not so easy to travel with

I bought this bag for two reasons - 1. to transport my gear on local dives. 2. to carry gear on vacations - like Jamaica or Cozumel. for a local dive transport this ...Read complete review

I bought this bag for two reasons - 1. to transport my gear on local dives. 2. to carry gear on vacations - like Jamaica or Cozumel. for a local dive transport this bag is really great as this is really just an oversized duffle bag with wheels. It drains, cleans and drys out easily, and is very durable. The wheels help out for short distances/ like down a pier or ramp. The problems outweigh the pros! I took this bag with me to Cozumel and really wished I hadn't. My first upset was cruising the distance from my car to the terminal...then from my hotel down a few blocks to the pier. double UGH! The pull handle is mounted on the midddle of the end cap. This makes it so that the bag hangs low (because when you lift to the waist carry angle there is still a lot of bag lower than that point)and so it bumps into your legs as you pull it behind you. After a bit of a hike you will have red lumps in the area of your knees. The handle is in the center of the bag end cap which means you can't get it away from your leg by moving it to the side of your body! The result is that it bumps into the back of your leg with every step! They should have put a handle on each side for a lefty or a righty (I would have enjoyed being able to switch hands!),and the handle should be attached at the bottom of the bag - like wnhere a handle is attached to any peice of luggage!! Packed full of gear it really weighs too much to carry it over your shoulder for much distance with the shoulder strap - seriously even if you are a weight lifter it is just too bulky and heavy to hike very far... Not having the ability to carry it as a backpack means you can really only roller it for long distances. Ugh. I was about to pull my equipment, get into it, leave the bag, and dive into the nearest ditch to get from point A to point B! I am not sure what I am going to buy now, but this was no answer. Make sure you know how you plan to use it!