Equipment Question

[naples1]

I have been scuba diving six times now and have all my own equipment. My question is: Do you suggest I bring my own stuff (BC, Regulator Computer Etc) or just rent it from the dive shops in the port. Also, I have not been diving in about two years. Is it possible to join the class on the ship for a review??

 

Thanks for any information you can offer.

 

chris

[bruce-r]

I have been scuba diving six times now and have all my own equipment. My question is: Do you suggest I bring my own stuff (BC, Regulator Computer Etc) or just rent it from the dive shops in the port.

If you already own the gear, you know it's service history and should be familiar with it. You can't say that about potential rental gear. My vote is to bring you own gear.

 

 

Also, I have not been diving in about two years. Is it possible to join the class on the ship for a review??

Royal Caribbean offers a scuba review on their Voyager and Freedom class ships RCI webpage with the description.

 

Princess has the New Waves Program which also offers a review.

[naples1]

thanks for the info. looks like I will be bringing my own stuff. :D

[Pilot70D]

The War Department (a.k.a. Mrs. B) and I have dived all over the Caribbean as well as several locations in Florida. We always brought our own gear (except tanks and weights). This did enable us to see a wide variety of the rental equipment provided by the various dive operations. Most of the rental equipment we've seen is reasonbly good, upper middle of the road equipment. There have been one or two exceptions though.

 

Regardless of the newness (or not) of the rental equipment I think that you're much better off and probably safer with your own dive gear. I know instinctively where all the 'controls' (dump valves, harness adjustments, ditchable weights, etc.) are on my BCD. With a rental BCD it's going to be a learning experience to some degree. Furthermore I keep a lot of gear in or clipped to my BCD (dive knife, flashlight, safety sausage, emergency whistle) or in the front pockets. I know where each piece of this equipment is and that it's always with me.

 

Next is the service issue - how recently and how often has that rental regulator been serviced? With your own equipment you know those answers. We were diving in Aruba a little over a month ago and with a good dive operator. However one set of rental equipment had a secondary regulator which free flowed so badly that the diver had only ten to fifteen minutes of dive time. We were too far from the dock timewise to go back and get another set of regulators. They did give him a refund but that morning's dives were wiped out. When arriving by cruise ship often the only dives you get are those two tank morning dives.

 

Last but not least is the fit issue. Your own equipment fits you and probably fits better than rental equipment will. My mask fits my face and doesn't leak. My fins fit my feet with dive booties on. My wetsuit and BCD fit my body. Will rental equipment fit as well? Possibly but probably not.

 

So for all these reasons bring your own gear. Yes, it's somewhat of a pain in the fanny to lug that dive gear to wherever you rendezvous with the dive operator but this inconvenience is far outweighed by the benefits.

 

Hope this advice is helpful. Now go enjoy those dives while cruising.

[river_sand_bar2]

naples1... On one of our trips to Cozumel, my wife had total faliure of the first stage on her rental reg. She was OOA with no 2nd stage and no octo. Lucky for her, I was close when it happened and after her panic and getting her on my octo, we made a safe accent.

 

I will NEVER EVER use rental gear again.

 

Having that said.... Get a wheeled bag for your gear and check it in as a piece of luggage.... you'll be happy you did and it makes it real easy for walking around on the cruise ship.

[Jacqueline]

This time, I think I am bringing all my gear. Also for me it is cold and I need more than a 3mm (shorty). I have a 3 mm and that was not enough last March. This March I am bringing my 5/3.

I always bring my computer to log the dive.

[cmdchiefthom]

Chris,

 

I think the equipment question you asked has been answered, and I agree, bring your own. I do have a concern about your question regarding a two year absence from diving. It sounds to me like you have had a total of six dives, and haven't been wet in two years. I do think you need a refresher course, or at least dives conducted by an instructor. You can arrange a couple of refresher dives through dive operators at the ports you visit, which would be a smart idea. Another option is to get with the instructor who gave you your original certification and see if he or she would bring you up to speed. As for refresher courses on the ship, you'd have to contact the cruiseline directly and ask the question. My guess would be that's something they wouldn't specifically offer, but would offer the basic SCUBA orientation they offer to any of the non-diving passengers, and that's not a bad idea either. The good news here is that you recognize your need for a refresher and maybe the divers on this board can offer other suggestions.;)

[SantaAna,CA]

I've been on two cruises to the Caribbean where I brought my own equipment, and although it's a bear to lug around, I'm glad I did. I am familiar with my stuff and besides, I bought it to use! The last cruise, I shipped the bag ahead with LuggageFree; cost me a small fortune, but it was worth it not to have to shlepp through the airports with one more (huge) bag. And anyone who has been through Miami airport knows the horrors of that.....

 

It's very easy to ship to the Caribbean, you just have to make certain you give them a firm date it has to be there. I always get to the island of embarkation a couple of days early anyway, so there's no chance of the bag missing me. Other than being expensive, it worked perfectly. Also, on my April 2006 trip, I took a refresher course in the pool at my local scuba shop before I left. Once I got to St. Thomas, I took another "refresher" course, just diving with an instructor from the beach, to go over skills that were rusty.

 

Best wishes in your travels,

 

Jane :)