Borrowing Equipment

[zboss]

Guys,

What is the etiquite behind borrowing equipment from dive buddies vs. renting equipment? I am on a dive budget for an upcoming vacation and would much rather spend my dough on fills and not renting a reg set.

Of course, P&Q's are always important...

- alex

 

[k4sdi]

Everybody tends to feel differently on this, but most people that do loan out stuff have extra equipment to use as loaners. Most people wouldnt think of loaning out their main gear, and I dont blame them. But they might have extra stuff laying around that they dont mind loaning out. If they do, a good creed to live by when borrowing is to bring it back in better shape than you got it. Like, clean it real good, make any small repairs needed before you got it, ect.

Hope this helps!

Mark

 

[redacted]

But if my buddy was a routine borrower, I'd have a new buddy. Bite the bullet and buy your own if you want to dive regularly.

 

[JDostal]

I borrowed when I started diving, but really kinda felt bad about it. I'm always that way. I hate borrowing stuff. I hate being responsible for someone elses $500 BC, or a really nice paintball marker. I did borrow from people, but as soon as I could I bought my own gear. It's SOOOO much nicer to have your own stuff.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I have extra stuff that I loan once in a while. Our little group pools equipment for dives that require more equipment than the dive team owns (stage/deco bottles). I don't usually loan to divers who don't yet have their basic setup. IMO, the basic setup is a prerequisit to dive. I would buy that before plane tickets and resorts. It is an investment that you will be glad you made.

As far as not wanting to rent a reg, I would say that if that cost is too much of a burden perhaps the trip is beyond your means.

 

[kwesler]

at this thread

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13164

I think you will get a feel for your question. As for myself, I would not loan out regs to anyone I did not know very well, and no one I know that well would borrow regs unless their's had a sudden problem.

Ken

 

[Dee]

zboss once bubbled...
Guys,

What is the etiquite behind borrowing equipment from dive buddies vs. renting equipment? I am on a dive budget for an upcoming vacation and would much rather spend my dough on fills and not renting a reg set.

Of course, P&Q's are always important...

- alex

Common courtesy is to own your own gear if you're going to dive.

If you can't afford your own, how are you going to replace borrowed gear if it gets lost, stolen or destroyed while you are on vacation?

As other have said, I'll loan extra gear to a very select group of friends. Anyone who consistantly borrows gear or shows up not prepared to dive soon gets on our short buddy list.

If you're going to dive, you need your own basic gear. If you're strictly a vacation diver and don't want gear sitting unused between vacation trips, gut up and rent your gear for each trip.

Sorry, but if you just want to borrow my gear so you don't have to buy your own or don't want to spend the money to rent, you'll go without.

 

[zboss]

As usuall this board is full of good advice.

However - one question remains... what I am hearing as a response to my question is the opposite of the advice to a very similar question which is "I need to buy X equipment which one should I buy?" to which the standard response is "borrow as much equipment to try before buying"...

So... if my etiquite lesson is accurate the situation should be thus: arrive for a dive fully prepared with my own diving equipment -rented- and prepare your dive buddies with the expectation that you might like to try some of their equipment. However it is NOT acceptable to borrow equipment instead of renting it for various reasons...

This is all very useful information. Thanks...

From a defensive side - I need to point out that the trip is not outside my means at all... my family owns a house in the BVI's which I travel to several times a year... I am just very frugal with my purchases.

 

[Dee]

zboss once bubbled...
As usuall this board is full of good advice.

"I need to buy X equipment which one should I buy?" to which the standard response is "borrow as much equipment to try before buying"...

Letting your buddies know ahead of time that you would like to try out a piece of gear for a purchase consideration is different than borrowing it and taking it off to parts unknown. I encourage others to try any piece of gear I own when diving locally.

So... if my etiquite lesson is accurate the situation should be thus: arrive for a dive fully prepared with my own diving equipment -rented- and prepare your dive buddies with the expectation that you might like to try some of their equipment. However it is NOT acceptable to borrow equipment instead of renting it for various reasons...

You got it!

 

[Cave Diver]

zboss once bubbled...
So... if my etiquite lesson is accurate the situation should be thus: arrive for a dive fully prepared with my own diving equipment -rented- and prepare your dive buddies with the expectation that you might like to try some of their equipment. However it is NOT acceptable to borrow equipment instead of renting it for various reasons...

I have often SWAPPED gear with someone who wanted to try out my regulator, my wings set up, my doubles, my HID light, etc. But that normally means that they have a piece of gear that I can use to replace the borrowed one so that I don't miss the dive either, even if it means that I am diving with their rented reg. This type of diving is also confined to local shallow dive spots (lake or quarries). I NEVER advocate diving unfamiliar or borrowed equipment under more demanding conditions (such as the Gulf of Mexico).