Gear to bring

So what gear if any should we bring to dive with on a cruise? It seems that our regulators with the transmitter to our own computers at the very least. I'd like more but can't see having wet potentially stinky gear in our cabin. What do you experienced divers bring?

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We bring everything but our tanks, plus my big camera system. We always have an aftwrap balcony and let the gear dry out there in a safe location.

We bring everything but our tanks, plus my big camera system. We always have an aftwrap balcony and let the gear dry out there in a safe location.

We have a balcony but just a "normal" one.

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Totally depends how many dive days you have planned.

We did a cruise Feb 2 years ago, brought all our gear (except tanks and weights, of course) and it took up one whole suitcase. We bought a rolling duffle bag to carry the gear on and off the ship on that dive day, in Grand Cayman. When we got back on ship after dive, we rinsed gear and set it out on the balcony, then planned to go back out...but it was too late, considering the long lines at GC to get back to ship. We just stayed onboard.

What a hassle.

If we were to do it again...we would only bring reg set and masks.

If we were doing dives at 3+ ports, it might be worth the hassle, but not for just one dive day...at least for us.

Plus, dive gear (BCs) never really got dry before debark. It was just too humid.

like robin we've done everything from 'take everything' to take nothing.

Agree that for us the number of diving days is a big factor. We've taken 7 day cruises where we had 5 diving days (hard to find today), and 14 day cruises with only 2 dives, and plenty with no diving of course.

The 5 dives in 7 days cruise actually had special drying racks for dive gear (WNIDSTAR back in the day where you went diving using their own zodiaks). We've put stuff out on the balcony in the old days too - but this is very much discouraged since the PRINCESS fire. I can usually find a cranny in the bath/shower where a people won't fit and I can stack mask, regs even fins for 2 without being TOO underfoot. (and add $ to the room stew' tip because of my additional mess!)

Today I always take my mask as a poor fitting mask means I can't see and then what's the point of the dive? Next priority is my own reg set (incl computer) ... I trust my gear even tho I've never had an issue with a rental. Familiarity wins points. And I always pack my dive boots - they also serve as beach shoes. From here it depends on the room I have - which really means am I driving to the ship or must I fly. If I got room for the BC this means I can go whole hog and bring my fins and farmer johns.

On return to the ship after a dive it is handy to take gear to the pool and use the pool showers to rinse and then sit and let it soak sun while enjoying a libation or 7.

We tend to drag all our gear with us. We have a rolling dive bag that we put both BCs, fins and booties in plus whatever other assortment of rash guards etc will go in before we hit 50 lbs. Masks, camera and regs go in a carry on. That means we only take one checked bag and one carry on between the 2 of us for actual clothes. Priorities, you know?! Usually we put the gear out on the balcony until we are underway, then we just set it up on a beach towel out of the way. It does tend to get that smell towards the end of the week, but we are used to it. LOL

Its nice when the dive op has a rinse tank and a place to hang out for awhile to let the stuff dry. It's the trips with the ship where they pick you up at the dock and then drop you back off there directly from the last dive that makes it more difficult. Then we try to go up on deck and rinse in the showers and then just hang out on deck while it dries a bit.

I always say that I am just going to bring my mask and reg, but I am so used to my equipment I end up just stuffing it in the bag. One day I will be brave enough to use the rental gear.

"I always say that I am just going to bring my mask and reg, but I am so used to my equipment I end up just stuffing it in the bag. One day I will be brave enough to use the rental gear."

. . . what he said . . .

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I have never used anything but my own equipment from my very first pool dive more than seven years ago and I'm up to 392 dives now. We only pick cruises where we can dive most of the port days. It's why we cruise, so it's worth it to take all our stuff. My first diving cruise I had a mesh bag and suffered trying to carry the wet equipment. Bought a rolling Akona bag and life is so much better now. :)

We're flying and diving 2 days. We're just going to bring our regulator/computers and masks. Thanks for the great ideas. A roller bag that'll hold 2 people's gear is in our future. Right now we have the ruck sack sort of backpack style mesh bags. They're great but heavy and no fun with wet gear. Love the pool shower idea as well.

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So the dive shop in Roatan didn't have any wet suits. My gal finally got a cut off 3mil. Other guy got a bad bcd that wouldn't hold air. He didn't check it until at dive site. His mistake...but he dove anyway. Glad we had our regs...will bring everything next time. Can't wait for Cozumel!! Roatan was amazing!

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Sounds like there might be a lesson here regarding rental gear . . .

That's just me however.

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all good discussion

BUT

not all divers ... and few NEW divers ... HAVE all their own equipment

so the decision is MUTE for them

and let us NOT scare them ......

Not trying to scare anyone - one should be aware of the pitfalls of rental gear.

. . . especially new divers.

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The clear lesson to us is to be sure to check the rental gear out at the dock. Don't assume anything.

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Well...Cozumel was simply amazing!! Imagine that...;p. The RCCL cruise line operators there were great. I'd have no issues going back and renting full gear from them. It just seems obvious to check the gear out before leaving the dock to be sure everything is operational. One thing to note is that if you like boots and don't bring your own fins don't expect their fins to fit over your boots. The two places we dove with didn't have many larger sizes to accommodate boots. For this particular cruise we stayed in a hotel the night before and after plus we had to deal with the airports. If we could drive to the port we'd bring all of our gear. It would have been nice to have it but I'm not sure I'd want to lug it around with all of the traveling we did. For future cruises it's likely we'll drive to the port and then it I'd say it wouldn't even be a consideration. This is also assuming that we'd have a balcony for any future cruises. My boots are not "inside worthy" if you know what I mean. Especially after diving and using them as shoes in the port at to board the ship!!! It's a entirely new definition of stinky. :'). Thanks to everyone for your advice on this topic.

This trip I am bringing my bcd.. I hate a weight belt and my weight integrates bcd only weighs five lbs.

I bring almost ALL my own gear. BC, Regs, Computer, mask, small camera, shorty wetsuit and fins, operators provide weights and tanks. I can get it all in one carry-on except for the fins, to long. I do have a very compact BC that is easy to disassemble for travel . We normally have a Balcony so drying gear isn't usually an issue.

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Add me to the "Always bring Everything" club.

I'm looking forward to my next trip as I just got a ScubaPro Hydros Pro BC. Easier to pack, and instant dry.

Up to now, both of us have ScubaPro GlideX BCs, and I can get both BCs, fins, boots, masks, and various other things in a good sized duffel, then each of us have large hard-side suitcases, that take a regulator, and each get a folded up ScubaPro mesh bag with wheels. Those bags get used from the ship to the dives. They've been the best investment ever.

We both have the AIR2 second regs built into the power inflator. Consequently, even if we wanted to leave the BCs home, the regs wouldn't couple up to the rental gear.

It really only takes one bad rental gear experience to make the hassle of bringing your own gear pay off.

Harris

Denver, CO

So the dive shop in Roatan didn't have any wet suits. My gal finally got a cut off 3mil. Other guy got a bad bcd that wouldn't hold air. He didn't check it until at dive site. His mistake...but he dove anyway. Glad we had our regs...will bring everything next time. Can't wait for Cozumel!! Roatan was amazing!

 

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This is one reason why I bring my own wetsuit and diveskin