renting vs. buying?

[ColdH20diving]

I rented all of my gear, except mask, fins to start out with. I tried various pieces of equipment to see what I liked and didn't like. I now own all of my own equipment. I've watched how some divers treat their rental gear, no thanks. I know the condition of my gear and get the necessary parts serviced on a regular basis.

 

[Sebastian]

I own all my gear except the tank and BCD which I rent.

I'm still thinking if I should wait till I'm fully grown and then buy a real good one or if I should just buy a cheap 2nd hand one.

 

[double125's]

and have a good reason why. When I got certified it was a 6 weeks course (12 hours book 12 hours water). during the course I had to use there equipment because I had no Idea what was needed or sizes... from the first day of pool my bc had a leak around the inflator hose. They never did fix it (6 week time frame). For our check out dive we had to wait 2 month then we made the track to sea base. When we got there I had my own equipment (mail order) and all I needed from her was the tank. The tank she issued me had an oring going bad in it and it had a steady stream of bubbles leaking out. after surfacing I asked her to fix the problem but she said it was no big deal and I could handle it if the o ring blew.We got in a heated discussion and then I just offered to rent a tank of my own from the local operation, then she finally broke down and gave me her tank. Then to top it all off when we got back home she gave me a lecture on why I should not buy mail order, but then that is a whole different thread. Point being: your gear, your responsibity. You know the service history of it and if something starts to go bad you can have it fixed.If it is there gear they are less likely to fix it as soon as it begins to become a problem.

 

[plsdiver4377]

The only problem with owning your own gear is when your wife dives as well. You have to buy 2 of everything. That said I wouldn't have it any other way.

Best of all it fits correctly.

 

[WaterDawg]

yeah, I can see the wife thing... but other than that there are no good reasons not to buy gear. I do think one should "try-before-you-buy" that way you can rent gear and try it out before dropping big buck on it. ck out this article on owning gear:


as seen on www.goatdawgs.com ...

GOAT Logic: Owning you own equipment
Hey dude, I’m getting off of work in about an hour. How about a night dive? Sure lets go!

The preceding was possible because these individuals own their own SCUBA gear. Many people say that they don’t dive enough to justify owning their own gear, but they don’t realize that not owning gear is the reason they don’t dive! Who wants to go thru the hassle of driving to a scuba locker paying 20 bucks for rentals then having to return it after the dive when all you can think about is filling your gut w/ curry and catching a nap? Besides many dives happen impulsively, and no dive shop I know of is open 24 hrs here on Okinawa. Guaranteed availability is a big thing for the GoatDawgs.

By owning your own SCUBA equipment you will become familiar with it and we all know that’s important when faced with an emergency, you don’t want to be fumbling with unfamiliar equipment when yours or your buddy’s life is on the line do you? Also if anything starts to go bad on your system (i.e. increased inhalation effort on a Reg) you will notice right away.

Many people just see the big initial cost of SCUBA, and yes I’ll admit it can seem a bit overwhelming, but for $900 I bet you can get decent gear NEW! Used gear can be just as good here on Okinawa sometimes only a few years old and about half the price. At $20 bucks a rental, new gear can pay for its self in just 45 dives. Trust me that’s not a lot considering how much you’ll be diving!

Another good reason to own gear is that it will make Diving more comfortable, more comfortable means you’re more likely to do it more often, which in turn will make you a better more relaxed diver . Having you own Regulator for example will allow you to make modifications to it like replacing the mouth piece for a custom fit one, or adding a shorter or longer hose. This of course is in addition to the many features you can pick from when purchasing a Reg or BC.

I mentioned a few benefits of having you own equipment, but I know If you go out and get that BC you’ve always wanted or the new dive computer you have heard so much about you will be able to think of more. So treat yourself this season, and I bet you’ll have to buy refills for your log book before the end of the year!
Author- C. Flores

 

[kymma]

I own all my gear except for a tank. That will be my next purchase but for now I just rent a tank.

 

[jhelmuth]

I own everyting but...

[1] Tanks (too much bulk, heavy, not worth it when I can rent so cheaply), [2] Accessories like: Spool/line (next purchase), Primary Light (my backup light works well - PC Lite - and I don't do much night diving), tank banger.

just rent tanks

 

[JCKCSYCMD]

Purchase your gear. If you travel, take your regs, mask, gauges, etc., as a minimum. You know how it is maintained and you will know how it works.

 

[Wyno]

As time goes by I own more and more of my own gear and it's much better then renting and not know what kind of gear you are getting.

 

[mleong]

Renting them in the beginning, as least you can get to test out the different models available. Later only buy them.