Bonaire - rent here, there, or buy?

[SpiderSense]

also, renting a computer from the LDS is almost $60/week. the computer is a $250 computer. i'd have to rent it twice for this year. and i wouldn't even be able to download with that model.

i'm not sure which reg/bc to buy yet. i found some $400 regs on sale for $200. good enough? better or worse than rental equipment?

heck, after the wetsuits and computers, might as well do a bc/reg too. just don't know what to get yet.

 

[TheRedHead]

Having your own regulator is much better than rental equipment. You should buy your regulator according to the type of diving you plan to do. Any regulator would be fine in the tropics, but if you plan on diving in cold water in the future, you want an environmentally sealed regulator.

BTW, I had to rent a computer and an SPG at Buddy Dive in Bonaire because my AI computer died. The Suunto Mosquito I rented was so scratched I could hardly read it.

 

[spectrum]

When you get the puter get one your wife likes too. That way you can service both with one download kit.

Pete

 

[SpiderSense]

If all goes as planned (become experienced and love scuba), we'll do a week in Pompano Beach (near Ft Lauderdale) later this year. then visit often for weekend trips (Inlaws live there) throughout next year. and possibly a visit to the Canary Islands next year.

I plan on getting two VT3s, but may leave out the wireless transmitters for now (but i really really want to have air usage stats documented). Put that money towards the regulators. I'd like to have my own since i think Seacure or Jax mouthpieces will be a must for us (my jaws hurt from the pool exercises!).

The BC i don't mind renting (i don't want to pack them on travel). so it looks like i'll purchase the computers, wetsuits, and regulators. ouch.

 

[Damselfish]

A BC is a good thing to own. Not as easy to pack as other things but not that bad. Sometimes it's hard to get rentals that fit right and it's real nice to get used to your BC and know where everything is. Maybe not rush to get it before this trip, but soon.

 

[BurBunny]

By the way, even if you rent a regulator, you can ask to have your own mouthpieces put on it for the week. Simple matter of a zip tie.

 

[diversteve]

At some point, I'd recommend you buy everything. Especially as it seems you're likely to be doing more diving this year. One point to consider is that there is a slight chance that you or your wife won't be able to get certified for medical, comfort or other reasons.

So a big upfront purchase might not be the best solution now. Habitat rents ScubaPro gear, one of the better brands, so assuming their gear is in good repair, it might give you an opportunity to try before you buy. Although I can understand not wanting to spend a lot on rentals.

What reg is "$400 on sale for $200"? Someone here can probably comment on them intelligently if we know the make/model - new/used? Good enough? It's your call. I dove with Dacor regs for years, now own one of the best - an Atomic T2. There is a noticeable difference in how they breathe. But I'm $1400 into the reg. My buddy has mid-range gear, mostly Oceanic, he's never had problems with it.

I bought my first BC before my checkout dives because it was discounted thru the class and I let my LDS convince me it was a good idea - they didn't have to work too hard at it - then bought regs a couple months later on sale once I'd read some reviews and knew what I wanted.

fwiw, one of the best divestores I've ever been to is in Ft. Lauderdale, just off the interstate south of the airport. Divers Direct - they have more gear in one place than I've ever seen and seemed like reasonable prices too. Scubatoys.com is another good option, they have Internet pricing with mfr's warranties.

 

[SpiderSense]

true, being sick or something would suck, but we've already invested thousands on the trip itself. the gear at least i could use again.

i dont know much about regs (only what i read in reviews). i did a quick search on LP and selected 2HP ports, titanium, nitrox, adjustable 2nd stage for the search options. just to see what comes up (wanted to see what features nicer regs had vs lower priced ones). cressi-sub titanium reg @ 44% off and a AquaLung Cousteau Glacia Regulatoria Regulator from $475 to $250. the Aqualung Legend for $300 had really good reviews. i'm not saying i'm buying based on price or even at LP yet. just in the research phase thats all.

regarding the mouthpieces, what worries me is that the Seacure had 3 different sizes for different sets of regulators, but the Jax didnt. are they universal fit?

fyi, i've actually been certified years ago, but have only done small number of dives. i have a mindset of being a complete newbie since my wife is not certified.

 

[diversteve]

i dont know much about regs (only what i read in reviews). i did a quick search on LP and selected 2HP ports, titanium, nitrox, adjustable 2nd stage for the search options. just to see what comes up (wanted to see what features nicer regs had vs lower priced ones). cressi-sub titanium reg @ 44% off and a AquaLung Cousteau Glacia Regulatoria Regulator from $475 to $250. the Aqualung Legend for $300 had really good reviews. i'm not saying i'm buying based on price or even at LP yet. just in the research phase thats all.

I've heard favorable things from someone I know that owns a Legend. Mares also seems to be highly regarded and available via mailorder. I personally like to see and touch any expensive gear purchases I make so I bought mine from my LDS. Although Atomic, Scubapro and other brands aren't sold mail order anyway so I wouldn't have saved much.

One consideration would be to find out what brands can be serviced in your area. Even if you don't buy from your local LDS. The problem I see with LP - you meant Leisurepro right? - is that they have their own warranty and servicing. So you send it back to them or pay someone else. Scubatoys is in essence the same for servicing, the advantage they have is that they give mfr's warranties, which might be useful if you're out of the U.S. and have a problem. Or (god forbid!!) Scubatoys or LP goes under. I buy from both LP and Scubatoys and they both ship fast and sell quality, new products.

regarding the mouthpieces, what worries me is that the Seacure had 3 different sizes for different sets of regulators, but the Jax didnt. are they universal fit?

I thought the Jax was mostly sold overseas. I've never seen one. Several of the divers in my club switched to Seacure after trying someone's on a boat once. If you're concerned about comfort and jaw fatigue a titanium 2nd stage is lighter and a swivel really helps.

 

[TheRedHead]

You should post in the regulator section regarding Aqualung and Leisure Pro. Aqualung will not provide any warranty if purchased from LP. I think LP is an authorized Mares dealer. If you have a problem with your Aqualung regulator purchased from Leisurepro while out of town on a dive trip, you will have to either rent another regulator or pay for repairs. As I said before, you need to decide on your diving goals and then do some research.