lbussell
Contributor
I'd say buy it. That way you'll end up diving more often to justify the expense!
To buy a regulator, or keep renting
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I would say go for it - You will end up diving more since you won't have to worry about any sort of rental expense. I just bought some new stuff from Deep 6...so far I enjoy it and it doesn't break the bank either (includes a cool dry case to and free spare parts in the shipment!) . Another option is just a cheap warm water reg from if that is all your diving with it. I know ScubaPro has some options...But deep 6's first stage is environmentally sealed so you know it will be good for any environment.
If you do end up going the Deep 6 route if you use the link it takes 5% off the list price.
Deep 6 Gear
If you do end up going the Deep 6 route if you use the link it takes 5% off the list price.
Deep 6 Gear
Lots of people say yes, so I'll give a counter point view. This is a general position regarding costs
Assuming 30 dives per year so 10 days diving.
You will still need to hire a BCD and wetsuit - some places just offer a one off price for the hire, a few may give a discount. But say for argument based on your $500 budget, with reg hire at $6 per day, you will be looking at 8 years of 10 day trips to recover the cost.
If buying new (again generally speaking) your budget will only get you an entry level set similar to what you get at resorts. If you don't buy a big name brand, then the resort might not have spares if you have an issue.
Having your own regs and using them infrequently means that in all likely hood you'll have them checked and service before each trip, hopefully you get to test them first just in case. So that's more expense.
It's more weight to pack. You've said yourself that you're happy with rental regs
So - don't let anyone convince you that by buying your own kit for the frequency you dive you'll save money. Nope.
However buying them because you want them is a valid reason (in my book at least)
When travel, unless it's a specialist trip for advance divers, the majority of divers use the rental gear without the worry or bother of schlepping their own gear around, and they still have a great time. If I didnt' dive weekly and only on vacation I'd probably go the rental route
Assuming 30 dives per year so 10 days diving.
You will still need to hire a BCD and wetsuit - some places just offer a one off price for the hire, a few may give a discount. But say for argument based on your $500 budget, with reg hire at $6 per day, you will be looking at 8 years of 10 day trips to recover the cost.
If buying new (again generally speaking) your budget will only get you an entry level set similar to what you get at resorts. If you don't buy a big name brand, then the resort might not have spares if you have an issue.
Having your own regs and using them infrequently means that in all likely hood you'll have them checked and service before each trip, hopefully you get to test them first just in case. So that's more expense.
It's more weight to pack. You've said yourself that you're happy with rental regs
So - don't let anyone convince you that by buying your own kit for the frequency you dive you'll save money. Nope.
However buying them because you want them is a valid reason (in my book at least)
When travel, unless it's a specialist trip for advance divers, the majority of divers use the rental gear without the worry or bother of schlepping their own gear around, and they still have a great time. If I didnt' dive weekly and only on vacation I'd probably go the rental route
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ScubaDoo83
Contributor
lol this! I have never and (hopefully) will never rent a reg. Let's just call it a general disgust of other humans
This isn't too far from the truth. Piecing together your own personal dive kit is an awesome experience. Like with most of my hobbies getting the gear is half the fun.
I spent $3K on all my own gear before even becoming certified. I was ridiculed here a bit for the decision (understandably) but I do not regret the decision at all. I bought great quality and comfortable gear I could trust which let me focus solely on my skills. Now that I have grown as a diver and have a better idea of what kind of diving I want to do I am piecing together my first bp&w rig along with a set of more technical fins. I will definitely be hanging on to my first set of gear gear though, I'll just use my jacket BC here at the local quarries.
lol this! I have never and (hopefully) will never rent a reg. Let's just call it a general disgust of other humans
You do realise, that when you are away on a trip, all the regs get washed in the same water - albeit most ops use some anti bacterial agent. Never the less...
You do end up with a surplus of gear that's a fact.
At your level (no disrespect intended) why would you swap between a Jacket and a wing on different dives? Their characteristics are very different. If you move to a wing, dive the wing always. The exception to that is if you become an instructor and need to have a similar rig to students, or if you want something to dive in a pool with.
ScubaDoo83
Contributor
Good luck convincing my OCD of that
Fair point. My bp&w are due to arrive via UPS today and I am very excited to put it all together. I have not dived a bp&w before but I just figured I wouldn't need my low profile travel rig for the local quarries. However, I may just fall completely in love with my bp&w and use it everywhere.
Milkman670
Registered
I say go for it also. I have done the same as Scubadoo, buying all my gear before being certified. But I have already run 2 full cylinders thru it in the pool doing open water skills. Figuring out where to clip things, just getting comfortable with everything. I'm sure I'll get blasted for pool diving without cert
It can happen to anyone. 3 weeks ago I did a shore dive with someone who had their hog first stage fail catastrophically. It had been serviced just prior (by a dealer, not an end user) to the dive due to concerns about the first stage.
Although for "15-30" dives per year (roughly 10-14 days of vacation?) most people would buy their own regs, not everyone does. I would argue there is nothing inherently wrong with renting gear forever if that's the extent of the diving you will be doing. If you do end up buying regs, don't do it because you feel everyone does. There are good reasons why you might want to own your own gear, but peer pressure from SB'ers or elsewhere shouldn't be one of them.
My wife and I are acquainted with a diving couple who, for at least 10 years, have been taking about two weeks of vacation every year in some tropical location and have been renting their regs and BCs. As they have related their experience to us: It doesn't take up space in the closet/garage. It allows them to travel super-light and carefree. They don't need to be concerned about lost, stolen or damaged gear, lost luggage, etc. They don't spend a couple of hundred dollars every year or two getting their regs serviced. They have had good luck with their rental gear--always good enough performance to satisfy their needs, they say. The flipside of the gear getting a lot of use from renters is that some other renter probably used it just last week, and so they know it was in working order at least that recently. In the rare instance that they might detect a reg set not working properly on the first dive of the trip--or at any other time--the dive op simply gives them a different reg set.
Just another perspective to consider.
My wife and I are acquainted with a diving couple who, for at least 10 years, have been taking about two weeks of vacation every year in some tropical location and have been renting their regs and BCs. As they have related their experience to us: It doesn't take up space in the closet/garage. It allows them to travel super-light and carefree. They don't need to be concerned about lost, stolen or damaged gear, lost luggage, etc. They don't spend a couple of hundred dollars every year or two getting their regs serviced. They have had good luck with their rental gear--always good enough performance to satisfy their needs, they say. The flipside of the gear getting a lot of use from renters is that some other renter probably used it just last week, and so they know it was in working order at least that recently. In the rare instance that they might detect a reg set not working properly on the first dive of the trip--or at any other time--the dive op simply gives them a different reg set.
Just another perspective to consider.
I would also include the Mares Abyss 22, reliable, easy to have serviced here and in the Caribbean, performance is very good for the money.
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