A matter of logistic
Dear readers, good day!
Today I will briefly talk to you about logistics and whether you should travel with your own equipement or not. The subject is not very complicate but you should think about it
The comfort aspect
There are different types of comfort. Here I am talking about the comfort of traveling light vs the comfort of diving with your equipment.
Personally, I like to travel light. A backpack and here we go, well...almost. So if you don't like to carry a lot, opt for equipment rental.
If not, you will need an extra suitcase. I doubt you will manage to fit civil clothes and diving gears into one. Well, I do it regularly but I leave the 007 smoking at home. So plan excess baggage and extra costs on your list.
Forget the trekking bags. I have personally done it twice and it is not ideal in terms of protection. We all know how baggage suffers at airports ... I haven't broken anything but I was probably lucky. Also, I got roobed. Yes it is true. I was retruning from a liveaboard with the South Siam in the Andaaman sea. My bag wasnt locked (technically not possible) and my wetsuit disappeared somewhere during bag transport.
Instead, opt for a simple suitcase with a solid shell. You can also choose one of the many suitcases sold by different diving brands. They are not cheap but have the advantage of being made to carry this specific material.
Now let's move on to the comfort of diving with your equipment. What could be better than dive with what you know by heart and which you are responsible for maintaining?
Personally, I like to test new gears, but not everyone does. Also, bad equipment can ruin a dive and I know what I'm talking about: fins that do not move you forward, a mask that takes water or with a reduced viewing angle, a suit that is too tight and so on.
If you rent the equipment you will have correct and relatively well maintained equipment, but not necessarily the most comfortable or suitable. Needless to say it will not be basic gears.
There is therefore a choice to be made between traveling light and renting equipment, or traveling with your equipment and opting for comfort underwater.
Up to you...
The price aspect
Price is one element that can guide your choice. Some are less sensitive to it, others more. From a mathematical point of view, the equation is whether renting the equipment for the duration of your stay will cost you more than owning your equipment in the long run.
If you are taking a course, the gears are normally included in the price of the course.
If you are on your way to fun diving, this will not be the case. In general you will be charged by the day, either by item or for the whole set if you need everything. Difficult to give you a price because it varies by country. It can be between USD 20-50 per day.
If you are budget-conscious, compare the price of renting the full set or renting a piece and what it would cost you if you took only part of your equipment.
My advice: when booking, try to negotiate the price in advance. You will have a good chance of getting a discount if you rent the equipment for the duration of your stay. Based on this, see if the offer is attractive. You may find that a good discount is cheaper than an additional suitcase in the plane.
The practical aspect
If you take your equipment with you, you will need to take care of it, transport it, clean it and of course dry it before you fly back.
To the opposite, by renting, you will avoid this. Okay maybe not the cleaning part, but it is likely that your guide or instructor will take care of the cleaning at the end of the day. I can already see some happiness on your face!
You will also not need to check and revise your equipment before travelling.
Last detail, no need to dry (which can be long) before departure ..
Conclusion
How to conclude, well I would say that it depends on the type of trip and the duration.
- If you are going on vacation and only plan to dive once as an activity among others, it is probably not worth taking everything with you. If you are going to dive for a weekend, even a long one, the observation is valid. Or take what is easy to transport, essential or even that relates to your safety. I am thinking here of dive computers, regulators or marking buoys.
- If, on the other hand, you are going to dive for a week, or let's say more than a long weekend, or on a liveaboard, then I would recommend that you make the effort. You will be more comfortable, will appreciate the adventure better and you will have time for a cleaning-drying session at the end of the trip anyway (i.e. the last 24h on the boat).
See you soon.
Ciao.
The Diving Bear
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