Variability in Scuba Equipment rental prices

[Seadog83]

Perhaps I've been spoiled, but the vast majority of time's I've gone diving, the gear has simply been included, this is largely SE Asia, a bit in the Med, Great barrier reef, a bit in Africa, and Central America. There may have been a token charge, but small enough that I didn't remember or care.

Anyways, I'm heading to FL over XMas for a cruise, and thought I'd stay a few days extra and thought about checking out the diving. I looked online, and two boat dives were like $65, reasonable enough, But then gear rental for the day was $65-$75 at the places I looked at. I looked up the local dive shop here, and even it was $60CAD (~45US)/day.

Frankly to me this is incredibly off-putting, I think more for the principle of it. It reminds me of a time in San Francisco wanting to rent a bike, and they were asking $40 a day, where you can rent a car worth 100x as much for less. To me, anything that you can recoup the entire cost after 10 days rental seems vastly overpriced. It would be like asking $1500/day to rent a hatchback, or $20k/night for a 3 br home.

Perhaps I am missing something huge, but if anyone could shed light on why this is I am quite curious. Is it simply what the market will bear? And my own gear isn't the issue, it's more that if I'm travelling for a long time, and diving only makes up less than 25% of it, I don't want the added hassle, expense, or risk of carrying gear around for all that time pointlessly.

 

[northernone]

I had sticker shock in Florida last year as well.

Upon reflection. I've noticed a few factors: nicer equipment, newer equipment, liability or just old fashioned gouging. Dive gear is expensive and rental gear gets abused. I think higher rental costs also are to encourage people to buy there own gear.

Perhaps reach out to a few more shops, prices vary wildly and sometimes an owner will make a package deal his sales person can't.

All the best in your trip planning.
Cameron

P s. I have a friend who shipped gear to themselves ahead of time and shipped it home again after, shipping was way less than rental fees in that case and less hassle then carrying it with you for the rest of the trip.

 

[TMHeimer]

When we snowbird to the FL panhandle (4weeks and counting), for $30-40 a shop there allows me to keep two of their tanks at the condo we rent. Then I just pay for air. But, we're there 2 months, so that's a fair bit of air. I would guess you're up the creek with most shop if you are only going to dive a few days there. You have to then consider baggage fees and trim down what you bring. That's a big topic on SB--I've HEARD of people wearing BCDs onto the plane.

 

[Neilwood]

Shops will price things at a certain price point for a reason. You will pay for it no matter whether it is included in your trip cost (as it appears to be from your experience on most trips) or whether you are paying at the shop.

What you get for that might vary though. If I am getting decent well maintained gear, I wouldn't mind paying to get it. If I am getting worn out wetsuits and regs that look like they are probably held together with bubblegum and hope, I would expect a smaller charge or none at all.

 

[2airishuman]

But then gear rental for the day was $65-$75 at the places I looked at. I looked up the local dive shop here, and even it was $60CAD (~45US)/day.

Shop around, prices vary.

Conch Republic, a favorite of many SBers, offers full gear for $35 a day, for example. That doesn't include cylinders, fills, or weights, which they include in the charter fee, which is $85 for a half day. I don't know if they include a computer.

 

[ScubaJill]

Perhaps I've been spoiled, but the vast majority of time's I've gone diving, the gear has simply been included, this is largely SE Asia, a bit in the Med, Great barrier reef, a bit in Africa, and Central America. There may have been a token charge, but small enough that I didn't remember or care.

Anyways, I'm heading to FL over XMas for a cruise, and thought I'd stay a few days extra and thought about checking out the diving. I looked online, and two boat dives were like $65, reasonable enough, But then gear rental for the day was $65-$75 at the places I looked at. I looked up the local dive shop here, and even it was $60CAD (~45US)/day.

Frankly to me this is incredibly off-putting, I think more for the principle of it. It reminds me of a time in San Francisco wanting to rent a bike, and they were asking $40 a day, where you can rent a car worth 100x as much for less. To me, anything that you can recoup the entire cost after 10 days rental seems vastly overpriced. It would be like asking $1500/day to rent a hatchback, or $20k/night for a 3 br home.

Perhaps I am missing something huge, but if anyone could shed light on why this is I am quite curious. Is it simply what the market will bear? And my own gear isn't the issue, it's more that if I'm travelling for a long time, and diving only makes up less than 25% of it, I don't want the added hassle, expense, or risk of carrying gear around for all that time pointlessly.

That's one of the reasons I started buying my own equipment. For the first 60 or 70 dives in the Caribbean, the equipment costs were a few dollars. Once I started diving in Florida and North Carolina, I was stuck paying up to $40 a day for equipment. I think U.S. shops see it as another revenue stream.

 

[Lorenzoid]

There are places in the world where the majority of divers rent their gear. I recall places in Indonesia that didn't even advertise separate prices for the dives and gear rental, only a single price that includes gear rental. Also, in some places the majority of the clientele are backpacker types for whom diving is part of a larger trip. In such places the prices are reasonable because, among other things, it's part of the routine--someone who needs rental gear is not an exception that they need to find time to deal with. The flow of divers is from the front desk, to the gear room, to the boat, and they have the routine down pat. Florida is not such a place. I believe most divers bring their own gear. (Some even bring their own tanks.) If a diver needs to rent gear, that is a deviation from the general routine or flow. Also, if you don't have your own gear in Florida, then perhaps the thinking is that you are a relatively well-heeled FL vacationer who has already budgeted for a hotel, rental car, etc., not a shoestring backpacker staying in a hostel/guesthouse.

 

[TMHeimer]

If you dive once/twice a year and not more than a week, renting may be the way to go, depending on the deal. If you plan to dive locally (or anywhere) more than that you're probably crazy to rent all the time. No matter where you rent, the costs in no time would equal buying good used stuff, plus you get used to your own stuff.
I always figured what northerone said--shops charge a lot for rent to get you to buy the stuff. If rent was in line with other things like cars then many more may just rent. Who knows?