Problems with excess weight? Check out the super lightweight kit for diving trips!

Strong attachment to our own diving equipment, which we take with us on trips abroad, results from a large dose of reluctance to rent (often heavily used) equipment in diving centres. Travelling around the world and meeting divers from Poland, we rarely meet anyone who decides to rent an automaton, computer or other key element.

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Actually, which element is not really crucial? How can we dive comfortably in something untested, something we don’t trust? This is why we take most of our equipment with us. Another reason is that you have to pay for the rental each time, so it’s no wonder that in this situation we decide to invest in well-personalized equipment for our needs.

Unfortunately, this is where problems arise in the form of weight limits and hefty excess baggage charges. Fortunately, it is a problem which has been noticed for some time by many equipment manufacturers who try to meet the market expectations. An interesting offer has been prepared for their customers by a well-known Italian brand Cressi.

The most important items we take underwater are a diving machine, computer, BCD system, wetsuit and fins, among others. We have chosen the following items for our test to see if we can fit within the limits of the airlines:

• Cressi MC9SC Compact Pro with Compcat Pro acetopus and two-piece console
• Newton computer
• BC Ultra Light System
• Ara fins
• Comfort wetsuit 5 mm
• a Moby Light bag to hold the above kit

The Cressi MC9SC Compact Pro automatic diver is designed for diving in cold water (it has a cert. EN250/2014). It has Venturi regulation and performs perfectly well well below the depth limits for recreational diving. Low in weight – 510 g (1st + 2nd stage), the dedicated Compact Pro octopus – is also designed for diving in water below 10ºC and weighs 140 g – can and 150 g hose.

It can be assumed that the whole set together with Miniconsola 2 will weigh approx. 1.3 kg. This means that we are dealing with one of the lightest sets on the market among the automatics designed for cold waters. Therefore, we do not need different sets of scuba diving kits for diving at home and on trips abroad.

It is also worth mentioning that an interesting solution was applied in the II stage. Well, the casing was made of a mixture containing graphite, which is an excellent conductor of heat. It is therefore a heat sink, which protects the machine against freezing.

Tests conducted by divers in Poland have shown that the extremely loaded MC9SC + Compact Pro, at a temperature of 4ºC at a depth of 20m copes without problems and does not freeze.

The first stage in turn has 4 HP and 2 MP ports. So we can connect everything we need to it, including the dry suit inlet valve.

We have chosen the Cressi Newton Titanium computer for its ability to change gases (nitrox mix I and mix II and air) during multiple dives (2-5 dives per day) without having to wait 24h. Decompression is counted when changing from air to nitrox and vice versa, with no pauses. The Newton is also a cool multifunction watch working in dual time zone mode, so setting the local time and e.g. Polish time is not a problem. An elegant and durable titanium case and mineral glass with a hardness of 9 complete the look.

BC Ultra Light, as the name suggests, is characterised by its low weight. It amounts only to 2 kg. Additionally, it has a considerable buoyancy (15.3 kg size L), integrated ballast and is a wing. The Ultra Light is the successor of the well-known and appreciated Travel Light and AirTravel. It can be folded and closed in a bag with dimensions of 30 x 25 x 35 cm. It fits neatly into the Moby Light bag (weight 2.9 kg) together with a wetsuit up to 7 mm thick, fins such as ARA, boots and a hood.

Cressi Comfort wetsuit is a novelty. Its selection for our list is dictated by the water temperatures in the Red Sea basin (where we ride most often), which reach above 20ºC in the early months of the year. Ultra-flexible neoprene, soft with plush, fits the body very well. When supplemented with a hood-integrated jacket, we gain a wetsuit set for the summer-autumn season. Of course, when diving in waters characterised by lower temperatures, we should take care of additional warming.

Ara’s XL size fins weigh less than 1kg each, regardless of which version you choose – Soft or Hard Blade. Very effective for frogging as well as crowl. They perform well even in very strong currents and their great economy, light weight and appropriate profile allows to minimize muscle spasms. They also have a Bungee Strap with a profiled strap that makes them easy to put on and take off. Interestingly, the Ara are derived from a modification of the legendary Gara 2000HF fins, characterised by a very efficient feather.

The weight of all the equipment including the bag does not exceed 13 kg. This leaves a free allowance of 7 kg for clothes, for example! Airlines offer different conditions for luggage, depending on the destination. Usually it is 20 kg of main baggage + 6-8 kg of hand luggage. If you use appropriately configured equipment, you will fit in the limits and there will be plenty of room for other personal belongings.

Weight overview of the entire set:

• MC9SC Compact Pro, Compact Octopus, Cressi 2 piece console – 1.3 kg
• Newton computer – 0,25 kg
• BC Ultra Light – 2 kg
• ARA fins – 2 kg pair
• Comfort wetsuit 5 mm – 2 kg
• 5mm shoes – 1,2 kg
• mask, snorkel – up to 1 kg
• Moby Light bag – 2.9 kg

The Moby Light bag can be replaced by the Gorilla Pro or GaraBag, which weigh about 2 kg.

Everything together weighs less than 13 kg! You can replace individual components with others that are more personalised to your needs. You can find their parameters by visiting their homepage or their Polish partners diveworld i cressishop.