FrankT Posted September 15, 2019 Report Share Posted September 15, 2019 Hi all, I've just recently completed my Scuba certification so that my wife and I can go while cruising. Naturally, the dive shop really hyped up the importance of owning your own gear for fit, familiarity, and safety. I know a big portion of that is a sales pitch, bit it does make some sense as well. My question for the group is whether brining your own scuba gear on a cruise is a good idea? Any divers with experience and opinions on this area? I know most cruise excursions include gear, so you're paying for it already, which makes it less appealing to buy our own since we expect to mostly scuba while cruising. Will any excursions give you a discount, or is going outside of RCCL the only option to save money by bringing your own gear? Thoughts? Thanks! FT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 @twangster dives...pinging him for his input on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 I bring my mask, snorkel and fins. When I cruise with my dive buddy, between the two of us that is a good part of a 3rd suitcase. When I dive and cruise alone I scale back my formal wear to contain everything including my mask, fins and snorkel in one suitcase. That doesn't include BC, regulator or anything else. I'm okay renting BC and regulator. Mask is personal in terms of fit. Find a good one and bring it. Same with fins IMO, I've seen meh fins when renting. I've thought about stepping up and buying more gear. I did so when I was young and diving in my teens. Life and kids sidelined my sport for a while and when I got back into it all my gear was so out of date it wasn't worth trying to use it in modern times. In that sense I wasted money on a BC although in the early days of BC's mine was a good one and a lot better than rentals 30 years ago. Now in modern times lately, I've enjoyed better BC's in rental then I might buy and travel with. Not always and it varies from island to island but generally speaking... My advice - bring mask, fins and snorkel. Great for snorkeling if some days allow it. Go with rental BC and regulator for now. If you really embrace it and dive often, buy your own gear. If not, live with rental BC and regulator. Sometimes excursions are offered with gear and without. You would have to book 6 or more dives per year to cover the cost of "with gear" versus "without gear" excursions for at least 3 or 4 years to break even. IRMO12HD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankT Posted September 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 Thanks! That's very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobroo Posted September 16, 2019 Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 15 hours ago, FrankT said: Hi all, I've just recently completed my Scuba certification so that my wife and I can go while cruising. Naturally, the dive shop really hyped up the importance of owning your own gear for fit, familiarity, and safety. I know a big portion of that is a sales pitch, bit it does make some sense as well. My question for the group is whether brining your own scuba gear on a cruise is a good idea? Any divers with experience and opinions on this area? I know most cruise excursions include gear, so you're paying for it already, which makes it less appealing to buy our own since we expect to mostly scuba while cruising. Will any excursions give you a discount, or is going outside of RCCL the only option to save money by bringing your own gear? Thoughts? Thanks! FT Personally I bring my gear; all of it that applies to the diving I expect to be doing. It means traveling with, schlepping around, and paying for an extra bag of just scuba gear. It also means caring for the gear once I am back on board; rinsing, drying, and charging batteries. I know going into this that that 40lb bag of gear could very well be a 50 lb bag of gear going home if nothing dries out. What scuba diving might be available is a BIG factor in choosing my next cruise. What diving I can do locally if I arrive a day or two early is also a BIG factor in choosing a cruise. In short, a lot of my cruises are really the in-between time of my scuba diving. Should you be doing this? I fully endorse scuba and cruising, I think they compliment each other very, very well. But doing what I do? Well....ummmm....errr......my advice to newer divers, NO WAY! Get a bunch of dives under your belt. Go to a variety of places. Have a bunch of dive operator experiences. Get to know other divers. Just bring the mask, fins, snorkel, and booties you already own. Stick with the scuba excursions that RC offers, they are perfect for you at this point in your scuba career! Let's see to what extent cruising and scuba works for you. Acquiring good gear will naturally happen, don't force the issue. An important note about scuba and cruising: DO NOT set your expectations high. Your attitude needs to be "If I went diving today that would be cool" not "I'm really, really looking forward to this. I can't wait to see the sharks or turtles, or dolphins." or "I can't wait to try out my new (blank)" There are a whole bunch off reasons the visibility might be bad, the water choppy, or a dive site you are taken to is "Meh." Above all else, there are all kinds of reasons your dive boat might not go out at all. Be patient and you will only receive pleasant surprises. Oh!, and don't lose that relationship with your local dive shop. You'll be needing them in the future. Baked Alaska and teddy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankT Posted September 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 Thanks for the advice! Sounds like we should stick to the basics and rent the bigger pieces for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainPanda Posted February 18, 2020 Report Share Posted February 18, 2020 For those that have rented during the excursions, how difficult was it to get gear in your size? I'm a bigger guy, and had to get a near-custom wetsuit and had to make some minor modifications to my BC to get it to fit properly; would I be in trouble if I had to rent equipment from the LDS? Would it be better for me to bring equipment in my case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobroo Posted February 18, 2020 Report Share Posted February 18, 2020 11 hours ago, CaptainPanda said: For those that have rented during the excursions, how difficult was it to get gear in your size? I'm a bigger guy, and had to get a near-custom wetsuit and had to make some minor modifications to my BC to get it to fit properly; would I be in trouble if I had to rent equipment from the LDS? Would it be better for me to bring equipment in my case? This is one of the many reasons why it would be appropriate (if not important) to contact your dive provider(s) before you go on a cruise. Size? Brand? Additional cost? Hey, while I got you on the line; I know you can't make promises, but where typically might my dive trip go-- so I can make sure my skills are appropriate (and so I can research on YouTube)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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