Should I bring all my dive kit on cruise or rent?

[NoProblem]

I have a cruise booked on Holland Rotterdam in the Caribbean from Jan. 4-14th. I have a Ship excursion 2 tank excursion booked for  Aruba. Should I be hauling all my equipment onboard or rent most of it? Since I am 65 have a gauge reader mask and I have a wrist dive computer that I need. I do have a travel BCD etc. I cannot imagine trying to wash/dry my wetsuit in the shower in my cabin. I did buy a backpack dive bag that holds it all, but it is cumbersome. Thanks in advance for all your advice. It would help if I knew who Holland uses in Aruba, but I haven't found out yet. Brian

[omeinv]

The operator for your ship sponsored excursion in Aruba will almost certainly be Red Sail (http://www.aruba-redsail.com/).

 

If you're somewhat cold tolerant, you can probably do without a wetsuit in Aruba.  The last time I was there for January, the water temperature at depth was 78 degrees (F).  As early in the month as you'll be there, I'd expect the water to be a bit warmer.  I was comfortable in just swim suit and rash guard.  Otherwise, you could rent a wetsuit I'm sure.  If it were me, I'd bring my own gear.  However, you could easily just bring your computer and mask, and use rental gear for everything else, to save the packing hassle.  This would be especially true if you're only diving in the one port.   

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[NoProblem]

Harris:

     Thanks for the reply. I was considering more dives but my wife doesn't dive and i hate to keep leaving her alone. We have been to Aruba and Curacao so I might be able to do another dive in Curacao the day before Aruba. we're in Bonaire the day before and both Bonaire and Curacao are long days in port so I might look at them. One of the dive shops I use is doing a week trip to Bonaire in Feb-March but I don't want to do that many dives.

[omeinv]

For a day in Bonaire I recommend VIP Diving.  They’re not the cheapest, but they do provide true valet service; and - assuming your certified for Nitrox - they include nitrox in the price.  My friend Daniel Groener is back there for the winter.  Ask for him if you go there.  
 

For Curaçao, Hans Pliej at CURios2Dive can set you in.  He’ll provide port pick up and return, and you’ll have a great, stress free day.  
 

Harris

 Denver, CO

[mac66]

As you probably read, I was just in the ABC.  I was reluctant to dive in every port because my wife didn't dive. I was able to do shore dive in Bonaire (Dive friends) and Curacao (Scubacao). In both cases they let my wife come along to snorkel for a small fee. So bring her along and dive every day.   I did the ship (RCL) dive in Aruba. They used Red Sail. My wife did a snorkel boat excursion  through the ship (Red Sail, different boat of course)  that went to the Antilla wreck. I saw her there (and she saw me) when we dived there.  So it was like being with her.

 

As for bringing equipment, it kind of depends on a couple things. Flying or driving. If I fly, I bring less, if driving I bring it all. 

 

The only thing I always bring is a full wet suit. I get cold so I always bring it.  Last spring we had a balcony so I could wash it out in the shower and dry in on the balcony.

 

This time we were in an inside and I dived 3 days in a row.   I washed it out up at the pool showers and laid it out hung over a lounge chair on the upper deck in the sun and and wind each day.  It usually dried (after wringing it out good) in 4-5 hours (dived in the morning, left it all afternoon). One day we didn't get back to the ship until 2 pm so I left it until we went to dinner.  I did clamp it down with towel clamps and pinned a note on it with my cabin number on it. No one bothered it.

 

If I had a regulator and mask I would bring them. You can get by using their BCD and fins. Though Red Sail fins are pretty cheap. There were 12 divers from the ship on the dive boat. Only one guy brought full gear. A couple others brought masks, fins, a couple brought their own regulators. Most used the shorty wetsuits that were provided.

Edited December 11, 2022 by mac66

[ROUS]

On 12/10/2022 at 9:29 AM, NoProblem said:

I have a cruise booked on Holland Rotterdam in the Caribbean from Jan. 4-14th. I have a Ship excursion 2 tank excursion booked for  Aruba. 

Hi.  I'm on that ship with you and also on that dive.  (Actually, I'm on the full 21-day version of that cruise and will be diving at seven ports.)  I'm taking my snorkeling kit on the cruise and also my dive computer.  That way, I'll only need to rent a reg set and BC on dive trips each time.

 

If you want to coordinate some, PM me here.  It's almost here.  Let's go make some bubbles!

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

If you've got the gear, why wouldn't you want to dive with it every time? The comfort & confidence one has diving with personal gear can't be overstated. 

 

I can fit BP/W/fins/mask/wetsuit and accessories into a 110L wheeled duffle, and still have room under the 50lb limit to add 4 or 5 packing cubes for a week's worth of clothing. Computer and regs go into a carry-on backpack with any additional toiletry items required for the trip.

 

After a dive, everything is rinsed in the diveshop rinse tanks, then again in the cabin shower. I am always in a balcony, so I just air/wind dry the gear over the balcony chairs until the next day's dive.

[NoProblem]

On 12/12/2022 at 10:45 AM, ROUS said:

Hi.  I'm on that ship with you and also on that dive.  (Actually, I'm on the full 21-day version of that cruise and will be diving at seven ports.)  I'm taking my snorkeling kit on the cruise and also my dive computer.  That way, I'll only need to rent a reg set and BC on dive trips each time.

 

If you want to coordinate some, PM me here.  It's almost here.  Let's go make some bubbles!

 

I haven't found  a way to PM on CC. We are bringing our snorkel kits as well. I will bring my dive computer as well. I am looking at Curacao to see if I can dive with my wife snorkeling. We booked her the snorkeling trip on Aruba

Edited December 15, 2022 by NoProblem

[NoProblem]

Just now, NoProblem said:

On 12/12/2022 at 10:45 AM, ROUS said:

 

 

 

[NoProblem]

I haven't found  a way to PM on CC. We are bringing our snorkel kits as well. I will bring my dive computer as well. I am looking at Curacao to see if I can dive with my wife snorkeling. We booked her the snorkeling trip on Aruba

[ROUS]

 

4 minutes ago, NoProblem said:

I haven't found  a way to PM on CC

Oh, yep, you're right.  It says that they've disabled messaging.  Strange.

 

Feel free to email me at jtt12242@outlook.com

 

[destinsharks]

We rented for the 1st time in a long time everything but mask/fins/computer on a short Cozumel stop a couple months back.  That convinced us to reconfigure our personal gear for smaller packing for our next cruise -- rental gear is almost always safe and serviceable but rarely 'top shelf'.

 

We have travel BC's.  To lighten the regulator sets, I'm running all myflex low-pressure hoses and using wireless pressure transmitters to eliminate the SPG and high pressure hose.  ScubaPro Mk17 EVO regulators which are compact but bulletproof with mid-tier plastic ScubaPro 2nd stages to save on weight.  Debating on the wetsuit.  We both get cold easy (spoiled by summer FL waters).

[mac66]

19 hours ago, NoProblem said:

I haven't found  a way to PM on CC. We are bringing our snorkel kits as well. I will bring my dive computer as well. I am looking at Curacao to see if I can dive with my wife snorkeling. We booked her the snorkeling trip on Aruba

 

Scubacao on Curacao will let your wife come along and snorkel for a small extra fee.   Or there are public beaches with reefs within walking distance of the ship pier (where they took us to dive, snorkel) if you have your own gear and don't mind going alone.

 

We were picked up by Scubacao outside the pier, driven to the other side of town to get our gear and then driven back to a beach/reef half a mile behind where the ship was docked.    It would have been difficult to carry all your gear, tanks etc to the public dive locations but there were people dropped off and picked up by cab so that's a possibility.

Edited December 16, 2022 by mac66