Estimated rental gear cost?

[TheAlpha]

Alright, I am in the process of getting certified right now (SSI, is this as good as the others?). I was wondering what the average cost for rental gear would be in the Michigan area, if that matters. I currently only have fins, mask, and snorkel. And what would I be looking at for a "nice" complete set of gear. I understande these are general questions but any input would be great. Thanks.

 

[Marek K]

Alright, I am in the process of getting certified right now (SSI, is this as good as the others?). I was wondering what the average cost for rental gear would be in the Michigan area, if that matters. I currently only have fins, mask, and snorkel. And what would I be looking at for a "nice" complete set of gear. I understande these are general questions but any input would be great. Thanks.

Alpha--

You're liable to get a lot of views on this. Doing a seach here for previous threads might be interesting for you.

My wife, son, and I all did PADI certifications. We're getting ready to get our daughter certified through SSI -- more convenient, geographically. The curricula and standards between agencies are standardized and practically identical -- some minor differences, but not significant.

After you're certified, the certifications of every legitimate agency (of which SSI is certainly one) will be recognized -- worldwide.

But the biggest differences are indeed between instructors themselves. There are good ones and not-so-good ones in all the agencies. If you have a good one, great. If not, well... You're going to be the best judge of that... how comfortable are you with your instructor; how demanding he/she is; does he/she make you practice and re-do skills if necessary until you get them right, or just wave their hand and say "oh, that's good enough;" and like that.

You've got the basic gear you need for the Open Water Diver course -- mask, fins, and snorkel. It seems to depend on where you are, but everything else you need during that course -- to include your open-water dives -- should be provided for you. But you should know that by now.

After that, rental can be expensive. The up-side is, you can get an idea of what you like and don't like before you buy. But pretty soon, you're going to be doing some serious cost-vs.-benefit analyses regarding renting vs. buying.

Buying ain't cheap, either. You're going to get as many opinions here as there are types and brands of equipment. (Do some more forum searches!) Sift through all the information, take all of it with a grain of salt, and start making your decisions slowly. You certainly don't have to -- and shouldn't -- buy all your gear at the same time. What you buy, and how much it costs, is going to depend in large measure on how/where you dive, and where you think you're heading in your diving.

You're gonna love it. Ask questions, and stand-by for more opinions from others!

--Marek

 

[TheAlpha]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have a couple instructors as o right now, one being Tom Degrow. He is a Platinum 5000 Diver and one of the nicest guys I have ever met, not to mention a great instructor from what I have heard. He owns a shop in Midland in which I have been shopping around. The other instructors to whom I have forgot there names seen pretty laid back, but not push overs. I think all is going to work out well.

 

[cmalinowski]

As Marek said, with the exception of fins, mask, and snorkel (and sometimes weight belt), the instructing org/store usually provides the rest.

Take the opportunity to use different brands or models of equipment and maybe even different sizes to find out what you need and what fits you. Using the same regulator over and over (unless that is all that they have) may not help you figure out what works best for you and what the differences are between items that you like and dislike. That will help later when you go to purchase stuff.

Chris

 

[JimC]

A full set of rental gear in my area will run you around $50 for the day and includes 2 full tanks of air.

There are often weekend specials, long weekend specials, frequent renter deals and club deals which can significantly lower the costs.

For instance one store has a club that costs $50 to join. It includes 2 free rentals and a 20% discount on any further rentals - a great deal if your renting.


Buying your own stuff will cost some bucks. Anywhere from $1000 dollars worth of previously enjoyed stuff to basicaly whatever you want to pay.

 

[mike_s]

Typical gear costs that I've seen are:

(per day)
Regultaor set: $10-$15
BC set: $10-$15
Wet suit: $5 -$15
weights/belt $5
Air Tanks $5-$8 (with first air fill)

Some places will "combo" items and you can get BC/regulator for $25(+/-) for a day or maybe add in a wet suit for $30(+/-) per day.

By the way, most "local" dive shops don't like renting weights and consider that "personal gear". However if you are in a "fly in" destination, they are usually
included in the price of the charter at the destination or easily rented as people
typically don't "fly" with weights. Tanks are often included with price of boat divees in tropical locations for the same reason.

For more exact prices in your area, check the web pages of your local dive shops as they often put this information on their web sites.

-mike

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The shop I used to work for charged $30 for regulator, BC, wetsuit, hood and boots, weight and single tank. Each additional day was $15.

 

[steve2281]

Like the other posters stated, $30-$50 per day for a full set; some shops give you a break if you sign up for a boat trip. My OPW instructor let me borrow gear (free) for a few local quarry trips and tag along on cert dives for other classes; something like that might be a option. PLEASE, take your time and do your research before buying gear. Most all divers have made purchases that they wish they could take back. This board is a good place for info. Talk to other divers with interests similar to you own. Nothing wrong with renting or borrowing for a little while. good luck steve

 

[kazinvan]

Cost is usually more if you need a drysuit (which I do up in Canada). I paid $575 for 6-month unlimited rental. Not a bad deal if you plan to go a few times.

Mike