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
Depends what gear you want to own. Here are the basics:
- Mask
- Fins
- Snorkel
- Regulators
- BCD
- Tanks
- Exposure suit (wetsuit, drysuit)
Owning your own mask, fins and snorkel makes sense. If your mask doesn't fit well it can make for a really bad dive experience. So long as you keep the mask out of direct sunlight and way from things which degrade the silicone/rubber skirt it should last a long time. Bad fitting fins can fall off or cause cramps. Also, fins can be a very personal thing. I know some people who swear by split fins and others who would never use split fins. Snorkel is cheap enough that buying makes more sense than renting.
So what we are really talk about is the other stuff on the list.
Regulators will require servicing. Even if you don't use them, the material will degrade over time. It is like a bicycle. Even if you don't ride it and just leave it in the basement, the tires will need to be changed; they will go brittle and crack. From a cost perspective, how much does it cost to rent regulators? How much does it cost to buy them and service them? In my area I can buy a descent set for $500 and it costs $100 a year to service them. I can rent the same set for $80 for 9 days. If I'm spending $80 a year to rent and $100 a year to service. It will cost me $20 more each year to own my own regulators PLUS the initial cost of the regulators ($500). I'll never recover the cost of the regulators.
On the other hand, have I had a bad experience with rental regulators? Maybe I'm willing to spend the extra money to have regulators I know I can trust. What if I want to get in the pool at home and practice? I'll have to pay to rent regulators. Additionally, if I own my own equipment, I am more likely to go diving locally and more frequently.
So cost wise, it might be better to rent but sometimes it is not just about the money.
BCD might cost me $300. Renting would be $60 for 9 days. I just have to clean the thing after each use with fresh water. Hang it to dry and keep it semi-inflated. My current BCD is 8 years old. If I take 8 * $60, I would have spent $480. I have spent $20 for maintenance (BCD cleaner once a year; some people just use mouthwash to flush it out). Buying the BCD made sense financially. I also got used to how it trims out and improved my buoyancy control. This made a lot of sense. However, the weight made it a bother if I was taking it on a plane for a trip. I'd spend 7 days in the Caribbean. With clothes for a week and other stuff, the BCD took up a lot of space and weight. Still, I think it is worth it.
Tanks are costly. You might find an AL80 tank for $140 and renting for 9 days is $40. So it looks like after 4 years, you'd be saving money. However, every year you'd need a visually inspection ($20) and every 5 years you'd need a hydrostatic test ($45). So in 5 years you'd spend $140 + 4*$20 + $45 owning or $265 and renting would be $200. Add to that, travelling with a tank is often too much bother. So if you are not diving locally a tank REALLY doesn't make a lot of sense. On the other hand, the next 5 years will still cost you $200 to rent owning will be 4*$20 + $45 or $125. After 10 years it would be cheaper to own than rent. Plus you can always sell the tank used for $75 and it is cheaper to own for 5 years.
Owning your own tank makes sense if you are diving a lot, using different size tanks, trimix, etc. At that point, you are probably spending a lot of money on scuba and you start collecting equipment like it is candy.
I bought my first tank because (a) I was diving local, (b) I was diving a lo, (c) it was on sale and (d) I found I was diving more if I always had a tank of air in the basement.
Fit for a wetsuit is very important. Often you can rent a wetsuit for $80 for 9 days. Buying versus renting will be around the same for you. Travelling with it could be a pain (coming home it is often damp/wet and weighs more) but a good fitting wetsuit can keep you a lot warmer.
Anything else you are considering buying versus renting? Are the costs different in your area? Are you travelling or diving local? If you go to a dive shop they are probably going to figure out some reason why buying is better than renting but they are in the business of selling you equipment and might be biased.