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What scuba equipment do you take?

KJHorton

By KJHorton,
in Scuba and Snorkeling

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KJHorton

KJHorton

Posted
Posted

We had our own masks and fins. We finally got the rest of our gear. I'm wondering if most people take everything on their cruise or only some of their equipment. Obviously, we would take our regs but I'm wondering whether take our BCs or just rent them. (Of course, since it is new, I want to take my own but I'm just wondering how much trouble it is).

 

Thanks.

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BuzzF117

BuzzF117

Posted
Posted

I will be taking all my gear especially since I have a scubapro BCD and it takes a diff inflater hose and don't want to mess with changing hoses.

 

BCD w/shears and SMB + Regs

3mm shorty, Gloves, booties

Mask

Fins

Snorkle

I have an attached mirror and whislte on BCD

 

Camera and 4c light for looking into knooks and crannies.

 

It all fits in a medium sized roller bag and weighs 34#

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bruce-r

bruce-r

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I take all my own gear as well, even a snorkel although it never makes it out of the dive bag.

 

I leave the knife at home because of the hassle with the ship's stupid security wanting to take it when returning to the ship.

 

Leave the gloves at home too. Gloves are against the rules in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and I'm sure other places. IMO, they just aren't needed in warm water.

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scubadiver888

scubadiver888

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I used to rent but I'm buying all my equipment before the next trip. I'll bring:

 

wetsuit

fins

mask

snorkel

bcd

regulator

computer

 

As Bruce points out, a lot of places in the Caribbean don't allow gloves. The basic reasoning is, if you are wearing gloves you won't get into the habit of not touching things, e.g. coral. I've never needed gloves. The descent lines are pretty clean so you can hang on with your bare hands. Although I don't use the descent line anymore; you should try to get into the habit of descending and ascending without a line.

 

BuzzF117 makes a good point about keeping the regulator and bcd together. If you bring your regulator but not your bcd you might find the inflator hose doesn't fit.

 

NOTE: if you are booking through the ship, you will either pay for with or without equipment. If you need just a bcd the dive operators will still charge you with the same price as renting everything.

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Wspinelli

Wspinelli

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We had our own masks and fins. We finally got the rest of our gear. I'm wondering if most people take everything on their cruise or only some of their equipment. Obviously, we would take our regs but I'm wondering whether take our BCs or just rent them. (Of course, since it is new, I want to take my own but I'm just wondering how much trouble it is).

 

Thanks.

Regulator, BC with Air II, Mask, Booties, fins, snorkel, empty weight belt, dive skin, small flash light,camera, film, flash, macro tubes & suncreen. I'm glad I'm not like my wife and overpack!

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scubaran

scubaran

Posted
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Regulator, mask, booties, fins, foldable snorkel, weight belt (I've got a seven pocket neoprene belt for loading weights), wetsuit, digital camera (enclosure, strobe and light), safety sausage, DAN reflector, C-card (can't forget that), space bags (for putting wet gear in), rattler for getting my buddy's attention, and sometimes a hoodie cap if it looks like the water will be cool or I'm doing multiple dives. But rarely my BCD, I've been ok with rentals (if you book off the ship, you don't have an all or nothing choice, they will rent just the BCD).

 

I could never overpack as much as my wife does. :D

 

Randall

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islandwoman

islandwoman

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I take everything I'm likely to need except weights. One reason is that I'm comfortable with my own gear and I know how to operate it without thinking. Another reason is that it fits. Everyone understands that it's important for a mask and fins to fit, but in my case rental BCs almost never fit well. It's difficult or impossible to properly control buoyancy while wearing a BC that doesn't fit. I'd rather spend my time looking at the underwater world than fooling with unfamiliar rental gear that might not fit well.

 

Yes, it's a hassle getting all that gear to the ship and off and on again, rinsing it and drying it, at every port where we dive, but it's worth it.

 

I chose my BC partly because it's lightweight for travel. Most of our cruises are from drive-to ports, so that helps with the weight problem. In April we have to fly from Miami to Manaus on Princess Air. I'm anxious to find out what the luggage/weight restrictions will be. Maybe I'll have to leave my formal wear at home, but I'm taking my dive gear ;)

 

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123Scuba.com

123Scuba.com

Posted
Posted
We had our own masks and fins. We finally got the rest of our gear. I'm wondering if most people take everything on their cruise or only some of their equipment. Obviously, we would take our regs but I'm wondering whether take our BCs or just rent them. (Of course, since it is new, I want to take my own but I'm just wondering how much trouble it is).

 

Thanks.

 

Personal gear vs. rental equipment is no comparison - I always travel with my complete system (less tanks and weights). Any inconvenience I've experienced was well outweighed by the better dives we've had as a result of bringing our own equipment.

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NeurosurgeryNP

NeurosurgeryNP

Posted
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I don't have my own equipment since I am a once or twice a year cruise diver only. I just did purchase my own dive computer, and I'll likely bring my own mask. That's it though. I don't dive often enough to make purchasing my own equipment worthwhile, given the upkeep and everything.

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tunseeker1

tunseeker1

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I tend to bring everything including backup gear if I am going diving anywhere.

 

If you train with it why would you leave it at home?

 

For all the people that only take the personal fit gear, Why did you ever buy equipment if you are going to leave it at home?

 

As for the OP:

You should have your mask,fins,snorkel from your classes so always bring those. Wetsuits are a personal fit that can make your dive really suck so I would get and bring that.

I have a Dive Watch/Computer that I wear quite a bit as a watch so I always have that with me as a backup computer.

I would look at the shops at the watches and look for an Aqualand from Citizen when you are on the boat to pick up a cool watch/computer for a good deal.

 

http://www.citizenwatch.com/COA/English/detail.asp?Country=COA&Language=English&ModelNumber=MA9024-24E

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scubadiver888

scubadiver888

Posted
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I tend to bring everything including backup gear if I am going diving anywhere.

 

If you train with it why would you leave it at home?

 

For all the people that only take the personal fit gear, Why did you ever buy equipment if you are going to leave it at home?

 

As for the OP:

You should have your mask,fins,snorkel from your classes so always bring those. Wetsuits are a personal fit that can make your dive really suck so I would get and bring that.

I have a Dive Watch/Computer that I wear quite a bit as a watch so I always have that with me as a backup computer.

I would look at the shops at the watches and look for an Aqualand from Citizen when you are on the boat to pick up a cool watch/computer for a good deal.

 

http://www.citizenwatch.com/COA/English/detail.asp?Country=COA&Language=English&ModelNumber=MA9024-24E

If you are coming from a foreign country there might be weight restrictions on your luggage. Especially for a 2 week or longer cruise, this can be a problem. I have to think about what I'm packing so I'll have enough clothes for the trip and I'm not over weight on my luggage. Even if the airline will allow me to be over for a fee (which some airlines won't), if the cost of being overweight is more than the cost of renting the equipment, I might consider renting.

 

As for why people buy equipment if they leave it at home: I would buy equipment to use when diving at home but when I go on a cruise I might not take all of it.

 

By the way, a watch with a depth gauge is not a dive computer. You still need dive tables to figure out your NDL.

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scubaran

scubaran

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Now that is a nice dive computer/watch.

 

I have the citizen dive WATCH which I use to product dive profiles on my computer and get the depth/temp while diving. This looks like the next step to a full blown computer. I love my citizen so I imagine this will go on my christmas list this year. :)

 

Randall

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Texas_Diver

Texas_Diver

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We only take our fins, booties, masks, snorkels and computer. We rent the rest.

 

The reason we don't take our BCs and regs is because there isn't a way to clean them to the standard that I clean my gear.

 

After diving at home, I soak my gear in the bathtub twice before hanging it to dry.

 

D.

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cdiver

cdiver

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Equipment maintenance is important, as is diving with well maintained familiar gear. It has not been a problem for me to soak and dry my gear on the ship, just puts the tub out of commission for a few hours!! LOL

Dive Safe!!

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Wspinelli

Wspinelli

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We only take our fins, booties, masks, snorkels and computer. We rent the rest.

 

The reason we don't take our BCs and regs is because there isn't a way to clean them to the standard that I clean my gear.

 

After diving at home, I soak my gear in the bathtub twice before hanging it to dry.

 

D.

A good rinse is all it really needs for the cruise, primarly the regulators. A quick rinse in your shower is most likely better than what the rental gear gets. I always bring my own reg & bc, in an emergency it's what keeps you alive and I don't want to rely on second best.

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