What about wetsuit rental?

[SkipperJohn]

The idea doesn't sit well with me, but...
I just got certified. I bought a suit to use in the caribbean however I live in NY. I thought I'd just be diving down in the islands but I am anxious to dive again and my local shop is doing a beach cleanup thing this Saturday. My 3 mil shorty just wont cut it. They rent the heavier suit for $15 for the day or sell it for over $350 (I know I could get it cheaper someplace else but there isn't enough time).
What do you guys think about renting wetsuits?
I was hoping to save my $ to get my reg & BC (not considering the market crashes)

[ligersandtions]

When I did my OW certification, I bought a wetsuit without even knowing if I'd like diving (or if I'd even want to dive in the cold waters of socal)....I just couldn't get past the idea of being in a wetsuit that someone other than me had peed in...

That's a tough call though, as having your own BC and reg is really nice. Maybe look into buying used BC and reg, and spend the money you save toward buying your own wetsuit.....I don't know. Good luck with your decision!

[oreocookie]

I'd say rent it for the day then when you have more time, start looking for your own if you're going to dive locally. There might be a bit of an ick factor there, but it's just one day.

[themagni]

I wore spandex shorts under the wetsuit when I was using a rental.

Just...make sure it's dry before you put it on, and that will probably make you feel better about it.

[Roko]

Try it on, if it fits well and isn't too worn out, go ahead and rent, and use the money for regs, etc. If it doesn't fit well and/or smells of things you never wanted to smell, don't.

I rented a 7mm farmer john wetsuit for local dives until just recently when I bought a drysuit. It was good condition and fit well, so there was no reason to buy one knowing I was just going to go dry eventually anyways.

Just my 2 PSI.

[Damselfish]

well, they often don't fit right, can be pretty beat, and it's safe to assume someone peed in them along the way. But I certainly wouldn't buy one for just one day. If you think you will do more local diving you still might be better off renting for the day instead of rushing into it, unless you know for sure you like the suit they carry and it fits well. But different brands fit differently so you might want to look around for that reason alone, not just price.

Something you might consider is getting a lycra dive skin. You can get them inexpensively online (if you have time), not hard to fit, make it easier to get into the heavy wetsuit, and reduce the ick factor of a rental. And they can be useful for tropical diving, that's all some people wear.

What to buy first? - Good arguments can be made for each major piece of equipment (and have been, many times!) I think a lot depends on the condition, fit, and price of the rentals you can get.

[Reg Braithwaite]

The idea doesn't sit well with me, but...
What do you guys think about renting wetsuits?
I was hoping to save my $ to get my reg & BC (not considering the market crashes)

Everyone says they hate the idea of diving a wetsuit someone has peed in, but trust me, people have peed in the ocean and, AFAIK, fish take a sump there too. Laugh it off and save your money for your regs.

My feeling: your life depends on your regs. If there's only one thing you own, that should be it. Forget someone peeing the rental suit, are you aware that people vomit in rental regs? And then you are depending on it to operate at 60, 80, 100 feet or more??

A BC is a nice second, although you'll want to spend time with the jacket vs. wing debate. Your suit can follow whenever you want and when you've settled on tropical vs. cold-water diving, diving only vs. diving + surfing + sailboarding + whatever.

So...

I say get your regs and then decide what to buy second.

[thevalkyry]

Having just bought my MK25 and BC I would def say go for the equipment. Wetsuits are really about your personal tolerance for cold and exposure anyway. And everyone is different there. If you tend to love A/C then you arent going to need a wetsuit as badly as myself who gets shivery in anything below 80 degrees - air or water. At my local lake you see people in everything from dry suits to t-shirts and trunks - and the water is def not something I would get in in anything less than 3 mils. ..... Just re-read that you are in NY *shiver* - rent the suit and wear your shorty under it as added insulation - and protection You'll probably have to hop around a bit to get dressed but you will be warm

P.S. If you double-layer dont forget to add weight for the added neoprene - or else you will float (do you sense the voice of experience?)

[NOVIZWHIZ]

man we used to buy used suits from our LDS because we knew we were gonna destroy them climbing over and under snags, grubbing around on our knees, wiggling through tight spots - thing about a used suit is it always fits like crap, you go to pull it up one day and it comes apart and you're either diving sans suit and freezing or watching your buddies dive. Take your time, don't rush - rent a suit for now and deal with the yick, then shop around for a suit that will fit your needs and last for a long time....patience

[Brian Sharpe]

I bought my wetsuit & BC before I did my OW dives mostly because I hated the rental ones my LDS has but I also had a few weeks lead time to shop around.(I also had a fit issue with the rentals as I'm 225 and under 5'10")

Like the others I'd say go for the rental for this weekend and take your time finding the right wetsuit at the right price. What is it that they're selling for $350, if it's a 7mil hyperstretch that's not a bad price if it's a basic farmer john make sure you don't bend over.