This time of year, when most of the northern hemisphere is blanketed in snow, ice, and the unforgiving chill of winter, is when tropical dive vacations are looking their best. Fronds of palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, pink cotton clouds at sunset, powdery white sand beaches, and bathwater warm seas — what’s not to like?! Although many people are content with renting their dive gear on location as opposed to bringing their own, the simple conditions of warm water diving make it possible to have and bring a few pieces of your own gear. Here are just a few items that we think are essential to bring on any tropical diving vacation.
It is actually possible in some waters to wear nothing more than a bathing suit, but one important fact to bear in mind is that your body loses heat in water up to 26 times faster than in air of the same temperature. The water may feel incredibly warm, certainly much warmer than you’re probably used to in your own state or country, but protecting your core from losing your precious body heat is paramount. Retaining heat is just one part of protecting your body on a dive; it’s also important to protect your skin from abrasions and incidental contact with marine life and natural structures like coral and rocks. Just a few millimeters of neoprene could actually save you from injuries that are hard to anticipate when visiting a tropical paradise. Shorty wetsuits are generally inexpensive and won’t take up much space in your luggage, so if you like tropical diving, invest in one you can travel with. At the very least, get yourself a skin if you have some kind of aversion to shorty wetsuits.
Protecting your body from the intense power of the sun is every bit as important — if not more so — as protecting it underwater. Whether you choose a powerful sunblock, clothing, or both combined, you will be doing yourself one of the best favors that could ever be done by outfitting yourself with adequate sun protection. The sun’s rays are many times more powerful when reflected by water, and it won’t take long at all for you to be inflicted with a painful, and possibly harmful sunburn. If you’re going the sunscreen route, it would be best to choose a brand that is biodegradable and eco-friendly, as there are many substances in traditional sunscreens that can cause chemical damage to corals and other marine life. We suggest that you wear sunblock even if you will be wearing clothing to protect your skin, which should always include something to cover your head as well as other parts of your body. One bad sunburn will impress this upon you forever!
Whether you consider yourself a green-horned amateur or a seasoned pro, you should at least attempt to capture the beauty of the tropical underwater world while you have the chance. There is a wide variety of underwater cameras on the market today that will suit any experience level; you can even get housings for your iPhone complete with apps that will record stunning underwater footage at the touch of a button! Besides, tropical dive vacations certainly don’t happen every day, so what do you have to lose by snapping a photo or two that will last at least your entire lifetime?
everything! We just pay dearly for overweight bags!
Yes, more than half my luggage is my dive gear. I bought a travel BCD from Leisure Pro’s 25 days of Christmas that I know will lighten my load on my next trip.
All gear.
Everything. BP/W, wetsuit, regs, computers. I don’t rent gear other than tanks.
Everything. I also bought a travel BC to lighten my load.
for everyone that commented so far… do you bring your gear because of the comfort of gear you know or to eliminate the “roll-of-the-dice” gear you get from tourist Scuba shops?
Both…I like to dive with gear I know and that I know has been maintained to my standards. I have a travel BC & a lightweight regulator, so it’s not a big burden.
Trust my own stuff, although the gear I have seen at least in Cozumel lately is pretty good stuff.
Took my new wetsuit, mask and fins with me to HI last month. New suit was great!
everything but weights and tanks, Carry on my reg and camera and check the rest. Feel much more comfortable with my own gear.
YES! Everything except weights and tanks. I hate putting on a cold WET wetsuit in the mornings so I take 2 and swap them daily. Reg, computer & camera in the carry-on. Why?…I trust my gear, I know where it’s been and when it’s been serviced.
Yep. I trust my gear.
Vaseline
Yep, got specific travel gear to lighten the load
Everything but tanks & weights
Yes everything but weights and tanks
All the gear I own. (I dont own my own tank yet but I wouldnt bring it or the weights either)
Mask, fins, snorkel, but most important my regulator and computer. One set of lungs and one brain. Why put that in jeopardy with rental gear?
I take my own gear, save for tanks and weights. After I saw rental boots and reg sets going in the same rinse tank (Eeewwwwwwwww!), I thought, “I’m so glad I have my own gear and shower rinse everything separately.”
Yes
Having seen that rental gear at the tropical destinations I wouldn’t consider renting!
Yes, I take all but my weights and tank.
I rent a bc and reg. they are big and heavy. I don’t always like the regs I get but I always like having only one bag for the whole trip.
My travel BC plus dive computer and octo and my 1 mil steamer.
Everything except the tanks and weights.
My shorty,regs,bcd and personal gear
My Suunto d6 and mask.
We take all of our own gear and out 3mm shorty. Even though water is warmer it is still cooler than body temp. In a longer dive you may get a little cool.
Well yeah, except tanks and weights. Had to rent once and both reg and BC made me want to puke!
I own mask (with prescription so I can see well), fins, snorkel, wet suit and beanie. Rent BC, computer and reg from an area dive shop I know and trust. Only stuff I rent at destination is tanks and weights.
Everything I’ll need except tanks and weights. I like my own gear.
Everything but wgts..and tanks. Won’t dive w/o my own equip.
Always.
My girl and I always use our own gear. We use one duffel bag for gear and one for our clothes. Weigh everything before we leave home. Always get in under 50lbs. a bag and still have plenty to wear. Shorties and travel bc’s makes it easier to fit in duffel.