Scuba Gear - Do you haul it or rent it?

[cdiver]

we bring our own gear for all the family. The wheeled bags look like heaven but i wonder about the zippers.

 

Good point, the zips left untreated have a short life. I spray them down with silicone before I leave the house and once when I get back, so far so good!!

[texswamper]

We bought it, so we figure we might as well use all of it. The peace of mind is worth the hassle or baggage fees for us.

[gandolfcruiser]

We bought it, so we figure we might as well use all of it. The peace of mind is worth the hassle or baggage fees for us.

 

When I originally certified I bought my own gear and dove often enough that I was vigiliant about the care and maintenance for a couple of decades of diving. Then I didn't dive for several years and did a refresh. I wasn't so confident in my equipment after storing it so long. The BC got a tiny leak and was so old the bladders likely would not replace. Much as I loved it, I started renting on cruises.

 

I still take my own mask, fins, snorkle and skin (I dive warm waters) and this time I debated the expense of renting once local for the whole trip. I've never had a problem with the rental equipment, but that might be due to the fact that I gear up in the shop and double triple check it before getting on the boat. I have swapped stuff in the shop.

 

My primary reason for considering taking a local confirmed rental with me is that every port has a shop with a different bc with the various valves to release air in different places. Remembering where the *98!!&&**&*! valves are for this bc for this dive is frustrating and a pain. It makes me feel clumsy and I was never clumsy with my own equipment.

 

So, if you are going to rent from the dive shop ... check and double check the equipment before getting on the boat.

 

(I wonder what the dive shop would say about my 1984 equipment?)

[MonDreamr1]

We haul it. I know the history and care of my equipment. Having had a bad rental - never again - was a cruise ship booked one vs booked on our own. Never had a problem with any we'd book on our own - but we used the recs of our local dive shop.

 

Other than history why?

 

I like my reg - the mouth piece doesn't cut my mouth like some of the rental gear has in the past. It has my transmitter on it.

 

I also prefer my BC over rentals - I have a Luna is cut for a female vs a male - it is much more comfortable to wear. The weights are balanced nicely. My mask fits my face and doesn't leak.

 

DH's stuff comes along for the ride, we bought his BC to fit him - doesn't have to deal with something being too small at the rental place. Only thing I hate packing are his fins - they are too big. He is looking at some of the foldable ones.

[Lefty Writer]

Buy it!

 

Quite often rental equipment in tourist areas is less than good at best and downright dangerous sometimes. I had not planned on diving in Jamaica once and got cajoled into it so had to use rental stuff. It is a good thing I am a very experienced diver or else I might have panicked. The BC wouldn't hold air and the octopus regulator wouldn't stop flowing air. In addition, my gauge showed 3900 psi on an aluminum 80 and I thought the gauge was bad. Nope ... they pumped that tank up that high!

 

Anyway ... get your own gear and you will enjoy the dive a lot more if you are busy looking at stuff instead of fiddling with stuff!

 

:eek:

 

3900 psi?

 

Holy macaroni!

 

DW and I take our own gear. It fits us, we have everything "dialed in" like we like it, and I know that the only mouth my regulator was in was my own.

 

Since we are fortunate enough to live close to the Galveston cruise terminal, we don't mind hauling extra suit cases of dive gear.

[Scuba Laura]

Because of the sky rocketing airline baggage fees, most major distributors have come out with a travel line of scuba gear. Aqua Lung has a very nice BCD that is light and dives and travels well. Also, some of the good dive operators have invested in top of the line rental gear to help with this increased pain in the butt luggage fee. Do your homework before traveling. Ask each operator what they carry as far as rental, how old is it, is it serviced regularly, etc.

 

Have fun!

[Dabaras]

Always bring my own gear. With a giant camera underwater, I don't want to fumble to check gauges or have an ill fitting BCD or not have everything clipped off where I want it.

[Laurie S.]

Always bring my own gear. With a giant camera underwater, I don't want to fumble to check gauges or have an ill fitting BCD or not have everything clipped off where I want it.

 

That's another reason why I want my own gear. It takes a lot effort to handle the large camera setups and I don't need any distractions.

[BillOh]

some of the rental gear I have seen on cruises is outstanding other gear I have seen was down right scary I bring my own equipment.

 

Can you relate what to look for? I'm still early in my diving adventures. I am considering a mask that is comfortable to start with. I know how to check the BCD before I get in the water, though perhaps small leaks may not show up till in the water. I'll test both regulators before jumping in and perhaps again in the water.

[Dabaras]

A leak in a BCD may not show up on the surface, or may not be bad enough to notice until you are 70' down. Also, I've seen an inflator valve get stuck on. That can be a world of hurt if you are deep. A regulator can breath fine on the surface with a leaking exhaust valve, but it may let water in once in the water. Another problem I have with rental gear is the tiny little mouthpieces. Sometimes they fall apart, plus I just don't like they way they position in the mouth. I prefer a sea-cure or similar fitted mouthpiece. Fin straps can break in the water, or they give you tiny little footed fins that don't work well in current. I've seen rental depth gauges that read 15 feet off of actual.

 

That being said, I've also seen that most rental gear works just fine. These are just the worst case scenarios. The problem is that you don't always know what you are going to get.

[Laurie S.]

When we were in Mazatlan, where the water temps were in the high-50s, the shop gave my dive buddy a wet suit with holes and a zipper that wouldn't stay up. His BCD didn't work properly, either.

[Dabaras]

When we were in Mazatlan, where the water temps were in the high-50s, the shop gave my dive buddy a wet suit with holes and a zipper that wouldn't stay up. His BCD didn't work properly, either.

 

High 50's? :eek:

 

I don't dive in that temperature without getting paid for it. At that temp you are risking hypothermia without good equipment.

[Laurie S.]

High 50's? :eek:

 

I don't dive in that temperature without getting paid for it. At that temp you are risking hypothermia without good equipment.

 

Yeah, he was a tad cold. I was wearing a 5 mm and was perfectly fine. His suit also was a shorty because that's all they had!

[islandwoman]

We live in Florida and can drive to most cruise ports for those cruises where we'll be diving. That makes it less expensive and reasonably easy to take our own gear. I have also hauled my gear on international flights when I was planning several dives.

 

There are several good reasons for taking your own gear and they all have to do with safety:

1. You know it's been well maintained.

2. You're familiar with it.

3. It fits. For me, that's very important. I can control my buoyancy much better with my own BC. The rental ones never fit me properly.

4. You have a better idea of how much weight you'll need, wearing your own gear. (Required weight can still differ due to salinity and different tanks).

 

I use a travel BC.

[BigRed93]

We haul our own. Ensures we don't pack too much other stuff :D

[w&k]

Unfortunately, we don't have much choice, and pretty much have to haul gear.

 

When we're driving to a ship, we take our big rolling bag. When we fly, I put it in regular rolly bags (the dive big is too big to fly these days). But... after trying just about everything, we do gear backpacks for our daily dives - it works well for us.

 

DH Keith is a BIG man, and I'm a big girl, so size is an issue - very few places have a BC large enough for him, (XXL) ditto with fins (14). I'm fine in a mens XL BC, but I detest full-foot fins for diving.

 

Just before our last trip, I did an early Xmas, and bought a back-mount BC for me, and new regs. I busted the straps on my mesh backpack after many years, so I got new ones for both of us for this trip.

 

Keith then got inspired and reactivated an old back-mount that he used ~15 years ago. That really saved a lot of weight (~10lbs) and bulk in the suitcases when we had to fly.

 

If I could, I would probably leave the BCs at home... but I'm really spoiled now, and prefer integrated.

 

That being said, we have rented when we're doing easy stuff. We decided at the last second to go to Chankanaab park in Cozumel and dive off the beach. They stuffed Keith into an XL, and strapped and squeezed me into a L. I wouldn't want to do that for an offshore boat dive, but for futzing around off the beach, it was just fine.

 

Enjoy - whatever you're diving in.

 

Wendy

 

what we got, just for inspiration

 

back-mount BC

http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Mito-Rear-Inflation-Style-Bc---Size-X-Large-2778

 

regs

http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Synchro-D-ICE-Complete-Regulator-Set-up---Yoke-ICE-Model-2846

http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Synchro-P-Octo-Regulator-w-hose-only-11900

 

mesh backpacks

http://www.divers-supply.com/Mares-Cruise-Mesh-BackPack-Deluxe-P27274.aspx

[BillOh]

I did buy myself my own mask this weekend, an old man mask with a bi-focal type lens for reading guages. I figure it can also be by snorkeling mask for snorkel trips. about 78 days I'll be somewhere under St Thomas.

[JBert]

High 50's? :eek:

 

I don't dive in that temperature without getting paid for it. At that temp you are risking hypothermia without good equipment.

 

You must be spoiled down there!

 

I did my basic open water check out dives during a snow storm, and the lake was reading in the 40s. My 12 mil long got cold very quickly.

 

Come up to New England and check out some of our sights! Most ocean dives are in the 50s or lower at depth!

 

 

As for me, when we drive to port I bring my gear. I just can't trust my life with gear maintained by a total stranger - as good as they may be.

[themons]

Some divers and shops/operators make you feel guilty for bringing large dive luggage with wheels on the boat. For that reason, we went with mesh bags on our last cruise. The problem is you sometimes have to carry your gear really long distances.

 

We decided it wasn't worth appeasing the other divers and shops/operators and are back to wheeled luggage. Too bad if the other divers and shops/operators don't like it. They're not the ones that have to haul the gear.

[Ducky22]

We've so far brought our own gear. We hang it up in our cabin and it hasn't been too bad (as far as smell or dampness). I never thought of bringing the wheeled luggage to the dive shop and then leaving it there after packing our mesh dive bags... what a brilliant idea. Carrying that mesh bag from/to the ship/dive shop is a slog.

[Laurie S.]

After a couple times of carrying that mesh bag, I'll only use my wheeled luggage. But, I have no problem in leaving the bag at the dive shop and putting all my gear on the boat. Oftentimes there are lockers for that. Only in Belize did it have to go on the boat because they returned us to the dock and not their shop.

[Georgia Peach 4]

Do you trust the safety of "checking" your luggage with your gear when you board the ship or do you "carry it on" and keep it with you until your cabin is ready? We have had luggage damaged because they stack heavy bags on the carts and don't want our equipment damaged. Not flying so no need for that, but will large suitcases be allowed through the e-xray machines?

[Dabaras]

Do you trust the safety of "checking" your luggage with your gear when you board the ship or do you "carry it on" and keep it with you until your cabin is ready? We have had luggage damaged because they stack heavy bags on the carts and don't want our equipment damaged. Not flying so no need for that, but will large suitcases be allowed through the e-xray machines?

 

I carry on computers/regs/cameras. Everything else can go in checked. I guess the mask could get damaged, but I have a solid mask box that would take some serious effort to damage, and piled luggage wouldn't do it. Everything else is pretty durable.

[smokinmike]

We haul - mainly because we like to dive with gear we know.

 

. . . we also know who has peed in our wetsuits.

[Capt_BJ]

everyone else pee'd in your pool

 

including the fish