Scuba Gear - Do you haul it or rent it?

[jam82]

I'm considering buying my own gear, but then I don't know if I really want to haul it on the cruise with me. What are your experiences with rental gear?

[Middleager]

Before buying my own gears, I had mostly good experience renting. But once in Myrtle Beach, renting, the BCD was very worn and had ripped pockets. Another time at Belize, BCD was also bad and I asked for another one. There were some returns that just came in, but among them the size L that I need, was still bad. The regulator also had a small leak.

 

After that I bought my gears and took them with me for a few years. This year going on the Splendor cruise, I decided not to bring my gears as there were only 2 ports I'll be diving. With airline charges for luggage, then the cleaning/servicing of regulators after, it's making it difficult to want to haul your own gears. So now it's going to depend on how much diving I'll do at the ports.

[rcontrera]

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!

[diverwayne]

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.

[jam82]

Thanks for the responses, it's good to know what others do. Does anyone use a travel BC, or would do you think it's better to go with the hard pack. I hate to take an additional suitcase for dive gear, but maybe it's better to do so.

[Midge907]

I pondered this question myself and have concluded that I'm going to trust my life with my own equiptment that I know is maintained. It does suck having to carry so much luggage, but I have a bag big enough for my dive gear and most of my clothes. I will then stuff the dive gear in a big back pack for the dive excursions. I would like to know if anyone has any tricks that they have learned for packing and organizing there dive gear for cruiseship diving.

[MPM]

We have hauled our own gear for two cruises now. It is a pain, but it is gear we are familiar with, and we know it is well maintained. We learned an important secret on our last trip. DEFINITELY invest in a roller duffel bag. Sometimes it is a VERY long walk from where you exit the ship to where you are going to be picked up. Hauling all of our gear in a regular dive duffel bag just about wore us out. On our last dive, we saw another diver strolling by with his wheeled duffel bag easily striding up the hill. I now own two of them!

[Laurie S.]

I bought a wheeled bag, which is so much easier for me, but also am bringing my mesh bag. Sometimes the larger wheeled bag won't be allowed on a smaller boat. I figured I could swap out and store my larger bag at the shop until after the diving.

[Shark Bait!]

I usually bring my Dive caddy. It holds all my dive gear ( BCD, regs, fins, smb, board shorts, rash guard, and wetsuit 3mm) and it also holeds some light tropical cloths. it all cinches down to the size of a carry on bag. For the rest of my cloths, i bring another carry on bag.

[The Flying Pirate]

I bring my mask fins, snorkel and regulator/computer and rent tanks and a BCD. The BCD is the bulkiest item and most rentals are pretty good. The rest of the gear doesn't take up that much room in the suitcase so it is easy to haul. I also bring a mesh gear bag to carry it to and from the ship and the underwater housing for my camera.

[poohs4me]

We bring our own gear as well. We found a bag that fits both our gear. The extra baggage fee is worth the piece of mind my own gear gives me.

[rednose83]

We haul it.

[CruisinCoach]

I guess I am in the minority here, but I have never brought my gear on a cruise (besides mask, fins, and snorkel). I have never felt unsafe due to the quality of the gear the dive companies supply, plus, almost all of the excursions I have done included gear in the price, so why pay for another checked bag? Just my two-cents.

[ScubaCruiser54]

I have been diving on cruises for ten years. I started with rental gear as I did not own my own gear. It was OK. I have rented some gear for my children... BC's and fins, but we always bring our own Regulators, computers, masks, snorkels. I use an XXL Zeagle Ranger.. (XXL with the extension I added). I rented a BC two years ago on three dives. One was totally unsatisfactory and defective causing me to miss a dive. The shop did not refund part of the money...We returened to the shop and obtained a second working BC. One was satisfactory, and I canceled the third dive when I saw the quality of the BC's (too small and leaked). The Dive shops all told me that they had a BC to fit a 54 Inch chest, they did not.

 

I now always bring my own BC, Regs, Fins, Mask, Snorkel, Safety Sausage, computer, and light. The only thing I get from the shop is lead and tanks. That way I know my gear works, it has been serviced, and it is sanitary. We relay on our own Regs.

 

I have seen several hundred divers use rental gear, but if I have the choice, I take my own. Airline baggage cost is an issue, but if it is $30.00 each way, that is the cost of rental gear at two dives for two of us...we can carry gear for two for less than the cost of rental gear. Regs and computers are carried on and other gear goes in baggage.

 

Hope the thoughts help.... If you are going to dive in tropical climates, consider a lightweight BC and Fins and buy a good regulator set and computer.

[The Flying Pirate]

I bring my mask fins snorkel and regulator. I rent a BCD and tanks because they are bulky and take up too much room in the suitcase. I prefer to use my own reg, since I have had bad experiences with rental stuff. A BCD is pretty hard to screw up because of poor maintenance so renting one hasn't been a problem.

[The Flying Pirate]

I forgot I also bring my underwater camera housing, to record the dives.

[Cap'n Cork]

I bring my own gear for my dives. I pack my BCD, regulator, mask, fins, snorkle, booties, wet suit/skin suit. I believe that I should pay for and see to maintenance of my air supply and buoyancy vest.

[jimw]

We haul it, but we live near the Florida ports--so no flying expensive luggage.

[docBarb]

My husband and I also always take our own gear. Sometimes we have an awful lot of luggage. We still consider it to be worth it to have our own gear (everything but tanks and weights).

Barbara

[Comptech]

Ditto..... :)

 

I guess I am in the minority here, but I have never brought my gear on a cruise (besides mask, fins, and snorkel). I have never felt unsafe due to the quality of the gear the dive companies supply, plus, almost all of the excursions I have done included gear in the price, so why pay for another checked bag? Just my two-cents.

[travelertim]

I haul it. It can be a major pain to do so but while diving its worth it. I'll

only dive if the BC has an integrated weight system and the rental equipment I've seen does not. I had lost a weight belt during a dive

and swore it would never happen again.

[CaribKng]

I haul it. It can be a major pain to do so but while diving its worth it. I'll

only dive if the BC has an integrated weight system and the rental equipment I've seen does not. I had lost a weight belt during a dive

and swore it would never happen again.

 

On the last two cruises we have been on, the rental gear had integrated weights on the BCD's, but they also provided weight belts if they were preferred. I just prefer to use my own equipment. I am familiar with it and I know it has been taken care of.

[FlightMedic555]

I take my mask, fins, booties and snorkel. I would leave the fins at home but I am a big guy with size 14 feet and the rentals don't fit. I also have my own BCD with integrated weight pockets. This one fits well and is very confortable. The rentals are way too small for me.

 

I have not invested in a regulator as I go on one or two trips per year and dive 2-6 times on each trip. If I purchased a regulator there would be a modest cost in bringing it in regularly for maintenance. More important to me is checking out the diver operators and doing my homework to choose good ones. You can get some good info at www.scubaboard as well as at www.tripadvisor.com, in addition to the curise critic site.

[cdiver]

My take on rental gear, it's not a matter of IF you are going to get problematic gear it is a matter of WHEN. It will happen, the surprise often is when and where you realize it!!

[hoop4321]

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