To buy a regulator, or keep renting

[scubafanatic]

'ew yuck...really? Diving is a sport where you spit in your mask, pee in your wetsuit (don't say you don't, you're lying ), only God knows what's hangin' out of your nose when you climb up the ladder, and who knows when those boat towels were last laundered. I'm not saying you can't participate, but if you're an "ew yuck" person, a day of diving is gonna be a loooooong day. IMHO

I'm OK with my own germs, which is why I use all my own gear...but I'd rather not share germs with the general public. But if you don't care if someone has pee-ed into your reg or whatever, that's entirely your business.

 

[cubbiegirlem]

yeah people vomit and snot all over regs. I'm fine with watching people with their boogers and loogies but don't want them in my mouth!

 

[SCRedWolf]

'ew yuck...really? Diving is a sport where you spit in your mask, pee in your wetsuit (don't say you don't, you're lying ), only God knows what's hangin' out of your nose when you climb up the ladder, and who knows when those boat towels were last laundered. I'm not saying you can't participate, but if you're an "ew yuck" person, a day of diving is gonna be a loooooong day. IMHO

Now that's funny! Not mentioned though is that it's your spit, your pee, your buggers, etc. so it's not that bad, lol. If the DM goes around and spitting in everybody's mask and you swapped wetsuits with the diver on your left and regs with the diver on your right during the SI then hell yeah it's yucky!

 

[divad]

There's nothing funner than gettin' on the boat early so you can blow yer nose and pee in everyone' s rental equipment.

 

[KeithG]

The 'ew, yuck!' factor in using a rental reg is all the argument I need to buy my own regs!

have you actually looked closely at your own mouthpiece lately?

my dive buddy caught me tooth brushing (with tooth paste) her reg mouth piece once after a dive trip. What are you doing you moron! i showed her the bottom side that i had not yet cleaned. she stared in astonishment and then slowly said "thanks".

 

[mattia_v]

I say buy. We bought our full gear this year after several years (and about 55 dives) of renting, and I do not regret it for a moment. The reg breathes nicer, I know it's history, and it's just my germs. Wetsuit is much better fit, and the BP/W is much more comfortable to me than rental BCs ever were.

And I never really had trouble with any rental gear (even wetsuits). But my own gear is much nicer.

 

[jonhall]

And the only reg failures I have seen are owned ones that were just serviced by the owners LDS.

Bought my reg in 2010. Had it serviced by LDS I purchased it from before going on trip in 2011. On that trip, the air gauge didn't work. The 2 dive shops I dove with both swapped it out for me, at no extra charge, but I was a little ticked that, having just been serviced and supposedly checked out, that I had this problem. It is the only problem I have had since.

So I purchased my reg, as well as other lightweight traveling gear (although I never had any problems renting from dive shops), for the $$$$$ part of it. Yes, I broke down the cost of renting gear at the time and looked at the cost of new gear and how many dives I would have to do to make it worth while. So I, as a vacation diver also, have done more than enough dives to have "saved" money. I say purchase it!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I would buy regs if I were you.
Halocline took the words out of my mouth but add another vote for either a Scubapro MK2/R190 or a Titan. Those are the simplest regs that are also bulletproof, tried and trued.
Just for warm water recreational dives either one would serve you very well.

 

[2airishuman]

I own my regs. I generally buy 30 year old used ones and service them myself. I dive locally, and I travel with my regs. Right now I have 3 full sets (I outfit my kids), a pony reg, and a bunch of extra first and second stages.

For me the benefits are that I can shore dive in places where there isn't a local dive shop, I can grab my gear and go diving with very little notice, and I dive my regs all the time so I know exactly what to expect from them.

Casual vacation dives only, why not rent from the shop? Less handling for you, and you're not going to dive your regs at home anyway so you won't have the benefit of diving gear that you dive every week.

 

[Caveeagle]

.... Most likely better shape than stuff you own that is worked on by your LDS.

Wow, just a tad bit of a generalization..

..Reputable ops have consistent high volume and see lots of kinds of gear that your LDS never see.

So you say that "High Volume" and "Reputable" have direct correlation? Can you back this up? I bet there are some low volume shops that have a high degree of integrity and competency. And some "Reputable" shops that don't live up to that on every day.

They also turn over their gear on a regular basis since it gets used so much. I have never seen "old" rental gear.

Ok, so (admittedly), I do not survey the rental gear at every shop I pass by. But I have seen some rental gear that looked a little rough, and had some visible abuse. I for one will continue to own my own gear, and avoid renting when possible.