Can I rent dive equipment on a liveaboard?

Yes — BCD, regulator, wetsuit, computer, fins and torches are rentable on almost every boat, typically $15–40 per item per day or $120–250 per week.

Full rental sets are available on virtually every liveaboard, which makes flying with less luggage a genuine option. Typical rates are $25 to $40 a day for a BCD and regulator set, $15 to $25 for a wetsuit, $10 to $20 for a computer, and around $10 for a torch. Weekly packages usually land between $120 and $250.

What rental gear is like: mainstream, well-serviced and unremarkable — Scubapro, Aqualung, Mares and similar. It works, but it will not be tuned to you. The two items most worth owning are a mask, because fit is personal and a leaking mask ruins dives, and a dive computer, because you should know your own device's algorithm and alarms.

One caveat for cold or long dives: rental wetsuits are often thinner and more worn than the water temperature deserves. If your itinerary includes thermoclines — Socorro, Galápagos, the Sea of Cortez, southern Egypt in winter — bring your own suit or add a hooded vest.