rent or buy BC/reg for vacation diver?

[s.s.seafan]

Hi,

I have been using rental gear for BC and reg. I'd like to have my own gear, but I would only get to dive once a year (for 5-7 days) on vacation at best, I wonder if it's still a good idea, as I read about the maintenance of the gear, if I let it sit in the closet for a year before I use it, is there a bigger chance of malfunction than the rental gear which are used and checked everyday? Is it more likely the gear would rust etc when not used and checked frequently?

thanks,

Jason

 

[imwright1985]

Your looking at 500 for bc, 500 for reg set, then about 100 a year in maintnance. i say rent unless you are going to have it a very long time or plan on getting more dives in
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[donhealy]

Also add $400-$1000 for a computer. Same advise - rent.

 

[gypsyjim]

I rented for quite a few years, until I finally got to where I began diving more often. Then my regs were my first new purchase, and I actually picked up a used rent BCD shortly after that, and that BCD is still in my family, and being used regularly.

Renting also allows you to experience various styles, and brands, before you spend a lot of $$$.

 

[s.s.seafan]

Your looking at 500 for bc, 500 for reg set, then about 100 a year in maintnance. i say rent unless you are going to have it a very long time or plan on getting more dives in
=

I didn't know there would be $100 for maintance needed every year - is that for BC or regulator?

 

[donhealy]

Depending on the regulator you will need annual maintenance. My Atomic B-2 requires every two years or 200 dives. Figure $100 a year. That includes your octo as well.

If you really want to buy gear you should visit your LDS and inquire about ued gear being sold on consignment. The LDS usually has gone though the gear. At the very least you can get a good deal and they can service it for you before you use it.

 

[Mossman]

Both, to be perfectly compliant with most manufacturer's recommendations, though you can probably skip annual BC service if you take good care of it.

The $100 is a conservative number posted by someone in S. Florida where there's a dive shop on every block. Where there's less competition, or depending on the regs in question, annual service can be pricier. My most local shop charges too much and I'd have to drive an hour or so to the next closest Atomic service tech, so I chose to ship our regs and BCs for service the last time. Cost was $90 for service on each reg ($30 per stage) plus parts ($42.40 total) = $132.40 per reg. Fortunately Atomics only require service every two years. They charged an additional $30 for each BC. Plus shipping costs each way. Service was excellent and those prices, including shipping, are less than what my local shop would have charged so I deemed them reasonable.

I agree with those who say to rent gear in your case. There's a definite benefit to owning one's gear, the familiarity that comes with ownership (but only after more diving than you'd be doing every year) and the ability to buy and use higher-quality gear (which, of course, comes with a higher price tag) and obtain features not usually available in rentals like weight-integration on the BCs. But besides the cost, there's the maintenance and storage after each dive trip, and the pain of traveling with the gear especially in light of ever-dwindling baggage allowances on commercial airlines. Unless you have money to burn and the benefits of ownership would outweigh the hassles, definitely rent.

 

[eelnoraa]

Do a estimate on how many time you dive each year and what the approximate rental fee will be. If rental fee for your usage is more or less equal to the maintainace cost, then it makes no sense to buy. In you case, rental is better

 

[g1138]

I second what eelnoraa said.

Let me explain what the annual service consists of:
Annual service is a preventative measure to make sure your gear is tuned up and all worn parts are replaced.

I dive a lot and service my reg annually. I also send my computer in to check it and clear out any grit that's stuck under the buttons.
Without my free parts warranty, the total cost would be at least $100. You usually pay for a service fee at the very least, then fees for any parts that had to be replaced (unless covered under warranty).

To keep your warranty for free parts or replacement of defective parts you'll need to service your equipment according to your manufacturer's specifications. This can be yearly or every 2 years. Read your manual(s) to figure this out.

- Some members on the board swear by annual service regardless of yearly use.
- Others go by the thought that you should service based on use, more or less.
ie. If you dive only 5 times a year, you can probably skip annual servicing (which would void some warranties), and service every 2 years.
However those members also state that you should know how to check your own gear to spot any malfunctions. As well as knowing how to detect malfunctions during your dive.
Turnaround time for servicing gear can take 2-4weeks.

With my BC I don't service it, unless it needs repair. The only things that need to be serviced on a BC are the bladder and the inflator. If the inflator is malfunctioning, it's usually cheaper to just buy a new inflator and replace it yourself. (All it takes is scissors, a ziptie, and sometimes a tiny punch/toothpick)
If the bladder is leaking then you can take it in for service.
Both of these things can be spotted easily.
- Just plug in your inflator to a tank and give it a test.
- For the bladder, inflate your BC as far as it will go and let it sit overnight. If the bladder isn't as rigid and full as you left it, then you have a leak.


As for storing you gear, if it's sitting in a nice climate controlled room such as your bed room, it should be fine. If it's in your garage, public storage, or an attic, it may begin to wear due to exposure.
At the very least you should check your gear before any dive trip, and then check it again during your buddy check. If you want to check it at intervals during the year regardless of whether you're diving or not then all the more to you.
The point is if you find something wrong during your check you should definitely service it.

 

[jameseg]

Cost is an issue, but comfort and safety are too. For the first 20 years as a diver, I rented. Then, on two successive dive trips, my wife and I ended up with faulty gear - a broken depth gauge in both cases. And we only barely knew how to use the computers that came with the reg setups on one of those occassions. After the second time, we decided to buy our own gear. I love having gear that fits perfectly, that I understand completely, and that I know is well serviced.

With the amount that we dive (1 or 2 trips per year), it's going to take quite a while to make financial sense over renting. Not to mention the added hassle of transporting 50 lbs of gear on vacation. But I think it's worth it for the peace of mind.

Our gear costs were lower than what was mentioned above. We started with the Aqualung "essential" package from our LDS, which includes a nice, basic computer, the Zoop. They let us upgrade the BC and octo to better models for just the incremental cost. So with a wetsuit purchased online, we ended up with gear we were really happy with for about $1,200 or so each.

The idea of shopping used is a great one - particularly for items like wetsuits or BCDs that have relatively few wear parts. Also check out gear packages from your LDS or online, as we did.

James