Wetsuits - Rental vs Personal

[abra_ca_dabra]

I just bought a brand new wetsuit off craigslist. Its a 5/3 and I paid $50. The wetsuit is marketed as a rental wetsuit. What is the difference between a wetsuit marketed as a rental and a wetsuit marketed for personal use? Also, as a follow up question, how do wetsuit manufacturers sell their rental suits? Are they vastly marked down from the prices posted on the internet?

For reference, this is the one I purchased: 5/3mm Rental Fullsuit
I am a firm believer in you get what you paid for, so I don't have a delusion of receiving a great deal. Also, I sincerely doubt the guy I bought if from lost much money on the deal.

 

[Pin83]

Typically rental suits are budget-focused suits. Since a store may purchase several dozen at a time, and they're used mainly by students and inexperienced divers (and probably get treated like anything rental), they get turned over fairly often...so cheap is important.

You usually see standard neoprene, rather than ultra-stretch premium stuff, and they're usually relatively feature-light. That said, they have to be built to a reasonable quality or they wouldn't last in a hire fleet.

For $50, you can't go wrong!

 

[emoreira]

Also a thing to consider, as in any used wetsuit, but worst, is that a rental wetsuit has been used by a lot of people, many of them for try scuba, and many many could have peed in it.

 

[chillyinCanada]

No, as I understand it she bought it brand new but was marketed as a rental suit. Think of it like a car purchased for personal use vs fleet.

 

[emoreira]

No, as I understand it she bought it brand new but was marketed as a rental suit. Think of it like a car purchased for personal use vs fleet.

You are right, I missunderstood the question.

 

[TravisD]

I suspect that "rental" in this case may mainly be due to the markings. On the product page you linked to, it says:

"Color-coded size markings on interior waterdam Size/mm markings on sleeve offer quick identification in rental programs"

Folks buying their own gear don't necessarily want or need to advertise the size, but for a rental you don't want to be digging around inside every suit to find the right size.

If it fits well and keeps you warm, that's what counts! Dive it until you're ready to move onto something else.

 

[bradmond]

Sounds like Levis's jeans, size is right there for everybody to see how big you are. Seems like a good deal at $50.