Best rental equipment in LA?

[gsk3]

Hi guys,
My wife and I are once again headed to LA and will definitely be diving while there. Last time, we brought rented equipment from our local shop, which worked out very well (John at NESS rents great stuff). This time we'll likely only be diving for a day or two out of a two-week trip, so renting and bringing it along would be too expensive. We have most of our own gear, but need 1x Hyperstretch 7mm, and 2x reg+octo+SPG+depth gauge sets. Having used a disastrous rental reg in Bermuda once, I have no desire to rent bad regs. Also, the Hyperstretch wetsuit is critical to keeping my wife warm, as even Henderson Thermoprene doesn't fit her well enough to keep warm. Who do y'all recommend?
Thanks!

 

[JMdiver]

Where in LA are you going to be & where do you plan on diving?

John

 

[diverrex]

Not meaning to hijack this thread but I would also like to know if any So Cal shops rent Henderson Hyperstretch wetsuits. My wife so far is only a warm water diver, she hates thick neoprene suits. I figure if I could find her a 7mm hyperstretch to rent she might go for it. I doubt any shops in So Cal rent them though. Anybody know of one?

 

[orange_diver]

Ocean Adventures has good equipment, great service and, something often overlooked, excellent quality of air in their fills. i have no idea abt Henderson rentals specifically tho. ask for steve or joe. they're located on lincoln blvd near where it crosses with venice blvd. number is 310-578-9391. have fun diving out here.

 

[fnfalman]

First of all, MOST shops in the greater LA area will rent the full shebang (suit, hood, regulator setup including SPG, bc, weight and tank) for around $50/day. Some places also rent out computers and of course that cost slightly more than SPG.

However, I don't know of anybody that rents out the Hyperstretch. I do know that Eco Dive Center carries a large selection of Henderson and they "might" rent the Hyperstretch.

As far as disastrous experience with renting regulators in Bermuda, I'm not surprised. Let's face it, third world countries aren't all that safety conscious, if ya know what I mean. That won't be a problem with a shop in the greater LA area.

 

[gsk3]

Going to be in Sunland (on the inland side of LA), so have to drive to get pretty much anywhere. Going to take the Catalina Express out and do Avalon one day and then if we get in a second day it'll likely be a boat dive (the Peace perhaps?). Willing to drive a bit to rent good equipment.

 

[Empty V]

First of all, MOST shops in the greater LA area will rent the full shebang (suit, hood, regulator setup including SPG, bc, weight and tank) for around $50/day. Some places also rent out computers and of course that cost slightly more than SPG.

However, I don't know of anybody that rents out the Hyperstretch. I do know that Eco Dive Center carries a large selection of Henderson and they "might" rent the Hyperstretch.

As far as disastrous experience with renting regulators in Bermuda, I'm not surprised. Let's face it, third world countries aren't all that safety conscious, if ya know what I mean. That won't be a problem with a shop in the greater LA area.

All shops should rent all the gear you need including computers excluding snorkeling gear.

As far as saying that you won't get a bad reg in LA that's just not true. Any shop could have a reg that's not up to par due to sand, lack of or poor service which can cause bubbling or freeflows. When renting a reg at a shop you should always test it there. If they have a water bath at their filling station submerge both the 1st and 2nd stages while under pressure to make sure that there aren't any leaks. It only makes sense to see for yourself that it's working properly before you leave the shop. I'm sure it would be really frustrating to have to turn back after just getting wet from your first dive because you didn't exercise proper due diligence.

Billy

 

[gsk3]

First of all, MOST shops in the greater LA area will rent the full shebang (suit, hood, regulator setup including SPG, bc, weight and tank) for around $50/day. Some places also rent out computers and of course that cost slightly more than SPG.

However, I don't know of anybody that rents out the Hyperstretch. I do know that Eco Dive Center carries a large selection of Henderson and they "might" rent the Hyperstretch.

As far as disastrous experience with renting regulators in Bermuda, I'm not surprised. Let's face it, third world countries aren't all that safety conscious, if ya know what I mean. That won't be a problem with a shop in the greater LA area.

Hm. The Hyperstretch is the more important part.

By good regs, do you mean entry-level stuff that's in good condition, or higher-end stuff that's in good condition? We've mostly been renting DiveRite (RG2500) and Apekx (XTX50), and rather enjoy the good breathing.

 

[JMdiver]

gsk3 if you're going to Catalina you can rent gear there from one of 2 shops this way you're not lugging around all that gear. The closest shop to Sunland is either Sport Chalet in La Cresenta or if you're going on the Peace or the Spectre you can rent gear from them but you won't be able to try out the equipment till you get on the boat. BTW the Peace does a lot of multi-day trips so check the schedule. The Spectre does single day trips Fri, Sat, & Sun.

John

John

 

[fnfalman]

Hm. The Hyperstretch is the more important part.

By good regs, do you mean entry-level stuff that's in good condition, or higher-end stuff that's in good condition? We've mostly been renting DiveRite (RG2500) and Apekx (XTX50), and rather enjoy the good breathing.

The typical regs that you'd see for rent are Oceanics & Sherwoods with a few Aqualungs thrown in now and then. You know, I own the Atomic B2 and damn happy with it but I don't ever recall having labor to breath with the Oceanic regs that I used for rental. Hollywood Diver rents out Halcyon BCDs so they might have fancy regulators for rent.

Eco Dive Center rents out Aqualung Titan regs (I bought a used set from them recently), and though they sell Hendersons, they don't rent them out. Sorry. I checked with Hollywood Divers Hollywoodivers Southern CA's best scuba center and dive training facility 323-969-9875 1-877-OK SCUBA and they rent out Scubapro & Dive Rite regs with either SPG or some sort of computer. But no Henderson. I think that the shops are shying away from Hendersons, especially Hyperstretch because simply of the high costs of these suits. The missus might have to wear a vest underneath.

Going to be in Sunland (on the inland side of LA), so have to drive to get pretty much anywhere. Going to take the Catalina Express out and do Avalon one day and then if we get in a second day it'll likely be a boat dive (the Peace perhaps?). Willing to drive a bit to rent good equipment.

If you were to dive at Casino Point/Avalon then just rent the gears there from Scuba Luv. I've never been in their shop but a lot of manufacturers make arrangements with Scuba Luv to have them "test drive" the gears. Also Scuba Luv has their own arrangements for boat dive around Catalina. You might want to check it out. Scuba Luv Home