Probably depends on where and sometimes who you are renting from. Most operators in Hawaii are renting all the gear to the majority of their customers.
My first dive shop/boat/shore employer and my current boat/shore employer have Oceanic reg sets (SP-5/Alpha 8/Alpha 8/2-gauge analog console). The second employer I worked for has 6 or 7 resort locations using Aqua Lung (Calypso/ABS Octo/Suunto analog 2-gauge). My third employer has a resort operation using same Aqualung/Suunto as above and a boat using ScubaPro (MK2/290/190/2-gauge analog?). Fourth employer, another resort, also same as above Aqualung Reg sets. The LDS I rent from as an Independent Instructor supplies and services all those resorts, so same as above Aqualung Reg sets.
The two 6-pac boats have at least 1 spare reg set on every trip, the 13-pac has at least 2 spare on every trip.
Far and away the most commonly failing regs sets are tourist divers with own gear who dive one or two trips per year and just had their 8 months in the closet reg set serviced before they came on vacation. "Our" reg sets were in the water "this week" and when the first little bubbles happen we are fixing them.
The first dive shop above uses Oceanic BC's (which I hate). That "ScubaPro" boat also uses ScubaPro Classic BC's (OK if they fit, but integrated weights
). Everyone else uses Aqualung Wave BC's
thumbs_up
. Mares
used to be popular with some operators.
If the tourist diver with "the failing just serviced reg" also has an Integrated Octo, They won't even be able to use their BC with our reg set; we are not going to swap hoses on first stages when gearing up just before splashing (unless you are super hot, super generous or super repeat customer
).
Some divers bring their own mouthpiece; that's no biggie to swap out. From my perspective as a tourist location instructor/guide, there would be way less "gear issues" in
my life if everyone was using the local rental gear.