Akona Adventure Rolling Dive Bag – Review

Testing out the capacity of the Akona Adventure Rolling Bag, a “less than seven pound bag” holds a lot of dive gear. I conducted a quick comparison of my ten year-old standard rolling duffle bag, and the compact and stable Akona bag, and I found that I can fit only a larger wetsuit and a few other items more in the larger bag. I suppose the Akona bag’s outside appearance is deceptive, because it sure holds a great deal of gear.

After sorting all my dive gear, I was able to put it all in the Akona bag with only one slight concern; my fins had to be curved a bit to fit in the bag. Given the ability to place this bag in an overhead compartment on an airplane, I think that’s an acceptable compromise.

I read about whether or not bending your fins is an absolute “no-no,” and the only information I could find was along the lines of not leaving them like that for long periods of time, or in hot rooms, or if they are of the thicker rubber construction. I did read that they relax back to a normal shape quickly. And I thought I was going to get a bit more thrust power after curling them! I guess not.

The Akona bag has some unexpected fantastic features; in one of the side pockets, there are specifically-designed pouches to hold items that normally get lost or fall to the bottom of a bag; pens, cell phone charger, small items. Very handy.

Another enormously wonderful feature of this bag is the wide-set wheels; it’s a non-tipping wheelbase! My old bag, shown below, has a narrower wheelbase, and tends to roll over at crucial moments – like when trying to look calm and competent going through customs, and suddenly, I’m struggling with a flipped bag and ruffled composure. Having a heavy bag roll over can possibly result in a twisted wrist; not what you want right before diving.

My old blue bag has the ability to be worn as a backpack, however, I’ve never cared to put 50 plus pounds on my back when I could simply roll it.

I imagine if you do not have wheels on your bag, the ability to use it as a backpack would be very handy. I don’t see the need for both. Maybe I’m missing something?

Another unanticipated feature of the Akona Adventure bag was the extra-long handle. I’m pretty tall, so I tend to kick my bag a lot when striding through cruise ship ports or airport terminals. The Akona bag has a handle long enough that it can sit back and take it’s own step on an escalator, instead of riding on my heels.

The handles also are wide-set, and have a very definite detent for locking them extended, and a very purposeful button to release the handle. There’s no uncertainty about how to extend the handles or retract them, no fumbling in either direction.

What do you think? Is the ease of a roller bag worth the extra weight? Will I miss having the ability to use this bag as a backpack? Are my fins ruined?

Details:

My favorite cruise line: RCCL, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

I can get ALL my dive gear AND clothes and shoes in this: Akona Roller Dive Gear Travel Backpack

Bill fits either all his dive gear and clothing, or both our sets of dive gear into his BLACKHAWK! Enhanced Divers Travel Bag with Wheels

That red tag on the bag – our Divers Alert Network insurance!

Where to dive out of Nassau on New Providence Island: Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas Akona Seco Dive Booties Akona Weight Bag Albury Sail Loft Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas Blackhawk Rolling Dive Bag iDive St. Augustine, Florida Dive Shop NAS JAX Skin & Scuba Club Scubapro Compact Dry Bag Stahlsac Regulator Bag Suunto Zoop Novo Dive Computer Zeagle Zena BCD

Also pictured but not mentioned in the article:

Royal Caribbean Luggage Tag – A promotional gift received on board the ship!
DAN Divers Alert Network luggage tag – Available in event support packages; I got mine from my local dive club, NAS JAX Skin & Scuba.
NAUI luggage tag – This was a freebie promotional item; the closest I can find is Jelly Luggage Tags from Lewis N. Clark.

Packing Checklists

DAN Basic Packing Checklist
PADI’S Ultimate Scuba Vacation Packing List
Scuba Diver Life’s Ultimate Dive Trip Prep and Packing List – scroll down a bit for the packing list!
Scuba Center.com Sample Packing List
Leisure Pro Scuba Diving Packing List
HerPackingList.com’s Ultimate Female Travel Packing List for a Scuba Diving Trip

What to Read Next: Rinsing and Drying Your Dive Gear on a Cruise

What to Watch: Akona Adventure Dive Bag Review