Flying with HID battery

[Me]

What do you package the light in? Do you have a hard case?

Phil

The beds at Villa DeRosa are extremely hard and very unforgiving to my hip bursitis.... sooo, I take a piece of egg crate mattress foam that is cut to the size of my torso only....I wrap my light in the foam, in addition to having my lighthead in a beer bottle koozie. My wetsuit in turn gets wedged around the foam and I've not had any problems yet.....

Knock on wood.

[FW]

I was watching my bags go through the Xray in Cancun, and they were staring at the battery pack. I said "it's a dive light", and they looked at me for a second, and let it go on through. What was funny is that their Xray machine assigns colors to various shades of gray (like weather radar). My battery pack had yellow tape on it, and on the Xray it was also yellow. What are the odds for that to happen?

[stickydeco]

Does anyone know if the TSA has an official policy for flying with HID batteries? I've heard that some people have had trouble. It would be ashame to have one taken away by security before a trip.

Ed: Jackie and I just returned from two weeks in Mexico. I will be glad to share with you what happened to us, but understand that there isn't much common ground with either the TSA or the Mexican TSA Boys as much is left to open interpretation by the individual Screeners, so you can't assume the following as gospel, OK?

Here are the basic rules on batteries as far as TSA is concerned: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...batteries.shtm First off, note that you cannot put loose Lithium Bats in checked luggage anymore. We went ahead and took numerous AAA AA, CR123, and other loose lithium batteries with us in our carry-ons, taped each end and put 2 per small plastic bag, based the TSA advice. In each case, these carry-ons were physically inspected (including going in to Mexico as we got the infamous Cancun "Red Light") and no one had any issues with the smaller loose lithium batteries in the bags. We also put 3 Salvo lights in the same carry-ons. Two lights are running on nickel metal bats and one on lithium (I also like to run on lithium...man is that stuff GREAT). I placed each battery in their canister and did not connect them. In the 4 times we were inspected (the Hotlanta airport requires a full inspection coming back after clearing Customs as the exit dumps you onto a "clean" terminal), no one ever opened the canisters.

However, I also put in a spare 9 Amp Nickel Metal battery that was loose. This is where the fun started. On the departure leg, the US TSA spent about 2 minutes ruminating over it. The Screener finally callled his boss who I chatted with explaining that their own current guidance allowed for its transport. Showing him a copy of the above linked document helped. On the entry inspection in to Mexico, no issue. But when departing, it was like Santa Anna calling up the troops for a general ass-kicking. I finally was able to convince the head Airport Mexican TSA guy that the battery was safe. They never once looked (or cared) about the bats in the canisters. The other interesting thing is that this same inspector (and his buddy) must have never seen Primary or Jump Reels in carry-ons. They spent time on that too, but finally let them pass. Lessons Learned:

1. Never put your Nickel Metal spare bats (or you primary lights for that matter) in Checked Luggage, as you won't be there to either explain or defend possible challenges about them...they will just not send the luggage on.

2. If you want to take a spare primary light battery, buy an extra canister and lid and put it in that. I'm sure Barry will LOVE hearing this recommendation.

3. Put your freeking reels in Checked.

So there you have it....GOOD LUCK!....but the diving is worth it!

[Walter Pickel]

Some combinations of carry-on will instantly trigger a search. One of those combinations is a battery, some paper and metal.

However, I still carry my batteries and heads in carry-on. It isn't much good if you carry the head and not the battery as it makes it somewhat difficult to explain.

[sskasser]

Yes, good point, Walter. Any electronic device in carry-on should be able to be powered up during inspection.

[BabyDuck]

i've seen an official looking 'this is a battery' sort of sticker you can download and print on sticker paper & put around the battery - somewhere...maybe airspeed press?

[sskasser]

Yes ma'am: http://airspeedpress.com/batterylabel.html

[BabyDuck]

damn, you're good, shirley!!

[pittsburgh cave diver]

i never had an issue flying to FL from pittsburgh and back.
I put them in a hard case with my light along with MFR spec sheets and a MSDS sheet for the batteries and put the hard case in my checked bag and never had any issues.

[DogDiver]

The problem is not domestic flights as TSA is usually aware of sporting good equipment. I just got back from Roatan last month. I took my HID with me and had no problems getting there taking it as carry on. The problem was getting home. Seems that the Honduras airport security had never seen a dive light with Nmhi batteries and cannister. Or at least the inspector that was working that day didn't. Took me 20 minutes to explain and show him that it was a harmless dive light. And after that, as my packing was disturbed, the HID bulb broke in flight....there goes $135 for a new bulb. There is a battery at Bill's in Luraville that a Central America security person took it out on the tarmac and shot it, not knowing what it was. safe diving...Ken