Save the Travel Hassle and Rent Your Dive Gear?

There's a feeling of superiority by those who travel only with a carry-on and speed past the baggage reclaim belt and out of the airport while others wait anxiously to see if their bags arrive safely. But, when it comes to divers, the only one we know who could ever get away with such a thing is Harvey S. Cohen (Middletown, NJ), who told us that even these days, he still does what we reported him doing in 2010:

"I save weight and packing space by wearing my BCD on the plane - I dive all over the world, and it's never been a problem. And my SeaLife DC2000 camera, flash, video light, mask, and lithium batteries fit nicely into a soft-side 4-wheel carry-on suitcase."

But he still checks one bag; "My Curacao Clipper rolling duffle accommodates the remaining dive gear and clothes with room to spare and typically weighs less than 40 pounds."

If he discontinues his underwater photography, he could make a three-flight stop to Indonesia and skip baggage claim.

For the rest of us, traveling with bags is no easy slog, but some, such as Alma Howell (Prescott, AZ), have concluded it's better to travel light and rent their gear at the destination. "We've lugged our bags through airports and security and had no issues. But as we've aged, we decided to rent everything but our masks, fins, thermal skins, computers, and snorkels. The rental gear - regulators and BCs - have been very adequate, though we always have to get up to speed on new equipment, which is a minor inconvenience."

For some divers, rental is worth considering. You could almost limit yourself to a carry-on because you don't need many garments at a sunny, warm water destination when you're making three dives a day.

David Jackson (Oakland, CA) told us he brings a few essential items that don't weigh much - his dive computer, wetsuit, and mask with prescription lenses. "I rent everything else."

However, these divers were in the minority of respondents to our emailed question about whether renting dive equipment is a better solution than toting heavy gear and paying excess baggage charges. After all, it certainly absolves you of those anxious moments at the baggage carousel, wondering if your precious dive bag went to La Paz, Bolivia rather than La Paz, Mexico, or Panama City, Panama, rather than Panama City, FL. It does happen.

But there's an easy any answer for tracking your bags, as David H. Vickery (Pine Brook, NJ), a security expert, tells us. "Schlepping your stuff through the airport is a pain, so we put Apple Air Tags on them and check every so often." At least, then, you'll know where your bags have gone.

Compared to the half dozen or so readers who told us they rent most of their gear at their destination, more than 50 who own their gear would never think of renting their major gear, and for good reasons.

Quality of Gear and Maintenance

Before one arrives at a destination, it's difficult to know the rental dive gear quality and whether it's been maintained. Just because a website says, they only rent Scubapro or Tusa or Mares, you don't know if it's their least expensive models, how old they are, if the dive center have invisible damage, or whether they've even changed O-rings. For most problems, you won't know until you're in the water. One might expect to find good gear on an Aggressor, but what about that little eightroom resort on an isolated Indonesian island?

After booking a distant trip requiring three airline connections, Jeff Robertson (Sacramento, CA) decided to rent gear instead of schlepping it and risking missing a connection. Unfortunately, his selected dive center, which promised a full range of premium diver gear, did not live up to its promise.

"I'm 6 feet tall and 210 pounds but can generally wear clothes off the rack - the same with dive gear. However, at my destination, the too-small 5 mm wetsuit was difficult to put on; the only large BC available wasn't weight-integrated, which I prefer, so I was given a weight belt and a pair of snorkeling fins. Certainly not what I expected. Never again."

Carly Bradley, from Oakland, CA, spelled out her objections to renting dive equipment.

"Number one, lack of maintenance. I have never been to a dive shop where I was impressed with the gear maintenance. I constantly see large leaks, cracking hoses, dirty filters, and rough-breathing gear. I witnessed someone with a rented regulator drop under the water, and the second stage was breathing wet; they switched to the backup, only to find it frozen solid. Two experienced technicians who witnessed it told me the scenario was [thought to be] 'impossible,' and yet, it did happen. I was told the lever was stuck to the purge valve due to a lack of maintenance.

"Number two, the lack of quality of gear and ease of use. Most gear I see used when we travel is old and of lower quality."

Harvey S. Cohen, the BCD traveler, says: "The service history of rental gear is a big question mark. I maintain my gear carefully, know precisely where everything is located and how it operates, and I'm sure everything fits me properly. And my wetsuit has a relief zipper!"

Well, it's unlikely you'll find a rental wetsuit with a relief zipper, which you might want to thing about before you put on a rental that someone else wore yesterday.

Does It Fit You Properly?

Fit for a wetsuit is essential. Divers come in different shapes and sizes, big and small, and nothing is worse than diving with a suit with water sloshing around inside - unless it's a suit that's too tight and strangles you.

Susan Morton (New York, NY) "wears a 5mm full suit, which many dive shops in tropical areas don't carry...... but as a small woman of less than 120 pounds, I need the warmth."

Russell Person (Bakersfield, CA) is at the other end of that spectrum. "I am 6 feet, 6inches and weigh 250 pounds, so a wetsuit rental doesn't always fit very well."

BCs also need to fit correctly. Kathy Coyle (East Windsor, NJ) wrote, "I need my own BC because I have body shape issues. I have a very short torso but a large bust. I use a U.S. Divers Rogue, which allows different parts of different sizes to be adjusted. With assistance from my dive shop, I was able to find a good fit."

Susan Morton (New York, NY) wouldn't rent a BC "because I am quite a small size (XS), and BCs I've rented that are labeled XS are still too big. When I inflate the BC underwater, the armholes rise to my ears, and I have to keep pulling it down so I can't dive normally."

Prescription Masks are Irreplaceable

One item you'll be unable to rent or probably even buy at your dive destination is an appropriate prescription mask.

Undercurrent's Senior Editor, John Bantin, once arrived at a remote destination only to discover that his prescription lens mask frame had broken in transit, rendering it useless. He struck lucky when he discovered a group of diving German opticians on the island, and among the many masks they carried, one was his brand so that he could transfer his lenses. He continued to dive for years afterward with his 'lucky' pink mask.

And a related tip from Mary Wicksten (Bryan, TX), who notes you can't rent or even buy contact lenses where you are headed, so carry a spare pair. "Guess what happens if they come loose underwater?"

Knowing Your Kit Works Properly

Then there's the lack of confidence you may have when you rent unfamiliar gear. "Knowing your own equipment," says Joel Hirsh (Ridgefield, CT), "far outweighs the hassle and possible baggage charges for heavy bags."

Richard Mertz (Mount Pleasant, SC) echoes this, "My wife and I dive side-mount. A small backpack easily carries a harness, regulator, and prescription mask. We pack boots, wetsuits, fins, lights, SMB, and spare parts in checked luggage, and, if lost, can be rented. We have not enjoyed using rental gear or diving with a tank on our backs. If we can't use our own gear, we don't dive."

José Truda Palazzo, Jr. (Salvador de Bahia, Brazil) says, "Perhaps, most importantly, we maintain our own gear and are confident that it gives us the best safety possible. In some developing country dive shops, the equipment is not always the best."

Many people won't rent regulators, noting that an inadequate air supply or a wet breather will ruin any dive, as will faulty pressure gauges or wonky hoses.

Doreen Anderson (Edmonton, Canada) dived with another diver who, with rented gear, ran out of air quickly and needed to share. "Underwater, he approached his dive guide, pointed to his air gauge, and shrugged his shoulders to ask why his gauge continued to read so high. The guide banged the gauge against his tank, and the needle dropped low. It was a faulty gauge," and he was out of air.

Familiarity Can be Life-Saving

If you're unfamiliar with your dive computer display, you may not know what it's telling you, and that's a serious risk when renting a different computer than your own. Too often, dive guides see divers who don't realize when their computer has switched from no-stop diving to displaying mandatory decompression stops - even with computers they own!

Familiarity with gear and muscle memory are essential when it comes to a quick response. Gina Sanfilippo (Oakland, CA) points out, "I'm familiar with my own gear, so in case of emergency, I don't have to think - I just act."

What Does Renting Cost?

While some divers believe it's cheaper to rent gear than pay excess baggage charges, it's often not the case. Say Bryan Gilham (Portland, OR): "We usually go to destinations for at least a week; the luggage charges are often equal to renting whatever the dive shop has available. And rental gear is often abused by previous renters. Our gear is safer.

When you're traveling on small inter-island flights, the charges can get extraordinary, but Eric May (Barrie, Ontario) negotiated. "Usually, excess baggage fees are not too bad, but on a flight from Fiji to the Banda Sea area, the small airline wanted an astronomical price for the luggage because of its weight. We talked to a supervisor and got the fee reduced. Renting [our dive equipment] might have been the better option."

David Hollabaugh (Fulton, MO) neatly summarized what most of you had concluded. "My wife and I always dive with our own gear for the following reasons:

Familiarity - In a stressful situation, there is never any confusion about where the BC power inflate and deflate buttons are.

Fit - I am thin and chill easily. I like having a wetsuit that I know will fit me perfectly.

Maintenance - I know when my regs were last serviced and who did it.

Prescription mask - No explanation required. And finally, faulty rental gear - I've seen more leaking regulators and BCs than I can count.

As for checked bag fees - they are typically a small percentage of the overall cost of a dive trip."

So, there you have it - an overwhelming vote for traveling with your own dive equipment.

Harvey S. Cohen, the BCD traveler, wryly observed, "It's ironic that in an Undercurrent email, you write, 'Before your next dive trip, get your regulator serviced, check that your BC inflates and holds the inflation overnight, make sure your computer (and transmitter) has a fresh battery, and verify that your dive light didn't flood the last time you used it. Put spare fins and mask straps in your dive bag and ensure any O-rings subject to movement when tightened down are lightly greased.' ... and then ask whether it's better to bring gear or rent."

You're right, Harvey. We wouldn't dive with rented gear except in an emergency. We won't ask again.

- Ben Davison