What scuba gear to take with versus rent in Cozumel?

[ASA400]

Having your own gear gives you a level of comfort while diving, but be sure to have used your gear at home before leaving on your trip. You don't want to find out that your new BCD has a leak in it while on your diving trip! Also, computers can be kind of complicated when you first look at them. Be sure to know what your's is saying.

DO NOT fiddle with your computer while on the plane down to Coz. If you put it into dive mode while on the plane, it will lock you out for the first day. Planes typically pressurize their cabins at an 8000' equivalent and your dive computer will think you've been diving at that elevation!

Also, if you take your own gear, be sure to pack your computer, mask and regulators in your carryon luggage so you don't have to worry about someone stealing or breaking your expensive gear.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

DO NOT fiddle with your computer while on the plane down to Coz. If you put it into dive mode while on the plane, it will lock you out for the first day. Planes typically pressurize their cabins at an 8000' equivalent and your dive computer will think you've been diving at that elevation!

Sorry... can you explain to me why this would be a problem? Sure, there is a problem if you dive at sea level and THEN go to 8000'. Not the other way around.

 

[shardison]

It Effects the dive computer only.....

 

[sharky60]

I take my full gear. I always prefer to dive with my own equipment, if possible.

the dive op will provide you with weights and tanks.

I bring a small pelican dive light, and don't do much night diving, but if I do night dive, I'll rent a dive light from the dive op.

 

[cvchief]

Good morning Scuba Board!

I was wondering for you many Cozumel (and travel diving) veterans out there, what would you recommend to take with you versus rent in Cozumel? My fiancé and I will be there for a couple weeks in June for our honeymoon and are planning to dive with Diving with Alison. I know this perhaps is a question of personal preference, but as new divers (getting our open water dives in this weekend in Monterey!!), I'm sort of trying to sift through what we should buy and what we should just rent for convenience / ease of packing.

As always, your wisdom will be very much appreciated

Happy diving!

Cheers,
Cathy

Alison has good rental gear. She has Aeris computers in the console, not air intergated. Sherwood Regs, a real workhorse. full foot, slip on fins.

Personally, we completed class and had bought mask, fins, snorkels. Full gear came later. It is good to have a mask that fits.

Cool kids don't wear snorkels anymore.

The fins I bought were top of the line, super expensive etc. I got conned as a new diver from the LDS. I actually still use them and love them so it worked out.

First real gear I bought was a wrist computer. Took it on my first post dive class dives with Alison. (And I forgot it in the room and she waited for me to run back and get it. she is so nice.)

I would consider a computer. If you are all about air integration, I would wait. I haven't signed on to that. I still want to abuse my tank pressure without it yelling at me.

Except the mask, wait and I would say dive some and see what you like and want. Talk to peeps on the boat and check their stuff out.

 

[ggunn]

Sorry... can you explain to me why this would be a problem? Sure, there is a problem if you dive at sea level and THEN go to 8000'. Not the other way around.

Maybe it is that the computer would calibrate itself when you turn it on and think that the pressure it is reading in the plane cabin is the ambient pressure where you will be diving? One thing that happened to me once is my dive computer failed completely and had to be replaced when I brought it to Cozumel in checked baggage. Lesson learned, never again.

As to renting a computer - I wouldn't advise it. Better to buy a computer and read (and understand) the manual completely before your trip so that you understand what it is telling you. I was on a boat once where a couple who had rented computers similar to mine asked me after the second dive, "Why are our displays flashing like this?" They had blown a deco stop. If you are going to wear a computer but not know what it is telling you, then you might as well not have it on.

 

[Skittl1321]

if I'm renting stuff I imagine most of it is going to be a part of the rig already and not a wrist mounted one.

Yeah- again, this depends on who you go with. Many places charge extra (so say it costs $10 to rent the regs, and then another $10 to rent the computer- it really adds up) but some places have the computer on the regs already, and others don't rent them out at all.

Since you said you are diving with Alison, her regs have computers on them; but if you go elsewhere, I wouldn't keep it as an assumption. Still, if you want to buy anything- the first thing to buy (after mask/fins) is computer. We had our own computers before we had our own wetsuits. (I went with an inexpensive Zoop. Husband got an air integrated wrist computer, and he really likes it.)

Alison is great to dive with. A very good pick for a new diver.

 

[ThePetiteRunner]

Yeah- again, this depends on who you go with. Many places charge extra (so say it costs $10 to rent the regs, and then another $10 to rent the computer- it really adds up) but some places have the computer on the regs already, and others don't rent them out at all.

Since you said you are diving with Alison, her regs have computers on them; but if you go elsewhere, I wouldn't keep it as an assumption.

Alison is great to dive with. A very good pick for a new diver.

That's one of the reasons why we decided to go with her. She seems so very beginner friendly. Do you happen to know, is her rental fee for equipment $10 per piece of equipment or $10 total?

 

[Skittl1321]

That's one of the reasons why we decided to go with her. She seems so very beginner friendly. Do you happen to know, is her rental fee for equipment $10 per piece of equipment or $10 total?

I don't know how she charges equipment because we always just got a total cost per day, including equipment. It was lower than most places including rental gear though so I think she just adds $10 for the use of equipment and not rent it out per piece.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Maybe it is that the computer would calibrate itself when you turn it on and think that the pressure it is reading in the plane cabin is the ambient pressure where you will be diving? One thing that happened to me once is my dive computer failed completely and had to be replaced when I brought it to Cozumel in checked baggage. Lesson learned, never again.

It would recalibrate when I turned it on again, at the dive site...
I've had my computer in dive mode, at home, at 6000+ feet, jumped on a plane and headed to Mexico (less than 4 hours). No problem. If turning your computer on while on the plane gets you locked out, then I'd suggest that there is something fundamentally wrong with your computer. Do not dive with it.

Why do you think being in the baggage compartment was a factor in the failure? The baggage compartment is pressurized, just like the passenger compartment...

As to renting a computer - I wouldn't advise it. Better to buy a computer and read (and understand) the manual completely before your trip so that you understand what it is telling you. I was on a boat once where a couple who had rented computers similar to mine asked me after the second dive, "Why are our displays flashing like this?" They had blown a deco stop. If you are going to wear a computer but not know what it is telling you, then you might as well not have it on.

Agree absolutely. Any tool that you don't know how to use is useless at best, and dangerous at worst.