Buy or rent - when to invest in equipment?

[MrTW]

Hi there,

I haven't been diving for a good ten years and just recently (approx. 4 years ago) started to go diving again due to somewhat frequent access to tropical waters in Asia.

Now, I am contemplating whether I should start to buy my own equipment instead of renting.

I do have a good dive computer and a mask but nothing else.

My questions in general are the following:

1. At what point would it make sense to invest (based on frequency of dives, etc.)?
2. Which equipment should be considered a 'must-have' to keep investment barrier low?
3. How would one choose the 'best' quality equipment (per brand/price, reviews, etc.)?
4. Would it be advisable to purchase used over new equipment?
5. Anything else one should consider before purchasing (storing, servicing, etc.)?

I am happy about any feedback.

Thank you.

 

[tbone1004]

1. I argue that if you are diving more than 2x/year and plan on doing it for a few years than you should invest up front

2. Exposure protection is generally my first recommendation for local diving, but since you're travelling exposure protection doesn't make sense. Regulators and a CO analyzer are my next recommendation since you can make sure they are serviced regularly, don't have to worry about contamination, and the CO analyzer since you're diving over seas and the risk for CO contamination is much higher. BC would be next, BP/W is my preference as it is of most divers on here. They travel better than most normal bc's, are more comfortable, more versatile, and hold their value.

3. Depends, lots of it is personal preference, and how much you are wanting to spend. You can buy the best of the best for the brand name, or you can buy alternatives that are good enough to last you the rest of your diving career. Toyota vs. Lexus vs. Mercedes type discussion. If Made in USA matters to you, options do exist for most equipment.

4. Depends, if you can find good deals and know what to look for you can save a lot of money, but with the price of some of the equipment being as low as it is, it sometimes is worth it to just buy new.

5. Service and and storing stuff has been covered on here many times and you can search for that on here. All of this stuff travels well in carry-on, storage out of the sun is key, and service it when it needs it.....

 

[MrTW]

@tbone1004: this is great input - thank you very much!

 

[C Dub]

You must buy all of these, or you will die!
1. Shearwater Petrel
2. Halcyon BP/W
3. Hollis F1 Fins
4. DUI Drysuit
5. Atomic Titanium regs

 

[tbone1004]

No worries mate. For regulators I would stick to the "mainstream" brands since parts and service are likely more readily available. Scubapro, Apeks, Dive Rite, Aqualung, Tusa, etc. BC's are pick your poison for what you want. How close to LA/Pasadena are you?

 

[freewillie]

I usually divide the gear into what I refer to as personal fit items. It's the gear that you need to fit you like mask, fins, wetsuit, BC, etc. then there is the any fit items like regulators and computers. I usually recommend starting with the personal fit items since not every manufacturer's small, medium, and large is different. Unless it's easy for you to fit in standard rental gear I'd get a wetsuit and BC first, then anything else at whatever interval you want.

1. Cost effective depends on how often you dive. In the strictest financial sense take how much you spend per item renting then multiply by number of dives. If it cost $75 per dive for full set of gear and you dive 10 times then you spent $750 on gear instead of going towards your own gear. But if you don't dive that often it will take years to recoup the value. But there is also something to be said for owning your own gear so that you are familiar with where every buckle and clip is so you can find them with your eyes closed. There is value in that beyond the how much more did it cost.

2. Your LDS may be able to work with you if you ask for discount on gear. Other option is obviously online retailers. Keep an eye out for models that are being discontinued since they will get you biggest discount. One word of caution is make sure you can get the BC and regulator service easily. If you buy brand "x" and your LDS doesn't service that brand you will have to mail it to get serviced. I'd also recommend gear that can do double duty. Your BC for example should be light enough for travel but have enough lift for local diving if you dive cold water. For that matter I know many posters recommend back plate with wing but I'd say a back inflate does the same and is more available online with more choices.

3. Every diver has their own opinion as to what brand is best. Ask around but all the big name brands are very good these days so you can't really go wrong with any brand you choose.

4. I'd get new if you can afford it but there are great deals on used gear. Just be sure to have it checked by a professional technician after you've purchased the gear.

5. How convenient it is to service and how like are you to take it with you on vacation. It should be light enough for travel since most recreational divers dive more on vacation than local diving.

 

[TSandM]

If you owned gear, would you dive locally? If so, it is utterly worth buying everything. You live where some of the best diving in the world is to be had; not to do that diving would be sad.

If you only travel to dive, then the first question you have to ask yourself is whether you are willing to haul gear on an airplane. If excess baggage fees, or second bag fees are going to make or break anything for you, then you can't really own much, unless you absolutely do not wear clothes .

On the up side, having your own equipment means that you don't have to deal with things that don't fit, or things that don't work, or things you can't figure out when they aren't doing what they should underwater. I love having my own gear -- no matter where I shrug into it, it's home.

Much dive gear can be bought perfectly well used, and often at good or even ridiculous discounts from new. Lots of people take up the sport and don't continue with it, and their gear often goes on the market at very low prices. You do have to know a bit about what you are buying, because there are things sold which are no longer serviceable, and there are things which are sold because the current owner has figured out that that particular gear is a piece of junk and has replaced it. (I sold my split fins!). But if you know what you want, and there is no urgency to acquiring it, watching Craig's List, ScubaBoard, and other on line forums can be a good way to get gear inexpensively.

 

[Octopusprime]

Personally if you not diving multiple times a year I would rent most gear. When I travel I take my regs and computer. I may take my BCD sometimes depending how long I'm going for and bag fees. Some times it is cheaper to rent.

Most destination charters will include tank and weight so I would not buy those

 

[MrTW]

No worries mate. For regulators I would stick to the "mainstream" brands since parts and service are likely more readily available. Scubapro, Apeks, Dive Rite, Aqualung, Tusa, etc. BC's are pick your poison for what you want. How close to LA/Pasadena are you?

I am in the LA area, with easy access to Pasadena and Culver City (Eco Dive Center).

Is there a dive shop in Pasadena you would recommend?

 

[tbone1004]

For BC's if you are interested I would highly recommend paying a visit to Tobin George at Deep Sea Supply. If you are interested in diving locally it is a great reason to buy your own gear and buy locally. If buying local matters, Atomic is also made in Huntington Beach. You're going to pay a premium for the Atomic regulators, but if supporting local businesses matters to you, then you are able to buy regulators and a BC that are all made within 20 miles of where you live....

Deep Sea Supply is a manufacturer, but you can call Tobin and pop in for direct sales from him and he's a super cool guy.