DeputyDan
Contributor
If you can see your compass - visibility is good !
renting vs. owning - newbie ?s
- Thread starter carebear
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midwestdvr
Contributor
Carebear, I was in the same situation several months ago. I always thought that I would just be a vacation diver and just rent my gear. Fortunately (unfortunately for my wallet), the diving bug got me hard and I decided to go ahead and buy my own gear. I don't have everything yet but what I have now is waaay better than the stuff I've rented. As an added bonus, I finally found a lake with some decent viz and when the weather starts warming up again, I'm getting my nitrogen fix. So, while the weather here in the midwest gets colder, I'll be taking vacations to warmer climes. Owning your own gear gives you an excuse to go diving more often.
hantzu701
Contributor
Whatever your situation, the same rules apply with any expensive purchase - do as much research as you can before you buy and think about how you're going to use the equipment. If you're not sure how you're going to use the equipment, then I'd suggest on holding off. Better to get exactly what you want and need, rather than delegating your shiny and expensive equipment to the dead gear closet - you know, the one that contains all that cool stuff that you never use anymore.
My LDS often pressures newbie divers to buy new gear immediately for the usual reasons - better fit, better quality, etc. Their OW instructors often wear the same setup that the LDS sells as a package. Every eight or so OW students, they manage to sell the package - which includes the BCD, Regulator, octopus, dive computer, in addition to the mask, fins, and snorkel. When people have already invested $6k in a dream vacation to Haiwaii or elsewhere, I guess another $2k for new equipment isn't as big of a deal.
While I am diving more often than I would if I were renting gear, I wish that I hadn't immediately gone with the package. For example, my dive computer is attached to a console. The more I use the dive computer, the more I wished that I had bought one with a wrist mount. This is a personal preference. My dive buddy is perfectly happy that the dive computer is on his console.
pipedope, you are so funny. Last dive, an AOW student dropped her BCD integrated weights in 70 ft of water. I went to check my compass to get a reading and COULDN'T SEE the compass even when I held it up to my face. I'm still waiting for the dive in which vis is going to be better than 8 ft.
My LDS often pressures newbie divers to buy new gear immediately for the usual reasons - better fit, better quality, etc. Their OW instructors often wear the same setup that the LDS sells as a package. Every eight or so OW students, they manage to sell the package - which includes the BCD, Regulator, octopus, dive computer, in addition to the mask, fins, and snorkel. When people have already invested $6k in a dream vacation to Haiwaii or elsewhere, I guess another $2k for new equipment isn't as big of a deal.
While I am diving more often than I would if I were renting gear, I wish that I hadn't immediately gone with the package. For example, my dive computer is attached to a console. The more I use the dive computer, the more I wished that I had bought one with a wrist mount. This is a personal preference. My dive buddy is perfectly happy that the dive computer is on his console.
pipedope, you are so funny. Last dive, an AOW student dropped her BCD integrated weights in 70 ft of water. I went to check my compass to get a reading and COULDN'T SEE the compass even when I held it up to my face. I'm still waiting for the dive in which vis is going to be better than 8 ft.
the quarry is low viz hell, anything under 10 ft. viz is just not fun for me. I don't like fishies biting me before I can see 'em.
Yeah, the diving bug has bit me pretty hard, but I'll take that bet that I won't be crusing the quarry every weekend...I'd rather do something more fun, like floss my teeth.
lol
Yeah, the diving bug has bit me pretty hard, but I'll take that bet that I won't be crusing the quarry every weekend...I'd rather do something more fun, like floss my teeth.
lol
Damselfish
Contributor
It's good to have tried some things and dove enough know what you really want/need, so you don't wind up buying stuff twice. There are lots of good reasons mentioned here to own your own gear, and if you don't want to get it all up front there are lots of opinions on the order to do it in.
I disagree with statements that for "only trips" or 1-2 tropical trips a year you should rent. If you do 1 trip a year and it only involves a few casual dives I'd say rent. (I have friends that do one dive trip every _5_ years and bought everything, and I think that was a big mistake for a variety of reasons.) But if you do 1-2 full blown dive trips (dive resort, 3-5 dives a day - I'd definitely buy.
If you're going to go someplace without your own gear, checking out what they have and how well it is maintained should be part of your trip research.
I disagree with statements that for "only trips" or 1-2 tropical trips a year you should rent. If you do 1 trip a year and it only involves a few casual dives I'd say rent. (I have friends that do one dive trip every _5_ years and bought everything, and I think that was a big mistake for a variety of reasons.) But if you do 1-2 full blown dive trips (dive resort, 3-5 dives a day - I'd definitely buy.
If you're going to go someplace without your own gear, checking out what they have and how well it is maintained should be part of your trip research.
SCUBAMedicBill
Guest
CareBear,
I'll probable repeat a few things that have already been said, but hopefully I can give another view.
First you have to see where you are at the present time. This includes a few things;
What are your feelings about diving? Do you like it, really like, love it, or are you still deciding?
What are your goals? Vacation diver or weekend (or more) diver?
What is your financial status? Can you afford to buy new, or will dive so often that you can't afford not to?
The benifits of renting is that it gives you time to determine if you like diving enough to spend the amount of money you will need in order to buy equipment. It also gives you the opportunity to try different types of equipment (makes and models). But, if you are diving regularly, those rental costs will amount to the level of buying your own equipment.
Owning your own equipment saves you rental fees and gives you the comfortable feeling of knowing the equipment your diving with, along with knowing the quality, the maint. that the equipment has had, etc. But of course, the price tag is steep.
My advise is to buy you equipment a little at a time. Buy your more personal items first and work from there. Also consider any special equipment that won't be easy to rent (example, odd size BCDs). Just use you head, don't be impulsive or rushed, research you equipment, and be an educated consumer so that you don't wind up with an expensive piece of equipment you won't, or can't use.
Good Luck and have a great vacation.
Bill
I'll probable repeat a few things that have already been said, but hopefully I can give another view.
First you have to see where you are at the present time. This includes a few things;
What are your feelings about diving? Do you like it, really like, love it, or are you still deciding?
What are your goals? Vacation diver or weekend (or more) diver?
What is your financial status? Can you afford to buy new, or will dive so often that you can't afford not to?
The benifits of renting is that it gives you time to determine if you like diving enough to spend the amount of money you will need in order to buy equipment. It also gives you the opportunity to try different types of equipment (makes and models). But, if you are diving regularly, those rental costs will amount to the level of buying your own equipment.
Owning your own equipment saves you rental fees and gives you the comfortable feeling of knowing the equipment your diving with, along with knowing the quality, the maint. that the equipment has had, etc. But of course, the price tag is steep.
My advise is to buy you equipment a little at a time. Buy your more personal items first and work from there. Also consider any special equipment that won't be easy to rent (example, odd size BCDs). Just use you head, don't be impulsive or rushed, research you equipment, and be an educated consumer so that you don't wind up with an expensive piece of equipment you won't, or can't use.
Good Luck and have a great vacation.
Bill
But it is not needed to be able to dive.
We all need to be able to do our emergency drills without vis, just in case.
I find that dives with less than 10' of vis are sometimes very interesting as they force me to look at things close up. A different perspective.
I find that doing things by feel is good practice and also many dives it is the only way to go. Example are fossil and junk dives in most rivers. If there is any vis to start it is usually trashed as soon as you start searching.
On one of my jobs the foreman was amazed at how quickly I found the cressent wrench he had dropped. I just said, "this is what I DO."
Buying gear (damn, back on topic ). Items that are fit critical are the things to buy first. Mask, fins, boots, gloves, suit (wet or dry), BC are first pretty much in order. All the rest is easy to rent and can be bought in mostly any order.
You know you are getting there when you build a trailer to haul it all.
We all need to be able to do our emergency drills without vis, just in case.
I find that dives with less than 10' of vis are sometimes very interesting as they force me to look at things close up. A different perspective.
I find that doing things by feel is good practice and also many dives it is the only way to go. Example are fossil and junk dives in most rivers. If there is any vis to start it is usually trashed as soon as you start searching.
On one of my jobs the foreman was amazed at how quickly I found the cressent wrench he had dropped. I just said, "this is what I DO."
Buying gear (damn, back on topic
). Items that are fit critical are the things to buy first. Mask, fins, boots, gloves, suit (wet or dry), BC are first pretty much in order. All the rest is easy to rent and can be bought in mostly any order.You know you are getting there when you build a trailer to haul it all.
Wow...all the help on this board is amazing. To think I've been crusing the non-diving stuff and missing all this!!
I think I may be buying a BC, as it may be difficult for me to adjust to a rented one, but as far as everything else I think I'll rent. I've got my own set of personal boyancy compensators, hee hee.
-Carrie
I think I may be buying a BC, as it may be difficult for me to adjust to a rented one, but as far as everything else I think I'll rent. I've got my own set of personal boyancy compensators, hee hee.
-Carrie
There are threads on fitting suits and BCs for women who have
'personal bouyancy compensators' of significance.
'personal bouyancy compensators' of significance.
I'm in the same camp as most. If your not doing alot of diving then I would rent but would add a twist.
Since properly maintained gear can last a long time I would sug that you buy one item a year. This way you build up your gear over time and don't have one big huge expense at one time.
I would sug possibly a wrist mounted computer such as a viper. A wet suit also sounds like a good deal. Nothing better than knowing whos been in you dive suit before you. I view it kinda like wearing some one elses bathing suit. Then a good reg set.
Geek
Since properly maintained gear can last a long time I would sug that you buy one item a year. This way you build up your gear over time and don't have one big huge expense at one time.
I would sug possibly a wrist mounted computer such as a viper. A wet suit also sounds like a good deal. Nothing better than knowing whos been in you dive suit before you. I view it kinda like wearing some one elses bathing suit. Then a good reg set.
Geek
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