What scuba equipment do you take?

[Texas_Diver]

A good rinse is all it really needs for the cruise, primarly the regulators. A quick rinse in your shower is most likely better than what the rental gear gets. I always bring my own reg & bc, in an emergency it's what keeps you alive and I don't want to rely on second best.

 

I soak my gear, so it's not possible in a cabin that doesn't have a shower.

 

D.

[mybagsarepacked]

We had our own masks and fins. We finally got the rest of our gear. I'm wondering if most people take everything on their cruise or only some of their equipment. Obviously, we would take our regs but I'm wondering whether take our BCs or just rent them. (Of course, since it is new, I want to take my own but I'm just wondering how much trouble it is).

 

Thanks.

 

I take everything with the exception of a tank. I wear an XS BC and they are dang hard to find. My husband isn't as picky and doesn't care, but I know my equipment inside and out, which of course is what they teach is, when you are in a blackout situation or disoriented you don't want to have to wonder where the right button/switch/zipper etc it. With my own equipment it is an extension of my body. Plus I love my gear!

 

The last few times we have left our fins home and used fins on site, though it isn't my preference as I love my fins. But they do take up some space.

 

I generally take it on carry on esp my reg and dive computer, but sometimes I check the ancillary stuff like gloves and wetsuit and BC.

 

Stacy in Atlanta

Advanced Open Water NAUI diver

Nitrox Certified

Night Diving Certified

Cave Diving Certified

Deep Diving Certified

Wreck Diving Certified

[mybagsarepacked]

I used to rent but I'm buying all my equipment before the next trip. I'll bring:

 

wetsuit

fins

mask

snorkel

bcd

regulator

computer

 

As Bruce points out, a lot of places in the Caribbean don't allow gloves. The basic reasoning is, if you are wearing gloves you won't get into the habit of not touching things, e.g. coral. I've never needed gloves. The descent lines are pretty clean so you can hang on with your bare hands. Although I don't use the descent line anymore; you should try to get into the habit of descending and ascending without a line.

 

BuzzF117 makes a good point about keeping the regulator and bcd together. If you bring your regulator but not your bcd you might find the inflator hose doesn't fit.

 

NOTE: if you are booking through the ship, you will either pay for with or without equipment. If you need just a bcd the dive operators will still charge you with the same price as renting everything.

 

Just a quick comment on gloves:

 

I always wear gloves, and have often met with resistance. When I explain to the DM's that I only wear gloves for protection and don't touch anything (I am not a reef-wrecker) they almost always say yes.

 

One guy was adamant when he saw my gloves come out of the bag.

 

I had to resort to telling him I was a model and I had to protect my hands to keep my skin beautiful. I do a lot of wreck and night dives and told him the phosphorous was bad on direct contact and he let me wear gloves.

 

I really don't touch anything, I was on this dive in Cozumel once. Medium size cave and we were a group of 8 or so and we chose this cave for the ginormous morays. Several very large eels came out and were swimming freely around all of us, through our legs etc and many of the group were reaching out and rubbing the eels to feel their chamois like skin. I kept my hands behind my body and didn't make a threatening move. I had a friend who lost 3 fingers trying to get cozy with an eel. No thank you!

[Texas_Diver]

I've been diving a long time and have used lots of different gear configurations....esp in the days before I owned my own gear. For that reason, I'm comfortable in just about any gear.

 

D.

[scuabacruiser]

We had our own masks and fins. We finally got the rest of our gear. I'm wondering if most people take everything on their cruise or only some of their equipment. Obviously, we would take our regs but I'm wondering whether take our BCs or just rent them. (Of course, since it is new, I want to take my own but I'm just wondering how much trouble it is).

 

Thanks.

We always take our own gear. I know what condition it is in. Once I get the gear unpacked from the travel bag, I use a backpack that the gear will fit into or strap on to for carrying to our port calls. The wheeled bag I used was a PITA to get up and down stairs and roll over gravel or dirt once we got off the pier.

[scubadiver888]

Just a quick comment on gloves:

 

I always wear gloves, and have often met with resistance. When I explain to the DM's that I only wear gloves for protection and don't touch anything (I am not a reef-wrecker) they almost always say yes.

 

One guy was adamant when he saw my gloves come out of the bag.

 

I had to resort to telling him I was a model and I had to protect my hands to keep my skin beautiful. I do a lot of wreck and night dives and told him the phosphorous was bad on direct contact and he let me wear gloves.

 

I really don't touch anything, I was on this dive in Cozumel once. Medium size cave and we were a group of 8 or so and we chose this cave for the ginormous morays. Several very large eels came out and were swimming freely around all of us, through our legs etc and many of the group were reaching out and rubbing the eels to feel their chamois like skin. I kept my hands behind my body and didn't make a threatening move. I had a friend who lost 3 fingers trying to get cozy with an eel. No thank you!

 

I feel that if I don't wear gloves I have a greater incentive to not touch anything. If I wear gloves there is a chance I might touch something inadvertently, without even realizing it.

[islandwoman]

In some dive destinations (like the Bonaire National Marine Park), gloves are illegal. The dive ops will get into trouble if they allow you to wear them.

 

[NeurosurgeryNP]

I do have gloves, and plan to wear them if possible on our next trips.

 

We were on a dive in St. Maarten where we used a descent line, and my hands got eaten up - many, many, shallow lacerations, from the line. It is really weird looking at the bleeding while underwater! It behaves so weird. The hands were not the same the rest of the cruise. Purell before dining- definitely out of the question!

 

So, no, I do not touch anything, but they will definitely offer protection if using a line. I will never touch a descent line agan without them.

[bensontc]

I bring everything but cylinders and weights. Mask, snorkle, fins, boots are essential. I wouldn't go without my regs and computer. Same for my own BCD and shorty. Everything else I consider - bring if you have the space.

 

I tried doing the pack light and rent equipment route. It was terrible. Unfamiliar regs and an ill-fitting BCD will ruin a dive.

 

Looking forward to diving with CB at St. Thomas, St. Martin and Princess Cays in April.

[bensontc]

Oops. One more bit of advice. I read somewhere that SCUBA gear is the most frequently stolen from luggage types of items. Anything expensive or easy to break, like regs, computer, BCD, mask - I put in my carry-on. If you pack this stuff in your checked luggage you may want to leave your diver down luggage tag, free PADI tote or other dive insignia at home.

[islandwoman]

Anything expensive or easy to break, like regs, computer, BCD, mask - I put in my carry-on.

I always put my reg, prescription mask, and computer in my carry-on, but check my BC. How do you fit your BC in your carry-on? I guess you're not flying on any of the airlines (such as Dutch Antilles Express, Egypt Air, domestic Australian flights) whose carry-on regulations are more restrictive than the big US carriers?

 

 

 

 

[DiveCruiser]

We had our own masks and fins. We finally got the rest of our gear. I'm wondering if most people take everything on their cruise or only some of their equipment. Obviously, we would take our regs but I'm wondering whether take our BCs or just rent them. (Of course, since it is new, I want to take my own but I'm just wondering how much trouble it is).

 

Thanks.

Sometime I take it all. If Iam only doing 1 or 2 dive, mask, fins, and reg.

[tunseeker1]

I carry all my gear and a bunch of clothes in my dive bag.

 

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CategoryID_1051/Context_965/Sort_Stock/DescSort_0/Filter_1%3d2397%3a2%3d102/PINBPS.html?Hit=1

[cruzegirl]

I also take my own gear. I've been with too many dive ops that the gear looks a 1000 years old and not in good shape. I also don't want to be in a wetsuit that 50 million people have pee'd in or a regulator that they don't clean well and get something from someone else. Between herpes and now MRSA issues, I would only dive if I had my own stuff. Oral herpes is incredibly contagious and MRSA issues can kill.... So that my take on it.

I take my own wetsuit/dive skin, regulator/computer, fins, mask, snorkel and BC. I will use their weights/weight belt and tanks of course. I take gloves but rarely use them.

[trimix]

As my username suggests, I am not a typical cruise or vaction diver. I take all my normal gear, plus a 30 cubic foot pony bottle, when I go on a cruise where I plan to dive. In Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami anybody with advanced nitrox certification can easily get an EAN50 or EAN80 fill, and it is a lot easier to deal with the fill before the trip.

 

I generally don't do a trimix dive when on a cruise because I don't have a helium analyzer and won't trust my life to what somebody at the store says. So I can get a bottle of EAN30, keep my first dive to 120 feet or less, and use the higher oxygen bottle for safety stops on the way up. Then on the second dive I use EAN36 and carry the pony bottle for emergencies only.

 

30 cubic feet of deco mix is more than enough for two minutes at 20 feet and 3-5 at 10 - my normal shallow stops after a dive below 100 feet and a deep stop on the way up.

 

As far as packing, an aluminum backplate and relatively low lift wing (18 to 24 pounds lift) are fairly light and take up a lot less space in my bag than any BC I have seen. The only issue is airport security - the aluminum backplate sometimes gets me an inspection.

[docBarb]

Hi,

My husband and I always take all our gear with us. If we are flying we take our computers, regs, and masks in our carry-on. We live in florida - so we can often take trips without flying. But we have taken many trips where we fly and have had no trouble doing it this way. When on a ship - we wash our gear on the pool deck using the showers by the pool. We then hang our gear on the rail on the open deck above the pool to dry. We do not find this to be any trouble and are often considered the "afternoon enternainment" for the ship. We feel better using our gear and would not consider going without it.

Barbara

[BuzzF117]

I do have gloves, and plan to wear them if possible on our next trips.

 

We were on a dive in St. Maarten where we used a descent line, and my hands got eaten up - many, many, shallow lacerations, from the line. It is really weird looking at the bleeding while underwater! It behaves so weird. The hands were not the same the rest of the cruise. Purell before dining- definitely out of the question!

 

So, no, I do not touch anything, but they will definitely offer protection if using a line. I will never touch a descent line agan without them.

 

Yep our little friend the barnacle will grow on the nylon decent line. If you cannot use gloves your best to go hand over hand down the line not letting it slip through your hand.

[growinassets]

It's great to see the discussion here and the various ideas about what gear to bring. One thing for sure is that you'll never get enough dives in while on a cruise to warrant bringing everything you need for a great diving vacation. Sport diving has come a long way since our earlier experiences. We like to think of scuba diving with the cruise lines as a 'readers digest' version of diving. You'll get some highlights and a nice overview of the diving in that area, but you'll never really experience the diving there.

 

For example, we spent 10 days diving around Tortola, making 3 daytime dives each day and 3 night dives. We took about 3500 digital pictures and 800 35 mm slides and now know where we want to dive when we return there next year. Of course, we take everything when we go to really dive.

 

If you see us going through the airport with two big igloo coolers with duct tape and straps all around them and two dive bags, you'll know we are headed to a dive trip. If we just have two regular luggage suitcases and our 'cruise critic' tags, we're probably headed for a cruise. Making a dive or two on these trips means we've probably brought our snorkel gear (including anti-fog and alcohol wipes) and one Nikon camera with housing and underwater slave strobe.

 

Don't load yourself down for one or two dives. Have fun and relax, you're on vacation. Just make sure the stuff works before you jump off the boat and make that bounce dive to 600' down the wall. (that's a joke, don't try that unless you know what you're doing) :D

[bruce-r]

As far as packing, an aluminum backplate and relatively low lift wing (18 to 24 pounds lift) are fairly light and take up a lot less space in my bag than any BC I have seen. The only issue is airport security - the aluminum backplate sometimes gets me an inspection.

 

I usually get the special attention when I fly with my pony bottle and it is only a 19 ft. bottle.

[gatorbaby1]

When I dive I take all the important stuff as in all the stuff that my life depends on. I feel so much better at 100 ft when I know all the particulars about how the gear being maintained.

[islandwoman]

I carry all my gear and a bunch of clothes in my dive bag.

 

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/CategoryID_1051/Context_965/Sort_Stock/DescSort_0/Filter_1%3d2397%3a2%3d102/PINBPS.html?Hit=1

 

tunseeker1, I'm looking for a light-weight travel bag for my dive gear + clothes. I clicked on your link, but couldn't find information about weight. Can you tell me how much your gear bag weighs, empty?

[CFDAlden]

We just came home a couple weeks ago. We brought:

 

 

Carry On

Reg's

Computers

C-Cards

U/W Digital and case

 

Checked

 

We each have our own rolling 28" duffel from WalMart.

 

3mm Shotry

3mm Booties

BCD (knives left at home. EMS Shears in pockets)

--- Safety Sausage, Mirror and Whistle

Mask

Fins

Snorkel (I really need to buy a folding one for the pocket!)

 

On our way down, we told the TSA folks that our carryon had our reg's in them.

 

After they went through the XRay, they had to hand inspect the bags. They suggested taking the reg bag out, and opening it before it goes through the XRay to speed things along. It did help on the way home.

[cmdchiefthom]

If you own it, take it with you, except for the weights. I leave clothes at home before I leave any of my dive gear!;)

[cruzegirl]

If you own it, take it with you, except for the weights. I leave clothes at home before I leave any of my dive gear!;)

 

Ok Thom....lol....... Here you go...... You'll be the one, uh um, with less luggage......lol.....

http://information.travel.aol.com/article/cruise/_a/nude-cruises-and-more-a-sailing-for/20070131092209990001

[Wspinelli]

Ok Thom....lol....... Here you go...... You'll be the one, uh um, with less luggage......lol.....

http://information.travel.aol.com/article/cruise/_a/nude-cruises-and-more-a-sailing-for/20070131092209990001

Makes formal night simple, I guess.