the brain of your dive. If the hold damages or loses it, you have no backup. Cabin, in its protective case.

All lithium batteries. This is the IATA rule most frequently misunderstood. Lithium batteries travel in cabin, never in the hold. This includes: housing batteries, dive light batteries, rechargeable cells for strobes, power banks. Batteries between 100 and 160 Wh require explicit airline approval (ask in advance). Beyond 160 Wh, prohibited on board in both cases.

For more detail on battery transport, the article on lithium batteries and dive lights on planes covers 2026 IATA rules in full.

Memory cards and backup hard drive. Small, light, irreplaceable. Always in cabin.

Photo filters and domes. These accessories are fragile and expensive. A cracked dome in the hold compromises the photo trip.

Everything that resists impacts and contains no battery can travel in the hold.

Wetsuit. This is what takes up the most space. A dry 5mm suit can easily weigh 3 to 4 kg with significant volume. It goes in the hold, rolled tight or in a compressible sport bag.

Fins, mask and snorkel. The mask deserves a rigid box even in the hold. Fins handle impacts well.

Regulator and BCD. These are sturdy pieces of equipment. They travel well in the hold inside a hard suitcase.

Empty housing. A housing with no camera or batteries can go in the hold, provided it is well protected. Wrap it in clothing or place it in a rigid transport case. Some manufacturers (Ikelite, Nauticam) sell dedicated transport bags.

Accessories and spare parts. O-rings, silicone grease, chargers (without batteries), arms and trays. All ancillary equipment goes in the hold without issue.

IATA regulations on lithium batteries are strict and evolve regularly. In 2026, the basic rules remain:

• Batteries up to 100 Wh: accepted in cabin without prior approval, up to two per passenger for standalone batteries.
• Batteries between 100 and 160 Wh: accepted in cabin with airline approval. Ask in advance. Some budget carriers refuse systematically.
• Batteries over 160 Wh: prohibited on board in either case.

Practical tip: write the Wh capacity of each battery on a sticky note attached to its label. Security personnel will ask and having the answer ready avoids lengthy discussions.

A photo diving trip easily generates 25 to 30 kg of gear. Here is how to distribute it intelligently.

Cabin bag (7 to 12 kg depending on airline): - Camera body and lenses (2 to 4 kg) - Dive computer (300 to 700 g) - All batteries and chargers - Memory cards, hard drive - Filters, domes, fragile accessories - Laptop if you bring one

Hold suitcase (20 to 23 kg depending on your ticket): - Wetsuit (3 to 6 kg) - Fins, mask, snorkel (2 to 3 kg) - Regulator (2 to 3 kg) - BCD (2 to 3 kg) - Empty housing (1 to 4 kg depending on model) - Clothes and personal items

What makes the scale tip: the tank. It stays on location, rented from the dive center. Never bring one.

For more packing strategies, see our guides on preparing your dive bag for a trip and traveling light with underwater photo gear.

Before closing your bags:

1. 1Camera and lenses are in the cabin bag.
2. 2All batteries are in cabin (none in the hold).
3. 3The housing is empty if in the hold, wrapped in clothing.
4. 4The dive computer is in the cabin bag or on your wrist.
5. 5You have weighed the hold suitcase at home.
6. 6You have weighed the cabin bag (staff may check).

For trips with a layover, re-read the rules of each carrier on connecting legs. Rules sometimes change between a main flight and a regional codeshare.

The AquaExposure underwater photography course includes a travel logistics session covering housing selection, what to bring and how to pack light.

AquaExposure earns no affiliate commission on any gear mentioned in this article. All recommendations are based on Benjamin Coste's field experience.