Rental equipment quality

[iScream]

Hi everybody,

New here and I've been reading as much I can but haven't run across the answer to this yet. Please forgive me if it's a FAQ.

My wife and I just got our open water certification back in October and we're planning a trip to Cozumel right around Memorial Day. We both have masks, fins and snorkels which we used for our cert dives and we're happy with. But we aren't sure what additional equipment we should buy before our trip. Especially when it comes to regulators.

We got started with all this by doing a PADI discovery dive last year in Key Largo. We enjoyed everything about it and were pretty much hooked after that. But the regulators we rented from the dive shop bothered both of us. When we were face down in the water they breathed really easy but when facing forward it felt like it required effort to pull air from the regs.

During our pool training and open water check dives at a local rock quarry the regs we used breathed much easier, regardless of orientation, so now we just don't know what to expect from rental equipment.

If our experience with rental regulators in Key Largo is common we will go ahead and buy a 1st and 2nd stage, octopus and SPG for us both then rent a BCD and computer each. But if the regs you can rent from places like Aldora and BlueXTSea are good quality it would be nice to use that $2,000 to stay longer, do more dives, or both.

Any advice or experience will be very much appreciated.

-Chris

 

[NYCNaiad]

Before I bought my equipment, I rented from my home dive shop because:

1. I trusted them.

2. They offered solid rental equipment which they also said I could test out in their pool.

3. You are then using the same brand of equipment for all of your dives until you buy your own. This not only makes you more comfortable diving, but is also better from a safety perspective because after diving with it on multiple trips you know how everything works in an emergency.

4. They offered a percentage of all rental fees towards future purchases. I ended up getting 30% off and they again let me test out the purchases in the pool as well as provided full support for all of the equipment. I even had a problem with one piece of equipment and they replaced it for me with no hassle.

It's annoying to have to bring equipment on your trips, but renting everything (e.g., regs, multiple computers--always good to have a safety computer with you if you can, bcd, etc.) worked really well for me. The only thing I had for my first number of trips was a mask, wet suit, skin (UV protection & makes it so much easier to get the suit on/off) and fins all of which are good for you to own out of the gate.

 

[mediumone]

LP has a very good price on a Genesis GS 2000 regulator right now - $159.00. Made by Sherwood, and I think that it's very, very underrated performer. It just doesn't have THAT NAME, you know. Twist the knob, and it breathes as easy at 120', as 30'.

 

[cvchief]

I would buy your own computer first. I did that and was familiar with it and all that. I knew how to use it and what it was saying to me. My OP provides free computers and explains them but that is hard to pick up right before a dive.

I would assume most any good Coz op would have decent reliable stuff. My Op, Scuba with Alison, uses Sherwoods and they worked well. Early on I was a REAL airhog and I found them not perfect deep at close to 100 feet WITH my sucking air. Regularly thoguh they were fine, NOT like your experience, and very reliable which is why she uses them. Once I had some time in and knew what I liked, I bought more equipment. Scuba Pro regs, because I like GOOD stuff. Used because I couldn't bring myself to pay for new one!!

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Most Highly rated shops in Cozumel have fine equipment. Aldora has all new Scuba Pro regs, and we provide free, easy to learn dive computers (Oceanic Veo).

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

 

[Skittl1321]

I would trust the equipment from Aldora and BlueXTSea, though I don't have experience with them.
I have used rentals from Scuba with Alison and Tres Pelicanos, and been very happy with both. (I had an issue with a TP regulator breathing hard, only after almost an hour of the dive, not an orientation or depth issue- quite honestly it might have been in my head, and switched to my buddies octo. The DM came over and tried it, wondering why i had switched when I wasn't low on air, and it was determined the issue was me, not the reg; I just want a really really easy breathing...the people on the forum who have dove with me know that I'm a "bit" prone to nervousness... But hey- their octo's were real nice and I wouldn't have been able to try that otherwise...) I would recommend their gear to anyone looking for a rental.

Alison's regs come with computers on them. We have our own, so we didn't look into if TP rents them, but I suspect they would. Computer would be the first piece of equipment I'd buy after mask/fins (and it was, since I have my own.)

Personally, I just don't dive enough to buy my own gear.

 

[halocline]

LP has a very good price on a Genesis GS 2000 regulator right now - $159.00. Made by Sherwood, and I think that it's very, very underrated performer. It just doesn't have THAT NAME, you know. Twist the knob, and it breathes as easy at 120', as 30'.

Don't buy that regulator. I've worked on them. It has a weird schrader valve in the first stage that's supposed to be replaced every service. There are way better choices.

I suggest that you rent on this trip, both Aldora and BlueXTsea are high end dive ops with good reputations. You'll probably find the rental gear to be perfectly adequate. Get some dive experience before you commit to buying expensive dive gear so you have a better idea of what you like. The regulator is not really a critical choice, BTW; there are many excellent ones and they all more-or-less do the same thing. The only real mistake you can make (other than spending more than necessary) is to get something that's trouble to service (like the genesis with the dumb inflator valve for the ambient chamber), or has a DIN connection when you're using yoke tanks.

Much more important for your dive enjoyment would be getting excellent fitting wetsuits if you don't already have them, and a BC system that makes sense and is appropriate for the type of diving you do. But I would not buy a BC until you've had a chance to try out both a rigid backplate/wing set up and a few different soft BCs, back inflate and jackets. They really do feel different in the water.

So, maybe go for wetsuits now, a wrist computer if you want, but keep in mind that it's very easy to spend way more than necessary on a computer. All you need is nitrox, NDL info, an ascent alarm, and easy-to-read N2 loading data (usually in a bar graph) and basically all computers have those features. Avoid air integrated unless you enjoy spending extra money for little-to-no added dive enjoyment.

The regulator you rent may have a computer console on it as well, and that will work fine, but to me it's more cumbersome to have to look at a console for depth/time info. And you want to use the same computer for an entire week so that you can track all your dives. This means you might be tied to the same regulator. Even though you're likely to completely off gas before the next morning if you're only doing 2 dives in the morning each day, if you get into any sort of bad profile management (easy being a new diver) or do some afternoon or night dives, it's much better to have one computer tracking your entire week.

 

[kolson]

I was in Cozumel last month on a cruise and booked a 2 tank dive through the ship's excursion desk. Did not have any problem with the rental regulator or BC. The BC was a little worn with age but it worked. I had my own regulator but the connection would not fit their BC so I had to use their regulator also. I have just ordered a BC so I will have all my own equipment from now on.

 

[Christi]

Blue XT~Sea has purchased brand new gear this year and more is on the way next week. Our rental gear consists of Scubapro, Sherwood, Genesis and Cressi

I do always highly encourage and recommend that divers purchase their own mask, fins, wetsuit and computer as these are considered personal items. Although we do have computers for rent (including some new ones on the way) - to ensure accuracy and consistent profile readings of YOUR diving - this is something that divers should purchase. Gone are the days of no affordable dive computer options. It is easy to find a well made reliable nitrox compatible computer these days for under $300usd. it's not necessary (nor do I even recommend) the air integrated or wireless computers - I see them fail on a very regular basis. A good "old fashioned" wrist computer or console computer that is nitrox compatible in case you get nitrox certified in the future is truly all you need.

 

[Brules]

Definitely use rental gear. Blue XTSeas is VERY well maintained (dove with them in June, I was impressed by what I saw). Use that $ for more dives!

As new divers you wont be doing any of the more difficult sites, so I would rent a comp or use a pressure gauge. The DM's will keep you well within limits and still get you max bottom time with either of the 2 ops you mentioned.

I dove with Christi in June and had some of the best dives in 20 years of going to Coz. We regularly were hitting 70-89 minutes on air on AL80 tanks (as the last ones out of the water).

Again, save your $, experience dif equipment and do more and more dives your 1st trip!