I have worked as a mostly full time dive instructor/guide in Hawaii for the last 7 years. Nearly every time I take divers into the water some of them rent every piece of gear; they only bring a swim suit. Nearly every certification course I have done in those 7 years has included at least one diver who is renting everything; often there is no one in the class with personal gear. We handle the Open Water dives for many referral mainlanders and they show up with no personal gear so I know there are instructional operations on the mainland that do not require students to have personal gear. Some divers are perfectly content to never buy any dive gear.
Pricing - Oahu Scuba Dive Tours - Deep Ecology
The above link is for current pricing at the first dive shop I worked for. Gear rental is $14 for a 2-tank shore dive, $15 for a 2-tank boat dive. The link below is details of the rental gear; you might be able to buy this gear from the shop for $600 used after a year or two. At $7.50 per dive, $600 is 80 dives. Most recreational divers could easily not buy gear if they are only making a few warm water dive trips per year!
Rental Gear - Oahu Scuba Dive Tours - Deep Ecology
Also, if you bought that two year old rental set for $600 and then hung it in your closet for 10 months before your next dive trip, do you pay for service or just roll the dice? Another also, the rental gear here in Hawaii is rarely more than 2 years old. How old is the personal gear you only occasionally use.
Pricing - Oahu Scuba Dive Tours - Deep Ecology
The above link is for current pricing at the first dive shop I worked for. Gear rental is $14 for a 2-tank shore dive, $15 for a 2-tank boat dive. The link below is details of the rental gear; you might be able to buy this gear from the shop for $600 used after a year or two. At $7.50 per dive, $600 is 80 dives. Most recreational divers could easily not buy gear if they are only making a few warm water dive trips per year!
Rental Gear - Oahu Scuba Dive Tours - Deep Ecology
Also, if you bought that two year old rental set for $600 and then hung it in your closet for 10 months before your next dive trip, do you pay for service or just roll the dice? Another also, the rental gear here in Hawaii is rarely more than 2 years old. How old is the personal gear you only occasionally use.
