Bring Brand New Gear on Vacation?

[wanderwhale13]

What do you think about bringing brand new untested gear on vacation?
I mostly dive on vacation, but have been trying to change that and recently bought a full set of gear. I'm from SoCal and our weather has been unusually cold and stormy lately, blocking my attempts to test out the gear locally before a vacation to the Azores. I purchased in a local dive shop so the BCD and regs were pressure tested together in store.
The only thing that would be possible between now and tuesday when I leave is testing in a pool (but a pretty chlorinated one).

 

[johndiver999]

go to the pool!!

 

[Robert H. Diver]

Regs and BCD should be tried in a pool/very shallow dive first IMO.

 

[formernuke]

I wouldn't. Try it out and get used to the new stuff so you have a better time on vacation.

 

[PR_SMITH]

Do the pool session, then rinse thoroughly.

 

[Boarderguy]

Talk to the lds you purchased from and see when they're going to have their next pool session. OW classes are constant so you're likely to find one this weekend if you call around.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Or just pack up and go on the trip with new stuff if you can't make the pool. If something craps on you you can likely rent (unless you are going LOB).

I do new stuff all the time on trips, but I travel with 2-3 levels of redundancy and enough stuff in the SAD kit to fix most possibly foreseeable events, and the skills to fix in the field)

(except BC and if it's hosed, I'll rent. My BC **IS** hosed with an Air 2 on it but no pun was intended nor should be inferred.).

 

[gamon]

I wouldn't. Try it out and get used to the new stuff so you have a better time on vacation.

It's no different than getting rental gear on a trip.

Truth is dive gear isn't all that much different. Except maybe jacket vs back inflate BCDs, the typical vacation diver isn't going to notice any difference between fins, or wetsuits, or the regulator they're breathing from.

 

[formernuke]

It's no different than getting rental gear on a trip.

Truth is dive gear isn't all that much different. Except maybe jacket vs back inflate BCDs, the typical vacation diver isn't going to notice any difference between fins, or wetsuits, or the regulator they're breathing from.

Correct but why get used to a new BC on vacation. Each one is a little different even among jackets or back inflate or BPW.

Is it a big safety thing, no its just a getting used to thing. Why waste vacation dives getting used to if you don't have to. It just makes the vacation a little more fun.

 

[gamon]

Why waste vacation dives getting used to if you don't have to. It just makes the vacation a little more fun.

Because, as per my post, the time it takes "getting used to" the gear is probably almost non existent.

My own personal example. I've dived my own gear for 30+ years. My BCD is a back inflate. Took an overseas trip to do a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Not worth bringing the gear, as it was included in the cost of the liveaboard. It was a jacket BCD.

I splashed in for the first dive, and never noticed a bit of difference then or at any point during the multi day diving trip, although I recall on a deeper dive inflating the BCD a bit and thinking "this is sort of a nice feeling with the BCD filling up around me". It didn't have any noticeable effect on my buoyancy or trim, and neither did the closed fins as opposed to my usual open fins with booties, nor did the regulators or gauges matter in the least- although I did bring my own mask, and wrist computer with transmitter which I got the "pre trip ok" to swap onto the rental first stage.