Hello fellow divers,

I am going to be going on a Blackbeard’s diving trip in early January and was wondering about equipment...whether I should buy it or rent it. I currently own a very nice Oceanic Mask, Fins, and Snorkel set, but I do not have any other equipment. I was also told that a 6mm wetsuit is necessary for the Bahamas that time of year.

I would like to spend under $3000 in total equipment costs if I am buying, and I was wondering which BCs, wetsuits and regulators are good for a diver who dives a few times a year.

Thanks,
Sara

Comments

DiveBuddyChgo - 10/01/2009 7:57 AM Bleach and water soak will kill germs before your using the reg.. Your dive equip. on a Blackbeards will take a beating in the sun, no rinsing after dives and hard usage.. And if you have an equip failure with your stuff.. You will be renting equip. anyways.. You may also have to pay for luggage on your flight..

saldiver - 9/27/2009 12:30 PM Hey Sara .... i dont think i can add more than what the two gentelmen wrote , but i might write a simple advice to you ,,, you should have your own regulator because according to the studies , sometimes germs stick inside the regulator , some divers experienced a bad lung infection after they used a rentel regulatores . For more ideas ,,, please visit this website ( http://scubadiving.lifetips.com) Good luck .... Sal

DiveBuddyChgo - 9/27/2009 7:17 AM If you are only going to dive a few times a year... Rental on the Blackbeards would be your cheapest option.. I would bring a full 3 mil., a full 1/2mil and also a 3mil shorty.. Also bring a hood,gloves just in case.. Complete rental would be the way to go for you..

LatitudeAdjustment - 9/26/2009 6:59 PM You will definetly need a full wetsuit for that time of year in the Bahamas. Water will be in the 70’s and you will be diving 3 to 5 times a day so you will get chilled. PolarTec would also be good for SI’s. When looking at BC’s look at Back Plate and Wings too, they are more stable and can be reconfiged for cold water too. I use a Deep Sea Supply light weight back plate and #22 wing for travel, they also have a smaller #17. For cold water I just change to a larger wing and let the harness out to fit over thicker thermal. A lot of women like the simply hog harness because it goes around your shoulders, not across the chest. Buy a brand name reg you can get serviced near home by a LDS you trust. Which brand computer you buy doesn’t matter, they are all made by a handfull of mfr’s. What’s important is you can read and understand the display. If you buy a hoseless keep in mind that when the battery dies in the sender you won’t have a SPG, end of dive!