Dive Travel: Bring or Rent?

[John_B]

But it took a lot of work to get everything into 50lb suitcases and with more and more of the family now diving, its more stuff than ever. I'm beginning to think the most important piece of gear when traveling is a scale!

Don't forget that wet gear weighs more for the trip home. If you are already that close to 50 lbs, make sure you take that last day to dry out the neoprene gear (wetsuits, wings/BCs, etc.) as much as you can.

 

[shortfin]

We always bring our own, and pay all of the associated extra/overweight baggage charges (especially when toting camera/video gear, too. What stinks is when the bags don't arrive when we do, and then we still end up using rental gear. It's NEVER been a good experience when that happens. We have begun to choose our destinations accordingly -- avoiding those that require connections on tiny planes with less cargo space for baggage.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Bring it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I always bring my own as well. I know that my gear has been cared for plus I know where everything is. Not to mention that I'm a germ freak and the whole "shared" rental regulator thing...

 

[bane51031]

We pack our own gear, we bring the absolute minimum to conserve weight, My wife and I's BCD's,wetsuits,fins,mask etc. all fit into one bag and the regs./computers go into a carry on Backpack. We rent tanks and weights and seems to work out okay.
It takes alittle planning but, we bought our gear to use and I am not very trusting in rental gear as all diveshops are not the same.......

 

[DiverBizz]

I always bring my mask, fins, reg., computer, and camera. I have brought my BC and wetsuit as well. I leave my weights and tank. They sell travel BCs but I have not and, unless someone gives me their travel BC, will not purchase one. I like knowing that what I am diving with is clean of yucky germs, safe and reliable. I just make choose to pack fewer other things to fit my dive stuff. I even took it on a cruise with me knowing I was only going to be diving one day.

 

[CNicoll]

Thanks for this. I don't think I fully appreciated the thinking behind 'travel' gear (Wrist Computers, streamlined BC's, etc) when we first purchased our gear. With three of us diving now I will probably get another Akonos <10lbs bag (or something else - I saw a packpack that looked pretty neat) and that hopefully should do it for the three of us. I was (barely) able to get 2 BC's (Seaquest Malibu and Balance), 2 sets of: 3 mil hooded vests, masks/snorkels, gloves, safety sausages, boots, etc in the Akonos bag, and we were at 40 lbs. We also carry on the reg/SPG/Computer sets (If the luggage does not make it, at least the regs and dive computers will!).

 

[John_B]

We also carry on the reg/SPG/Computer sets (If the luggage does not make it, at least the regs and dive computers will!).

Great thinking! Don't forget to include your masks if anyone in your group has prescriptions lenses or a hard-to-fit face. And don't carry on so much scuba gear that you don't have at least one change of clothes with you at all times.

 

[diver 85]

Do you travel light or haul your gear all over the world?

I've perused the various threads and there seems to be a persistent favortism towards bringing your own gear on dive trips (requiring a flight). I like having control over my life control system (reg and computer), but see many divers renting full gear (and traveling very light!)

We've done two dive trips and on both brought what we had for gear. Each trip involved a significant portion of our luggage and carry-ons devoted to dive equipment. On the first trip my older son's rental BC autoinflator constantly jammed in the open position (not fun at 30 feet) on one dive so he took to orally inflating when he needed to. For the second trip we had bought him a BC and all we rented were tanks, neoprene and weights. However my youngest son (newly minted diver) rented all of his gear, which looked a bit like it came from the 1990's but really had no performance issues whatsoever

So what is the verdict? Bring or rent?

Bring---why pay for something(possibly inferior) you already own(probalby superior)....

 

[Capt Scotty]

You paid for, your use to, take it with you. Its clean and maintained.