There's a feeling of superiority by those who travel
only with a carry-on and speed past the baggage
reclaim belt and out of the airport while others wait
anxiously to see if their bags arrive safely. But, when
it comes to divers, the only one we know who could
ever get away with such a thing is Harvey S. Cohen
(Middletown, NJ), who told us that even these days, he
still does what we reported him doing in 2010:
"I save weight and packing space by wearing my
BCD on the plane - I dive all over the world, and it's
never been a problem. And my SeaLife DC2000 camera,
flash, video light, mask, and lithium batteries fit
nicely into a soft-side 4-wheel carry-on suitcase."
Did your precious dive bag go to La Paz,
Bolivia rather than La Paz, Mexico?
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But he still checks one bag; "My Curacao Clipper
rolling duffle accommodates the remaining dive gear
and clothes with room to spare and typically weighs less
than 40 pounds."
If he discontinues his underwater photography, he
could make a three-flight stop to Indonesia and skip
baggage claim.
For the rest of us, traveling with bags is no easy slog,
but some, such as Alma Howell (Prescott, AZ), have
concluded it's better to travel light and rent their gear
at the destination. "We've lugged our bags through airports
and security and had no issues. But as we've aged,
we decided to rent everything but our masks, fins, thermal
skins, computers, and snorkels. The rental gear -
regulators and BCs - have been very adequate, though
we always have to get up to speed on new equipment,
which is a minor inconvenience."
For some divers, rental is worth considering. You
could almost limit yourself to a carry-on because you
don't need many garments at a sunny, warm water destination
when you're making three dives a day.
David Jackson (Oakland, CA) told us he brings a few
essential items that don't weigh much - his dive computer,
wetsuit, and mask with prescription lenses. "I rent
everything else."
However, these divers were in the minority of
respondents to our emailed question about whether
renting dive equipment is a better solution than toting
heavy gear and paying excess baggage charges. After
all, it certainly absolves you of those anxious moments
at the baggage carousel, wondering if your precious
dive bag went to La Paz, Bolivia rather than La Paz,
Mexico, or Panama City, Panama, rather than Panama
City, FL. It does happen.
But there's an easy any answer for tracking your
bags, as David H. Vickery (Pine Brook, NJ), a security
expert, tells us. "Schlepping your stuff through the airport
is a pain, so we put Apple Air Tags on them and
check every so often." At least, then, you'll know where
your bags have gone.
Compared to the half dozen or so readers who told
us they rent most of their gear at their destination,
more than 50 who own their gear would never think of
renting their major gear, and for good reasons.
Quality of Gear and Maintenance
Before one arrives at a destination, it's difficult to
know the rental dive gear quality and whether it's been
maintained. Just because a website says, they only rent
Scubapro or Tusa or Mares, you don't know if it's their
least expensive models, how old they are, if the dive
center have invisible damage, or whether they've even
changed O-rings. For most problems, you won't know
until you're in the water. One might expect to find good
gear on an Aggressor, but what about that little eightroom
resort on an isolated Indonesian island?
After booking a
distant trip requiring
three airline
connections,
Jeff Robertson
(Sacramento,
CA) decided to
rent gear instead
of schlepping it
and risking missing
a connection.
Unfortunately, his
selected dive center,
which promised
a full range of
premium diver gear,
did not live up to
its promise.
"I'm 6 feet tall
and 210 pounds
but can generally
wear clothes off the rack - the same with dive gear. However, at my
destination, the too-small 5 mm wetsuit was difficult to
put on; the only large BC available wasn't weight-integrated,
which I prefer, so I was given a weight belt and
a pair of snorkeling fins. Certainly not what I expected.
Never again."
Carly Bradley, from Oakland, CA, spelled out her
objections to renting dive equipment.
"Number one, lack of maintenance. I have never
been to a dive shop where I was impressed with the
gear maintenance. I constantly see large leaks, cracking
hoses, dirty filters, and rough-breathing gear. I
witnessed someone with a rented regulator drop under
the water, and the second stage was breathing wet; they
switched to the backup, only to find it frozen solid. Two
experienced technicians who witnessed it told me the
scenario was [thought to be] 'impossible,' and yet, it
did happen. I was told the lever was stuck to the purge
valve due to a lack of maintenance.
"Number two, the lack of quality of gear and ease
of use. Most gear I see used when we travel is old and
of lower quality."
Harvey S. Cohen, the BCD traveler, says: "The
service history of rental gear is a big question mark.
I maintain my gear carefully, know precisely where
everything is located and how it operates, and I'm sure
everything fits me properly. And my wetsuit has a relief
zipper!"
Well, it's unlikely you'll find a rental wetsuit with
a relief zipper, which you might want to thing about
before you put on a rental that someone else wore yesterday.
Does It Fit You Properly?
Fit for a wetsuit is essential. Divers come in different
shapes and sizes, big and small, and nothing is worse
than diving with a suit with water sloshing around
inside - unless it's a suit that's too tight and strangles
you.
Susan Morton (New York, NY) "wears a 5mm full
suit, which many dive shops in tropical areas don't
carry...... but as a small woman of less than 120
pounds, I need the warmth."
Russell Person (Bakersfield, CA) is at the other end
of that spectrum. "I am 6 feet, 6inches and weigh 250
pounds, so a wetsuit rental doesn't always fit very well."
Because I am quite a small size (XS), and BCs
I've rented that are labeled XS are still too big
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BCs also need to fit correctly. Kathy Coyle (East
Windsor, NJ) wrote, "I need my own BC because I have
body shape issues. I have a very short torso but a large
bust. I use a U.S. Divers Rogue, which allows different
parts of different sizes to be adjusted. With assistance
from my dive shop, I was able to find a good fit."
Susan Morton (New York, NY) wouldn't rent a BC
"because I am quite a small size (XS), and BCs I've
rented that are labeled XS are still too big. When I
inflate the BC underwater, the armholes rise to my ears,
and I have to keep pulling it down so I can't dive normally."
Prescription Masks are Irreplaceable
One item you'll be unable to rent or probably even
buy at your dive destination is an appropriate prescription
mask.
Undercurrent's Senior Editor, John Bantin, once
arrived at a remote destination only to discover that
his prescription lens mask frame had broken in transit,
rendering it useless. He struck lucky when he discovered
a group of diving German opticians on the island, and
among the many masks they carried, one was his brand
so that he could transfer his lenses. He continued to
dive for years afterward with his 'lucky' pink mask.
And a related tip from Mary Wicksten (Bryan, TX),
who notes you can't rent or even buy contact lenses
where you are headed, so carry a spare pair. "Guess
what happens if they come loose underwater?"
Knowing Your Kit Works Properly
Then there's the lack of confidence you may have
when you rent unfamiliar gear. "Knowing your own
equipment," says Joel Hirsh (Ridgefield, CT), "far
outweighs the hassle and possible baggage charges for
heavy bags."
Richard Mertz (Mount Pleasant, SC) echoes this,
"My wife and I dive side-mount. A small backpack easily
carries a harness, regulator, and prescription mask.
We pack boots, wetsuits, fins, lights, SMB, and spare
parts in checked luggage, and, if lost, can be rented. We
have not enjoyed using rental gear or diving with a tank
on our backs. If we can't use our own gear, we don't
dive."
José Truda Palazzo, Jr. (Salvador de Bahia, Brazil)
says, "Perhaps, most importantly, we maintain our own
gear and are confident that it gives us the best safety
possible. In some developing country dive shops, the
equipment is not always the best."
Many people won't rent regulators, noting that an
inadequate air supply or a wet breather will ruin any
dive, as will faulty pressure gauges or wonky hoses.
Doreen Anderson (Edmonton, Canada) dived
with another diver who, with rented gear, ran out
of air quickly and needed to share. "Underwater, he
approached his dive guide, pointed to his air gauge, and shrugged his shoulders to ask why his gauge continued
to read so high. The guide banged the gauge against
his tank, and the needle dropped low. It was a faulty
gauge," and he was out of air.
Familiarity with gear and muscle memory
are essential when it comes to a quick response.
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Familiarity Can be Life-Saving
If you're unfamiliar with your dive computer display,
you may not know what it's telling you, and that's a serious
risk when renting a different computer than your
own. Too often, dive guides see divers who don't realize
when their computer has switched from no-stop diving
to displaying mandatory decompression stops - even
with computers they own!
Familiarity with gear and muscle memory are essential
when it comes to a quick response. Gina Sanfilippo
(Oakland, CA) points out, "I'm familiar with my own
gear, so in case of emergency, I don't have to think - I
just act."
What Does Renting Cost?
While some divers believe it's cheaper to rent gear
than pay excess baggage charges, it's often not the case.
Say Bryan Gilham (Portland, OR): "We usually go to
destinations for at least a week; the luggage charges are
often equal to renting whatever the dive shop has available.
And rental gear is often abused by previous renters.
Our gear is safer.
When you're traveling on small inter-island flights,
the charges can get extraordinary, but Eric May (Barrie,
Ontario) negotiated. "Usually, excess baggage fees are
not too bad, but on a flight from Fiji to the Banda Sea
area, the small airline wanted an astronomical price for
the luggage because of its weight. We talked to a supervisor
and got the fee reduced. Renting [our dive equipment]
might have been the better option."
David Hollabaugh (Fulton, MO) neatly summarized
what most of you had concluded. "My wife and I
always dive with our own gear for the following reasons:
Familiarity - In a stressful situation, there is never
any confusion about where the BC power inflate and
deflate buttons are.
Fit - I am thin and chill easily. I like having a wetsuit
that I know will fit me perfectly.
Maintenance - I know when my regs were last serviced
and who did it.
Prescription mask - No explanation required. And
finally, faulty rental gear - I've seen more leaking regulators
and BCs than I can count.
As for checked bag fees - they are typically a small
percentage of the overall cost of a dive trip."
So, there you have it - an overwhelming vote for
traveling with your own dive equipment.
Harvey S. Cohen, the BCD traveler, wryly observed,
"It's ironic that in an Undercurrent email, you write,
'Before your next dive trip, get your regulator serviced, check that your BC inflates and holds the inflation overnight,
make sure your computer (and transmitter) has a
fresh battery, and verify that your dive light didn't flood
the last time you used it. Put spare fins and mask straps
in your dive bag and ensure any O-rings subject to
movement when tightened down are lightly greased.' ...
and then ask whether it's better to bring gear or rent."
You're right, Harvey. We wouldn't dive with rented
gear except in an emergency. We won't ask again.
- Ben Davison