Maldives Travel Forum

Hi,

I will be traveling to the Maldives in a few weeks. I plan on scubadiving around Male and a few other islands, and I want to bring my dive knife with me. I really don't want it confiscated, but I don't want to dive without it. Can I safely get through customs with a 5' inch fixed blade dive knife?

Thanks,
Matthias

You might get it through customs, but not airport security controls! So you certainly can't put a knife in your hand luggage and take it on board the plane: if you try to do so, it will be confiscated at security.
As to whether you can take it in in your checked luggage, "arms and ammunition" are prohibited items in the Maldives (http://www.customs.gov.mv/prohibited.html) but this probably means firearms rather than knives in which case you wouldn't have any trouble at Customs. In any case I doubt that they often ask tourists to declare diving equipment.

yeah I was looking at the Maldivian Custom site, and they don't say anything specifically about knives...I just really don't want this particular knife confinscated, so I'm trying to be more safe than sorry....Thanks for the advice,
Matthias

I've had 2 knives in my dive bags lots of times and never been a problem. Can't see there will be if it's in the hold. Even with security before entering a terminal i said they were going in the hold and OK. With lots of divers going there they must know what we're like.

I have to agree with Tdiver. Out of literally thousands of divers who visit the Maldives every year, very many will probably include a dive knife in their hold baggage without any problem.

Yeah, I'm sure they get A LOT of divers carrying dive gear/knives with them, but the thing is, I planning on renting most of my gear when I get there, therefore, I'll only have my wetsuit and maybe my fins, so its not like all be decked out in dive gear...so I guess I'm worried that without all my gear, it'll make the knife more obvious.

Maybe I'm being a tad bit paranoid, but I really don't want to have this knife confiscated. Thanks for the advice guys.

Rest easy, Matthias. Besides divers, it's very common for professional cooks to have their own preferred sets of kitchen knives that they'll not part with. Tools of the trade, if you like. Airlines know this, and raise no objection to them being carried in hold baggage.

Well if I take it and it gets confiscated, I'm holding all of you accountable! Ha, just kidding! But thank you all for your replys...

If anyone has any more advice on the subject please let me know. It is appreciated.

Matt