Lending Gear yay or nay

[ThatTasiLover]

Hi all!
wanted to ask your opinion on this topic: are you ok lending gear to others?

I have been buying my first dive gear set slowly, and it’s been with a lot of consideration, time and love on each piece. They might not be the most expensive but I love them.
One of the reasons for me to start buying was hygiene issue: be it wetsuit, reg or boots, when I use someone’s I feel I’m using their underwear… it’s so easy to get infections when using shared gears
Ofc the comfort of having perfect fit is also important as well as just simply loving to have my own gear.

I feel ok lending if they are my family or partner, who I know how they’ll handle it and whom I’d trust 120%. But even friends if I don’t know how they handle stuff..I don’t want to.

Am I being too sensitive and stingy?
Lemme know your opinion! Thank you and great dives ahead

 

[Rilelen]

I lend (and borrow) gear to/from my regular dive buddies, without any real concern or questions asked. I know they’ll treat it like their own (if not better).

And, if I’m diving with someone I know, I never mind loaning them stuff for a dive we’re doing together - lights, extra wetsuits, fins, etc.

 

[Tom_Ivan]

Only spare gear and only if I'm going on the same trip.

 

[Bigbella]

Unless it is immediate family or a trusted friend or colleague, no -- at least when it comes to regulators and computers, as being morbidly-obese-in-bib-overalls liability issues.

A work acquaintance was sued by a fellow diver and his family, while on a sports boat, who begged use of a spare computer, when his somehow went kaput(!). Said diver managed to violate the parameters of the borrowed computer within a few dives; was eventually locked out -- an AI Suunto Cobra model, I believe -- and later managed to get bent, while diving either on some "gauge" setting, and / or with an analogue gauge and tables -- that part wasn't made very clear.

The equipment lender's homeowner's insurance settled for 75K for that diver's boneheadedness, though the legal team initially demanded 150K . . .

 

[Bob DBF]

Within my regular group of dive buddies, or someone I am diving with. Haven't had an issue.

 

[girlwithbigtanks]

Depends. Regular buddies because they need excess or spares or want to try. Absolutely. Randoms who ask me to dive also ask me if i can pick them up, way out of my way, and bring them tanks? nope.

 

[Marie13]

Only dive buddies or someone I know well. I’ve loaned a set of doubles, other tanks, a spare reg, etc. My hands and feet are too small for someone to borrow gloves or fins. I’m a very hard mask fit and I’m very protective of my masks. I will not loan one.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I didn’t vote because I would have selected ‘it depends’.

A limited number of very close, trusted friends, yes. Everyone else, no. Not so much because of the concern for the gear, but due to the liability issue @Bigbella mentions. It’s real and must be considered. Otherwise you may learn a very painful & expensive lesson.

 

[Johnoly]

In South east, FL every diver must have an SMB on the charter boats. The boats don't loan them because they never get them back. To avoid a 20 minute boat departure delay while the distracted diver runs back to the shop to go buy one, I'll loan a spare (I carry 3 for fish floats) to a stranger. They are the 'economy' models but here is the funny conversation part>> They always ask me "Why is there a 6 inch long nail attached to the SMB bottom ?"
That's what goes thru the fish eyes to float it to the surface for the captain to pick up.

 

[Wants2divemore]

I've leant fins for someone to try, and been on the borrowing end of fins as well (thanks @-JD- . I wish there was a good way to demo fins, like there is for skis.

But other than something like fins, I'd be hesitant to lend a regulator or other significant gear out of the liability concerns mentioned above.