Hello! I will be in Bonaire for the first time in August. We would like to rent equipment (wet suit, regulator and BCD for 4 of us for 8 days in conjuction with a mix package of boat dives and shore dives (3 + 5 or something similar). It seems that there are no packages that provide long term rental for several people at a discounted rate...overall the bill becomes HUGE! Anyone can help? thanks
Sil

Silvia,
You may want to consider renting the equipment from your local dive shop. I know that here in the SLC UT area, Neptune Divers does rent equipment to larger groups for a discounted rate. I think in Bonaire the prices that you have looked at be it at Buddy Dive, Yellow Submarine, or Capt. Dons is the standard price.
Good luck and enjoy the Island you will come back over and over again I am sure.
Robert

Silvia -- I agree with Robert. Rent from your local dive store ... it will be cheaper, even if you have to pay an extra $25 bag fee for all the gear. Also, you know what you're getting and can make sure it works well and meets your needs before you leave. Otherwise, you're at the mercy of the resorts. My 2 cents -- KOB.

Renting form a dive shop was our original idea. the fact that puzzle me is that on the web site I cannot find any package that vie some discounted rate for 4 people for 10 days!
at 40 $ a day X4 divers in our family x 10 days the total gets to 1600 US $! there should be some discounted rate! In other countries we use to rent at 20$ a day when rental is done in conjunction with diving packages (boat trip + tanks for shore trips!). I can't believe that such a discounted option does not exist in Bonaire....Thanks for helping
Silvia

A good number of divers who go to Bonaire own their own gear.
Maybe now is a good time for your family to do likewise? You've got seven months to spread the cost over...

And in August, the four of you may or may not need wetsuits, so don't buy those yet, just rent if needed...

(Message edited by tschamp on January 11, 2011)

I don't see the problem. Buddy Dive is $110/week for reg and BC. You ought to own your own wetsuit anyway...it will fit better, it will not be a shorty, and you will know "where it has been." It will amortize in just a couple of trips.

Note that rental costs are a bit higher in Bonaire than some other places, because you probably do more diving with the rental gear than other places. You mentioned 3 boat (presumably 2-tank?) and 5 shore dives as your standard for comparison, but in Bonaire, over a week, you'll do 20-30 dives, or more. so think of the cost of the rental not per day but per dive, and you'll find it is pretty good.

agree with Mel... you should OWN your wetsuits already, if not go buy them. People pee in wetsuits, particularly rentals, and don't wash them... ewww!!!!
Plus you are going to get a better fit if you go out and buy one. Go to your local dive shop and start trying them on. Different manufacturers use different patterns, so for example, a "L" in Akona is not an "L" in Henderson, etc.

as far as the rest of the gear... we bought all our own gear, for 3 people the first year we got certified. It just makes sense if you are going to dive more than a week a year. It is safer too as you are more familiar with your gear and know when it was serviced.

We own our own gear, but travel without our regs & rent there. Never had a problem with the rentals.
The carry on and weight restrictions on our bags for transit through the U.S. from Canada is ridiculous. Even purse sizes are measured, and carry on is weighed. When I see what goes onto the plane in EWR as carry on by U.S. passengers.....not fair!

We don't use wetsuits/skins on vacation, but I certainly wouldn't rent 1, yuck! If you can, I agree, buy your own suit.
There are always weekly rental prices, not just daily, look further down the chart, or e-mail where you're staying.

From the US, we get two free checked bags each to the Caribbean, so it's non-problem for us.
But if you fly to CUR or AUA and hop over to BON, you may have to pay excess baggage fees for that.

Looks like the OP is from Italy, home of Mares dive gear; can't go wrong with that...

Silvia, not sure what you consider "huge" when it comes to rental prices on scuba gear. To provide a reference point, where I live it cost my family $250 each to rent gear for a week and take it to Bonaire. That is BC, regulator, and computer. We provided our own snork/mask/fins. Weights and tanks were part of the dive package.

So for a family of 4, $1000 for one week of diving on Bonaire just for the equipment.

I'm a fan of renting and bringing your own. There's always a chance that they won't have what you want or what fits when you get there if you rent on island. And no guarantee that the gear will be a recent model or in great serviceable condition (no intent on a slam at dive shops, have only used one and their gear looked to be current and in good shape.)

So use that as a reference. If it starts to get too much beyond that, then you start to get into the realm of 'buy your own' because it's going to cost you that much anyway. Now you have your own gear that you like and you only have to pay for it once plus regular servicing, which may be free depending on brand and your dive shop's policy.

e.

Silvia, maybe try and give Buddy Dive (or the other dive shops) a call or send them an email inquiring about a discount. It never hurts to ask. We have always had good luck on Bonaire when asking for a discount.

Good Luck!

Maybe you can borrow some items from friends at home.