Hiring Equipment for 3 weeks

[PogoChris]

I am heading for thailand in December. I have been invited to go along on a liveaboard to the similan islands from 21 December and ending in Lankawi on 9 January. Is it possible to rent gear from some of the local operators for the whole time period or would i have to rent gear at every island we visit and intend to dive?
Also what is an average price for gear hire for a day. I will be on a budget so will probably do most of the diving without a guide.

 

[ZapDiver]

I've never been on a liveaboard, but I always assumed that the liveaboard could provide you with the gear, either loaning it or renting it to you...

 

[OnTheSpot]

Is the liveaboard you be joining a diving liveabaord? Or will you need to hire tanks too?

Best to get the liveaboard to organize the equipment for you if you can't bring your own.

I don't think many operators would be happy to let their gear go off to Lankawi

 

[stevenl]

You start at the Similans and go to Lankawi without returning to Thailand? If that is the case, I hope for you the boat will have gear for rent.

We do rent out gear, and also to boats going from Phuket to Lankawi, but always back as well

 

[Quero]

That sounds like a fun trip, PogoChris!

There is no place actually on the islands in the Similans either to rent gear or get tank fills, so unless you have a compressor and tanks on board or your boat has an agreement with a dive operator that has a boat on site from which you can obtain the tanks and/or fills, your dive opportunities will be limited by how many full tanks you bring aboard yourself (if in fact you do find a source from which to rent the equipment at Phuket or Khao Lak).

As you sail south, your chances of finding gear/tanks becomes easier. If you put in at Phuket, Racha Yai, Phi Phi, Krabi, and many of the small islands located along the coast all the way to Koh Lipe, it's possible that you may find dive operators willing to rent the equipment to you as needed, though some may not agree to do so without selling you a guided dive.

 

[PogoChris]

Is the liveaboard you be joining a diving liveabaord? Or will you need to hire tanks too?

Best to get the liveaboard to organize the equipment for you if you can't bring your own.

I don't think many operators would be happy to let their gear go off to Lankawi

The boat we're going on is not a diving liveaboard. It is a yacht that belongs to an aquaintance. So I'll need to hire cylinders as well. I thought it might be difficult to get gear. I'll probably end up just taking snorkeling gear and then rent gear one dive at a time.
Is it expensive to buy gear in thailand in December?

 

[PogoChris]

You start at the Similans and go to Lankawi without returning to Thailand? If that is the case, I hope for you the boat will have gear for rent.

We do rent out gear, and also to boats going from Phuket to Lankawi, but always back as well

So I would have a lot better chance of getting gear if I return to phucket before heading further south? I do intend to return to Phuket later in anyway, but I am a student so I'm on a budget and will be backpacking through SE Asia and making use of public transport once I'm on land again.
This is the main reason why I am not travelling with my own gear as it will be way too much effort to tag it along on the overland part of the trip.
How much is gear rental in thailand usually?

 

[lord khram]

The boat we're going on is not a diving liveaboard. It is a yacht that belongs to an aquaintance. So I'll need to hire cylinders as well. I thought it might be difficult to get gear. I'll probably end up just taking snorkeling gear and then rent gear one dive at a time.
Is it expensive to buy gear in thailand in December?

Diving gear I find is generally expensive in Thailand all year round.

Certainly significantly more expensive than it is in the UK and many other places in europe.

 

[stevenl]

Count on 500 baht per day for rental of gear, tank not uncluded.