Cozumel Rental Gear

[DeltaWardog]

In my introduction thread I was warned away from BCD/reg rental in Cozumel. Does anyone know the quality of Dive with Martin's rental gear? That's the shop we're considering for our trip, but want to make sure the gear is up to snuff. We can't afford to buy our own BCDs and regs just yet.

 

[driftin' by]

Sorry, can't speak on the quality of the rental gear at DWM specifically. I would suggest renting from your LDS and taking it with you. They should offer a discount for extended usage. Additionally, I'm sure you've used the gear at your LDS before so you'll be familiar with it and how it works. I know all the rental gear that I've used or someone else has used in Mexico has been problematic for the most part but each operator is different and will have different gear and maintenance records.

 

[Diver Kat]

I think Josh has the right idea ..... I'd rent from my LDS if I wasn't familiar with the quality of the dive op equipment. I would trust some like Christi or Alison - 'cause I know they have a vested interest as the actual owners, but some of the biggers ops might worry me ....

 

[DandyDon]

I think it was my suggestion that the OP is referencing. I imagine that the rental gear there is probly adequate, but I think it best for a newbie to rent the gear he trained in so he'll know it well, as well as renting from the LDS he knows and trusts.

I believe DW and wife are planning a few days at Play del Carmen, too - and I expect he'll do more diving there. Knowing and trusting your BC & Reg are the safest, so diving your training rig on all your travels would be best.

 

[DeltaWardog]

I agree but it's financially prohibitive for us to rent from our LDS. We are going on a 2 week vacation but only diving for a max of 4 days. To rent from our LDS would be over $200 each.

I think we will just have to wing it and spend whatever extra time it takes to find a good dive shop in Cozumel with good gear, either the same or very similar to the BCDs we used in training. Hopefully by our next trip we will be able to afford to buy our own BCDs and regs.

 

[DandyDon]

There's a phrase you don't hear often here....

...going on a 2 week vacation but only diving for a max of 4 days.

Ok, thats' really fine. People use Cozumel rental gear all the time with few problems. Find a good Op and you should be ok. As always: if caca happens, remember your training,

 

[halocline]

I suspect that most of the dive ops are renting equipment to a large percentage of their clientele. I don't know what percentage, but I bet it's pretty high. So, I imagine it's pretty safe. Most regs are pretty reliable these days, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. It's more of a comfort issue; wetuit fit would be the biggest concern, followed by BC fit, and to a lesser extent, BC design.

Depending on when your trip is, you might check out Christi's thread "exposure..." where she warns about the current jellyfish situation. Many of the dive ops only rent shorties as they are easier to fit a variety of people. If you can afford to get wersuits before you go, I think you'll find that owning your own suit, one that fits well, will make the biggest impact on your diving of any gear.

 

[DandyDon]

Good suggestion , Matt - or at least a couple of $50 long skins to wear under the shorties.

 

[waynel]

Sorry, can't speak on the quality of the rental gear at DWM specifically. I would suggest renting from your LDS and taking it with you. They should offer a discount for extended usage. Additionally, I'm sure you've used the gear at your LDS before so you'll be familiar with it and how it works. I know all the rental gear that I've used or someone else has used in Mexico has been problematic for the most part but each operator is different and will have different gear and maintenance records.

Can't tell you how right you are Josh. I'm sure there are some extraorindary shops in Coz (like Christi's) but man when you are talking about safety...rent it from you local shop. You will be absolutely certain of what you are using, can try it out in the pool and can be certain that it's been checked out before you take it out of the shop. That LDS owner lives in your home town. He or she knows it's very easy for you to confront them if you don't get exactly what you want.

 

[driftin' by]

I agree but it's financially prohibitive for us to rent from our LDS. We are going on a 2 week vacation but only diving for a max of 4 days. To rent from our LDS would be over $200 each.

I think we will just have to wing it and spend whatever extra time it takes to find a good dive shop in Cozumel with good gear, either the same or very similar to the BCDs we used in training. Hopefully by our next trip we will be able to afford to buy our own BCDs and regs.

Well since we've all scared you on the rental equipment down there and it's not possible for you to rent from you LDS, I guess we need to make you feel better about your only option.

Definitely, find a reputable op down there. There are a lot of suggestions on this board. Again, I can't speak on behalf of DWM. Email them and ask very specific questions regarding their gear. If you don't get the response you like, move on. I wouldn't rely on information the their websites... They all tend to say they have new, state of the art gear.... It's too general and was only true 3 years ago which is a long time for rental gear. It'd also be a good opportunity to reserve your specific size of gear especially if one of you are at either end of the sizing spectrum.... extra small or XXXL for example. The gear is really not that bad. The most common and irritating problem I've experienced has been leaking regulators and having metric/Bar SPG. The BC's will be basic, straight forward BC's you trained on most likely with a weight belt instead of integrated weights and standard inflator instead of integrated safe second. Regs are regs... hose, purge button and mouth piece (bring you own mouth piece and zip ties) and rental ones will more than likely lack any adjustability. So don't worry about the familiarity warnings above. The only familiarity issues I can think of would be the buttons on the inflator and the layout of the SPG/console. Familiarize yourself with this and you'll be good to go. I had the feeling that you already had your own personal gear including a wetsuit. If not, I'd highly recommend you purchase one, as others suggested, not only for fit but hygienic purposes. The kind you'd need, 3mm shortie or full skin, are pretty affordable. In the end, if the gear is different than what you used previously, you will have had the opportunity to try different brands and styles making it easier when it comes time to purchase your own gear.

Have a great trip and let us know all about it when you come back. It's a shame you'll only be diving 4 days.