Dive Travel: Bring or Rent?

[SDAnderson]

Bring your own gear. Familiarity breeds comfort and, though some rental fleets are well maintained, they are subject to very hard use and many are disasters waiting to happen.

• You'll know how your own gear works. It takes awhile to adapt to each new piece of gear and during that phase you're not completely in control. With a little practice, you will be able to use your own gear with your eyes closed.
• You'll know how your own gear has been maintained. Of course, this presumes you actually maintain your gear.
• You'll know what disgusting diseases the last guy that chewed on the regulator or urinated in the wetsuit had.

Vacation divers that don't spend much time in the water can probably save a few dollars by renting and don't have to deal with the minor nuisance of traveling with their gear. Of course, they're probably not the divers best able to deal with a runaway inflator or a blown hose or a freeflow...how comfortable are you with a CESA?

 

[scubasassy]

Facing this question and I'm renting for the first time. Going with my husband to Belize and since he is not a diver and we will also be travelling on the mainland to explore the jungle I am just bringing my fins and mask for a few days diving. It's hard to leave my gear at home, but I have travelled with it in Thailand and it was a pain. I did get to leave it at a baggage check at the Bangkok airport for a while which helped. If Belize had a baggage check at their airport it would have been great.