Some questions - Renting and Buddies

[Brimstone]

Hi all! I have been interested in getting dive (OW) certified for a long time, but it has just never been a priority. I started considering it again because I will be in the Virgin Islands in May and it started me thinking. I don't have the free time to get certified before I go, but there are lots of great snorkeling opportunities. I am just doing some research now to see if I want to get certified when I get back.

My biggest questions are on equipment and dive buddies. I have a couple of dive sites local, but most of my dives would be in Florida/Caribbean. What would I be looking at for equipment I would want to buy and travel with and what would I want to rent locally? My other question is about a dive buddy. I travel a lot on business to tropical locales, but I am alone. What would my dive opportunities be?

Thanks all. I have enjoyed reading through the forums.

 

[TMHeimer]

Equipment: My advice is to buy everything and take as much of it as you can to the tropics. The only thing I didn't take on my one tropical trip was tanks (I took weights as you don't need much without a thick wetsuit, but many advise to rent weights when you get there).

Buddies: On charter boats there is almost never a problem getting buddied up. Maybe with the divemaster if you're the odd man out, or as a threesome, etc. It varies, and a good idea to ask anyway before you go. Also, ask the dive operation about buddies for shore dives at the location. This would be the same situation for other boats, such as in Florida, for example.

 

[Scuba-dan]

I would recommend you buy your equipment for a couple reasons. Having your own gear will push you more to go diving. When going down south, I trust my equipment and know the sound its suppose to make, its maintained regularly and bottom line I trust it. Now I do to place like Mexico, DR, Cuba so places like I'm not sure about the rental. But that's me. I too bring everything with me with the exception of tanks and weight. For my case the weights are always included with the dive.

As for buddies like TMHeimer mentioned I've been the odd man out and I simply teamed up with the DM and that's good thing since he showed me lots of neat fish that were hiding which other did not see as they were looking at other things.

 

[chrpai]

I'd take it one step at a time....

1) I know you said you don't have much free time, but see if you can't at least squeeze in the classroom and pool work locally before your trip in May. It's not that much time frankly.

2) Do a referral course in the Virgin Islands to get your O/W certification. Use rental gear for both #1 and #2.

3) Take the time to decide if diving was everything you thought it would be and if you decide to continue do a lot of research on equipment choices. There is a lot more choices then what you are likely to be exposed to in #1 and #2.

4) If you choose, move onto buying a complete set of gear.

5) Make the money you spent on gear worthwhile. Dive often locally. You'll make friends and have a list of buddies in no time. You'll develop your skills and comfort in the water and be ready for fun on those tropical business trips. You'll find buddies there also and it won't matter if they are the best buddies or not because you'll have developed self reliant skills.

 

[TMHeimer]

I agree with all chrpai says. I knew that I would be finishing the OW course, as I had snorkelled for 40 years, so I bought all the stuff right away, some before I was certified. If you are not sure you will like diving perhaps renting is a good idea at first. I wouldn't do that very long, as it is costly. Also of course, it helps a lot to have your own stuff as you get used to it-- no surprises except needed repairs.

 

[dfx]

Let me represent the flip side here and suggest that you start by renting first. Why? Because you wouldn't know what you want without having rented first. Make a point out of renting different kinds of stuff (different makes/models) from different places and get a feel for what you like and what you hate. Once you know what you want, you can look into buying.

 

[TSandM]

I agree with the person who says to do your classroom and pool work at home, and do your OW dives on your trip. We dove the Virgin Islands a few years back, and had a really good time. Most of the diving was absolutely suitable for a beginner, and there were a lot of cool things to see. HERE's the report from that trip.

As far as owning or renting gear goes, it really depends on how much you are going to dive. I don't know what options you have for diving locally in Utah (although I know there's a GUE instructor there, so there must be some!). If you buy your gear, you are much more likely to dive often at home, which makes you a better and more confident diver. If you are only going to dive on trips, you will likely not do enough diving to get the biggest benefit of owning your equipment, which is being extremely familiar with it. In that case, only buying something like your own computer (which you can learn, and which also can become your dive log) and your own exposure protection (which has to fit to work) might be worthwhile.

 

[fjpatrum]

I bought all my gear. I leave tanks and weights home when I travel by plane. Sometimes when I travel by car. I've never been charged to rent weights anywhere I've been so far. If you're paying for a boat dive, tanks and weights are generally included. Even if they're not, no one on the boat is going to say you can't dive because you didn't pay for your 4 pounds of weight. I have asked to make sure there was weight available for me, though, especially on small boats.

All my buddies are "insta buddies". I've only dived with 2 people more than once. One of them is my brother whom I went on a week long trip with last spring and the other is a guy I've dived with 3 times now, at the local quarry.

I did my classroom work while on business travel and intended to do my dives that way too, but ended up doing my dives as a referral when home (opposite of the normal process, I guess). It worked out great for me because I was fully certified for my next vacation (to Kona, HI) and I got to do some great dives. Doing your classroom and pool work at home before vacation makes good sense so you're not spending a lot of vacation/travel time on your class work and you can really enjoy your vacation. It will also give you more time to ask questions and really learn the material, rather than feeling rushed so you can get to the pretty fishes.

 

[Steve_C]

I dive some along with business travel (Cancun, Vancouver, San Diego, Greece, Hawaii,Florida). But not all diving is the same. For example, diving in a fiord near Vancouver in 49 degree water is totally different from diving in Cancun or St. Thomas. If I am going down to the Keys I will bring everything but tanks and weights. For other cases where there will be just a day or two of diving I just bring what I consider the essentials. Namely my prescription masks (2), regulators, dive computers (2), camera, cutting tool, flashlight, and hood/beanie and gloves appropriate for the water. Also SMB if drift dives are in the picture. I want to know what connects me to the air is high quality and I want to be familiar with the gauges. I will rent everything else. Gear rental is very cheap.

Car rental is expensive for just a day of diving so it is often possible to arrange something better. In both Vancouver and San Diego I arranged for a DM (who was actually an instructor) to pick me up at Hotel, get me all the needed gear, take me shore diving, return me to hotel, and take care of the gear afterwards. This was ballpark cost the same as an offshore charter. Dive tailored to your experience and needs.

 

[diverrex]

You will find many here on SB recommend buying all your own gear and if you were to get into scuba seriously such as diving locally or taking multiply trips per year then I would agree. But if you are only to dive infrequently and for 1 or 2 days on business trips then it would be reasonable to rent some of your gear. I'd probably have a mask and computer for sure (small and light to carry, not that pricey) and maybe a regulator. Just know that not all dive shops are the same at dive locations. I wouldn't go to just any of them and expect them to rent good gear but most popular dive locations have at least one quality dive op (often a little more expensive) that likely will have good gear. For casual tropical diving most anything decent will get the job done.