what to pack? carry on -vs- checked bags

[Shooter]

After logging double-digit dive trips, paying overweight charges, having bags damaged, having to declare my spear gun a weapon, I have several suggestions to add:

All of my dive gear is in Akona rolling backpack, I carry everything I need in it for my dive trip except tanks.  If I'm flying Sun country I carry my weights, because they allow 70 pounds per bag.  I also carry a custom designed and fabricated hard sided spear gun case for additional dive gear, spear shafts,  stringers, extra tips, etc. after seeing what the airlines have done to my spear gun case.  My next dive bags will be a hard sided pelican case type.  Extra clothes are usually optional.  What clothes and toiletries, I do Carry,  I carry in a backpack on the plane.  Another thing spend the three bucks to get the rolling cart.  It'll make your trip a lot more enjoyable not having a sore back from lugging all your gear 8).

Attached are a few of the pictures of what my gun case look like it before it was damaged.  And what it looks like after it was damaged.  I had to find a hardware store and buy a rivet gun and some rivets to put it back together for my return trip home :'(