Local Dive Shops and rental gear?

[parsch]

Today I went out with a few buddies and we were all renting gear from two different shops. Ironcially each of the (3) of us had issues with our gear which seriously made us consider spending the money and purchasing our own gear.

Diver 1: The depth gauge did not work....luckily he had his own dive wrist computer
Diver 2: His 80 aluminum had a broken piece inside which made an eerie rattling sound.
Diver 3: BCD clasps were all broken and velcro was falling apart.

I personally pay a good amount of coin to rent gear from my LDS and expect that I am receiving quality gear. The Master Instructor that was with us was quick to point out that gear such as depth gauges etc. only recevie maintence when there is an issue.

I have nearly 20 dives this year since certification and seriously thinking about purchaing my own equipment.

If I have doubts about the equipment I am renting then it is time to make the investment.

 

[tstormdiver]

I think you pretty much answered your own question. You may expect good rental equipment from a dive shop. I think you've seen the reality. Not saying all dive shops have bad equipment, but you must remember, that rental equipment is likely commonly used for classes & so is beat to heck by unknowing & sometimes uncaring students. For equipment that is used almost all the time, it is not unusual for maintenance to be missed. As for your equipment issues,.. it could have been much worse. I've seen moputh pieces come off, I've seen BC's auto inflate or leak so badly that a diver can't stay neutral, I've seen a diver purge a reg that was not cleaned after prior use & had a previous diver's vomit in it,.... the list goes on.
1. depth gauge not as important, as long as there is a computer to monitor depth & nitrogen loading.
2. The noise was likely the "dip tube" or "Snorkel" on the cylinder valve had fallen off (not unusual) & was rolling around. Just screw it back in on the next visual or hydro. All that the dip tube does is help keep water that may be in the cylinder from getiing into the 1st stage reg.
3. BC's don't last forever. Especially if they are used in the pool. Chlorine tends to eat dive equipment.

If you dive enough yearly to at least come close to the cost of your own equipment in rental fees, if you want to know how the equipment has been treated & serviced, then I would say your best bet is to buy your own. It does not have to be top- of- the- line or even neccesarily new (but yes, does at least need to be serviced before use). Research what will fit your diving needs, then look to find the best bargain you can.

 

[parsch]

Thanks for the advice tstormdiver...time to get serious about diving and invest in some equiptment.

Should I go a la route a LDS shop or cut the margin and hit the .com's?

Thoughts?

 

[tstormdiver]

Check both, shop around, even check the classifieds here. You might actually be surprised. You do not need to always get all your equipment from 1 source, however sometimes buying a package deal can be better. Weigh all your options evenly.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Today I went out with a few buddies and we were all renting gear from two different shops. Ironcially each of the (3) of us had issues with our gear which seriously made us consider spending the money and purchasing our own gear.

Diver 1: The depth gauge did not work....luckily he had his own dive wrist computer
Diver 2: His 80 aluminum had a broken piece inside which made an eerie rattling sound.
Diver 3: BCD clasps were all broken and velcro was falling apart.

I personally pay a good amount of coin to rent gear from my LDS and expect that I am receiving quality gear. The Master Instructor that was with us was quick to point out that gear such as depth gauges etc. only recevie maintence when there is an issue.

I have nearly 20 dives this year since certification and seriously thinking about purchaing my own equipment.

If I have doubts about the equipment I am renting then it is time to make the investment.

In fairness to your dive shop, rental equipment doesn't live a very good life. It's usually used by beginners who constantly abuse it either through misuse or poor technique ... or by people who don't take care of it because it's not theirs. When something breaks, they rarely inform the dive shop upon return because they're afraid they'll get charged a repair fee. And the gear often comes in one day and goes back out either later that day or the next, depending on demand.

1. Broken depth gauges are something a dive shop cannot know is broken unless told ... there's no way to test it at the shop.
2. The thing rattling around inside the tank is a dip tube ... a little metal piece that screws into the valve that sometimes manages to unscrew itself during use. It's there to prevent the valve from getting clogged if the tank gets moisture inside and oxidizes ... forming a powder that can accumulate over time. Again, if you tell the shop it happened they can remove the valve and fix the problem easily. Otherwise, it's likely to go unnoticed by the shop until the tank ends up getting VIPed.
3. Clasps and velcro are more easily identifiable problems, but again unless the shop has someone inspecting the equipment when it gets returned it can sometimes go unnoticed.

But if you plan to continue diving locally then I would recommend that you purchase your own equipment. Not only will it ultimately be cheaper, but using the same gear every dive just makes diving easier ... your body gets used to it and it helps you develop better technique.

Rental equipment really is a short-term solution for new divers and out-of-towners ... long-term, owning your own equipment is always best if you plan to use it regularly ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Searcaigh]

If you have to rent something, try to do it without any rush, assemble the gear in the shop and check it out first for any obvious issues.

 

[supergaijin]

Buy a cheap reg new at the LDS. Research in to what makes a good cheap reg.

Fitted things like mask/wetsuits/booties in an LDS as well IMO, as you're able to get the right fit as opposed to hoping to get the right fit. Saying that, some internet shops will let you return ill-fitting stuff.

BCDs, fins and computers etc are better bought online IMO.

 

[PatW]

Thanks for the advice tstormdiver...time to get serious about diving and invest in some equiptment.

Should I go a la route a LDS shop or cut the margin and hit the .com's?

Thoughts?

The LDS is your local resource for diving. They are the ones who will maintain your equipment when you buy it. They are the ones who offer training and certification. You can walk into the store and actually handle the inventory and come to a pretty informed decision as to what you want to buy. Also, if something goes wrong with your equipment because of defect, often the LDS owner will fight with the manufacturer to fix it or replace it. Additionally, most dive shop owners are pretty knowledgeable and can be a quick and easy resource for informed opinions and advice. You won't get these services online. My personal policy on these things is that in the case of online vs LDS, if the LDS is anywhere near close to the online in cost I go LDS. I very rarely buy online. I generally do so when I want a specific item that is not available locally.

I am not saying to not use online sources. I am just saying that the LDS provides services and support that usually are lacking from online sources. I adjust my thinking and try to put a "value" on the service I am getting rather than just looking at the raw dollars and cents.

 

[NJDiver_Chris]

The dive shop I was certified through and regularly rent gear from has top notch gear, it gets replaced every season. I got my own gear just to save costs of renting every time and the fact that I am going diving much more often.

 

[JOHNNY ROCKET]

I've had similar experiences with rental stuff at Lake Rawlings. I would like to use this opportunity to thank them for inspiring me to get my own gear. Every time I have rented or been with those who rented there have been problems. First time I was there the weight belts we were given were both for soft weights, but the pickets had huge holes in them, making them useless. We took them back and the replacements didn't fit with the weights we were given. Took those back and it finally worked. Then when we dove I found out very quickly that my regulator was breathing wet. My dive buddy, who normally takes several minutes to get to 20' because of equalization problems somehow managed to sink to 40' in a very short time, and was subsequently not paying attention to me at all, he had left me near the top of the line struggling with my reg. Not wanting to be a bad buddy, I felt the need to stick together and forced myself to descend, all the while my regulator was breathing wetter and wetter until the point in was letting in more water than air. It freaked me out a bit.

The next year when I had my own gear we went again. The lady there filling the air tanks was smoking a cigarette and paying the absolute minimum attention to what she was doing. When the 3 of us gave her our tanks to fill she was smoking as she filled them. When we came back for our tanks I asked if they were done - to this she said "i guess". Well, we walk all the way back to the lake to find only 2 tanks were filled. He takes the unfilled one back and comes back with somebody else's tank and it was din. Not necessarily the dive shops fault, but if the lady was paying attention my absent minded buddy wouldn't have gotten away with the wrong persons tank. So, he took it back and got the right one. All of this took a lot of time and after the regulator problem I had absolutely had it with rental gear. I found a package deal by Oceanic and have been happy and issue free ever since. Rental equipment costs way too much to be third rate imo.