Do you feel safer owning your own equipment?

[Cosimo_Zaretti]

If you ever had any trouble with your gear, would you do something about it or might you just return the gear and not bother to mention it?

Yeah there's that as well, if I have any little niggles with rental gear, I'm usually over it by the end of the day, so I just want to return my tub and go and get warm. I might even be left thinking "Gee that oceanic reg breathes a bit hard on the second half of the tank", and unfairly write off a particular brand. For all I know that reg might breathe wet straight out of the box. I like to think I'd mention it and maybe the DM intern who checks my gear in will remember to note it. Maybe the note he taped to the reg will make it through to the service tech before the next day's diving, I don't know. My LDS is pretty sharp though, I think that if something was tagged out, it would make it to the service tech before it went out again. Still a lot of points in the chain for something to get missed.

So as far as fault tracking and reporting there's a definite advantage to having continuity with your gear, as well as the advantage of having the right gear for you, and being familiar with it in the water. Most of us, however, are still having to trust the same person at our local dive store whether we rent gear from them or have them service our own. We're relying on that same link in the chain either way.

 

[Panama Jones]

Prefer my own gear but always my own regs. When I have strict luggage restrictions, mey regs come with me.

 

[beanojones]

Prefer my own gear but always my own regs. When I have strict luggage restrictions, mey regs come with me.

Does that end up meaning you have to choose regs in part on the basis of weight?

 

[AfterDark]

Yes I feel safer and rarely dive anywhere without my own gear.

 

[mac.calder]

I voted yes, but I have not dived with rental gear since dive #8. During my training dives and first two "actual" dives I weighed in at around 360lbs. Rental gear did not fit me well which added a lot of stress so I researched and found gear that made me feel comfortable in water (I went BP/W). Now I am down around 220lbs I am tempted to give a poodle jacket a try, just to experience what it is like when they fit... but my gear is so comfortable that I really don't want to. With a bit of careful planning I can get all the essentials into my luggage without too much drama. Failing that, I just pre-book an extra bag - it's generally not THAT expensive any more. My next trip (Borneo) it is costing me an extra AU$60 return for an additional 15kg sports luggage allowance.

 

[Panama Jones]

Does that end up meaning you have to choose regs in part on the basis of weight?

Just that if I have to travel light do to bag restrictions or luggage weight, my regs will always go. This is especially if I am going on a non -dive trip but there is a chance that I can get in the water. Any specific trip for diving that are not "tour" dives I take my own.

 

[Basscat]

I've got enough dives in that I feel very at home with my own equipment, and probably not enough dives to feel comfortable changing things too much. I'm sure I could deal with it, but like having my own stuff where I expect it to be, and after all, I paid all that money to have all this crap

 

[BluewaterSail]

I bought my own gear because I kept running into "not quite right" issues in rental gear. At this point, I would only use rental if I really couldn't bring my own, and it was not a challenging dive.

I have paid extra to travel with my gear. My major question when packing for a trip is what other stuff to bring. At home, I usually have tools, spares, and "might want" stuff in the car. When travelling, I choose what I really am likely to need much more carefully. For example, bringing stuff for singles or doubles but not both.

I always rent tanks though, home and away.

 

[Jai Bar]

Definitely YES. One should feel comfortable diving any gear- including rental- but when you use your own, it becomes part of you. You get familiarized with it, get yo know every scratch, every stitch, every noise the reg makes etc. So you are more attentive and aware of any change or signs of malfunction, wear, tear etc.

Also, you tend to take more care of your personal gear..

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