OK so I heard at the LDS and read on this board that camera cases are prime targets for petty thieves in SJ. We are going to carry on all our valuables (including UW Photo equipment and Dive Gear) but am wondering what risk I will be taking if I use our soft sided dive bags as suitcases for our clothes?

Opinions?

I never bought any obvious dive bags because they are magnets for thieves. My suggestion is insure it and forget it, buy new gear if it goes missing.
Of course, you really don't need much in the way of clothes you know, it's not a fashion island.

I've gone through San Juan and back 6 times with clothes and dive gear in 2 dive bags that has the manufacturers name on the bags which I would say is fairly obvious - they've never been touched. I carry on camera equipment, regs, and dive computers only. I intend to do it again in June. My undestanding from the posts on Bonaire Talk is that they are interested in the comera equipment. My advice: Carry on your camera equipment and don't lose alot of sleep over it.

Somebody might open your bags and look for things to steal, but your clothing is not likely to be stolen.
Can anybody remember what Linda and her mother or friend or whoever lost from their bags in SJ? Can't recall, but surely not clothes?

Cool, that's what I thought. At most I will have my fins in there.

I've just bought the TSA approved locks for my suitcases. Has anyone heard of problems with these?

Will these be OK in Bonaire?

Thats an excellent question Sue. I'd also be interested in knowing if thieves in San Juan specifically have broken off TSA approved locks.

Here is Jake's Post in regard to what happened to their luggage.

About 40% of the time my TSA locks are cut off or are so badly damaged by somebody trying to get into my bags that they no longer work.
Also, TSA people are not located on Bonaire, so nobody working at our airport knows how to open them without breaking them.
I still keep using them, but I must keep replacing them.
I fly a great deal. For just one trip to Bonaire and back home, you could very well find that your locks survive intact. They are worth purchasing.
And for domestic flights within the US, you should certainly use them.
Cynde, thanks for the link. Nope, no clothing was stolen, John, so you're safe following your plan unless the thieves' MO changes.

We just came home from Bonaire on AJ through Montego bay. We got caught up in the snow storm and had to overnight in Jamaica. Everyone's checked bags were rifled through. My wife's dive bag zipper was so damaged that it can never be locked again. Out of four brand new TSA locks two were completely gone, one damaged so bad it can not be used, we were left with one good one. Our bags were checked and opened at the airport in Bonaire and relocked in front of us. I would then have to conclude that they were gone through sitting in Jamaica. The lesson here is don't pack your valuables in checked bags, get insurance for your dive gear and forget about locks if travel overseas.

Our first dive trip we made as new divers years ago was to Cabo San Lucas. We used our dive bags to transport our dive gear. Nothing happened to it, but after talking with a few other divers, we realized that it was better to pack the dive gear (just BC's flashlights, batteries) in regular suitcases so it's not a red flag for baggage handlers. We of course, carry our regs, camera and equipment, script mask, and fins in our carry on. We also use zip ties after they clear customs when going and returning.

Recently when we travelled to Bonaire & back (Toronto-Phila-SJ-BOB) , we had TSA locks on 3 pieces of luggage .... locks were intact, sticker on tag indicated the bags were open. Contents were as we left them .... when in San Juan we had a long layover (5 Hours) so we claimed our luggage (from US Air) and checked it with AE 2 hours prior to flight. That worked for us.

On our trip from the BVI last December via SJU, by the time we arrived in Boston two of our three checked bags had lost the cable ties with which I'd "locked" them. Nothing was missing, although there were marine binoculars and handheld radios and gps in one duffel - somewhat buried under beach towels, slightly sandy wetsuits, and dirty laundry, so maybe that's what saved them.

I usually carry the "good stuff" on board for the outbound trip, but I was trying to reduce carry-on weight for our return trip. I will think better of that in the future.

My own opinion is that the international travel world isn't yet ready for TSA locks.

David

Richard, that was an awful experience you had in Montego Bay. Did AJ refuse to let you pick up your checked bags and take them to the hotel?
When I was stranded there by AJ about a year ago, I was able to pick up my bag and take it to the Holiday Inn.
Aside from the awful damage to your bags and locks, was anything stolen?

Tish, nothing was missing as far as I can tell. We did get our bags, but remember it was very hectic and our bags sat for about three hours before we were able to receive them. I complained in customs and to AJ personel, customs agent laughed, shrugged his shoulders. The agent from AJ did admit that they were having a problem, that is all she said. I talked to a women the next day who works for Montego Bay airport authority. She says they are looking for cash and anything that can be sold quickly, the workers are not being paid enough to live on. To me that is not an excuse, but I do understand the problem. It seems though if Jamaica wanted to solve the problem it would be easy to do.