After we schelpped our snorkel gear to Australia and Tahiti and dealt with giant, heavy bags, every trip since then we’ve rented snorkeling equipment when we travel. We’ve found that renting is better than traveling with our snorkel gear.
If you’re vacationing in Oahu, here are 5 reasons why you should rent snorkel gear in Oahu vs. bringing it from home.
1. Save the environment
Okay, maybe not really but kinda in an A = B = C way. And you thought Algebra in high school was useless…
By renting snorkel gear in Oahu you won’t have to drive to 8 billion sports shops (or however many there are in your area) looking for snorkel gear. No driving = no gas = saving the environment.
Give yourself a pat on the back and call yourself green.
While waiting for your Greenpeace membership card (Does anyone else think it is ironic that Greenpeace mails membership cards? Killing one tree in the interest of saving others is ok. Spock would be proud.) you’ll save all that time driving around.
Time you could spend on the couch watching tv or online reading fascinating blogs like Traveling Well For Less. (Shameless promotion I know but someone had to do it.)
2. Be a hobo
Not in the traditional sense of being penniless, but you’ll get a taste of being a hobo in the sense of traveling light.
Renting gear instead of schlepping it from home means:
a. you can travel with fewer bags or even smaller bags, like a carry on
b. you’ll have more room in your suitcase for things like underwear; 7 or 8 pairs of underwear for 7 days is a good rule of thumb when packing, I know some other bloggers might say 3, but I like fresh drawers
c. your suitcases will weigh less
- sparing your back or knees from injury from hoisting 75-pound suitcases
- you’ll save money since you won’t be paying checked bag fees (of course if you’re elite or have an airline credit card (American Airlines and United Airlines)
3. Storage Wars
Do you have room to store snorkel gear that you use once a year? You might have to get rid of those Beanie Babies that you’re been holding onto for retirement.
4. Pinch Pennies
It is cheap to rent snorkel gear in Oahu. You can rent a complete set of snorkeling gear for $9 – $12 a day or up to $36/week.
Sure you can buy snorkel gear from Costco for $50. Of course, you’ll be paying $14 more, but go back and read reasons 1, 2, and 3 and you’ll see it’s cheaper to rent.
5. Lazy American
Since there are limited options for renting snorkeling gear in Oahu, especially if you’re staying in the North Shore or outside of Waikiki, you can buy into the lazy American concept (or as some like to call it, convenient) and have snorkeling gear delivered to you, courtesy of Hawaii Beach Time.
And yes, this is exactly what we did. Not because we’re lazy but since we were staying in the middle of nowhere, or more specifically Laie, otherwise known as Mormon Town.
One quick call and four sets of snorkel gear were delivered promptly and for free to the rental home at 8pm.
Book your Oahu tours and excursions
- Paradise Cove Luau
- Waikiki Sunset Helicopter Tour (20 minutes)
- Open-door Helicopter Tour over Oahu (45 minutes)
- Oahu Submarine Scooter Adventure
- Turtle Canyon Snorkel Cruise by Catamaran
- Oahu Shark Dive
- Pearl Harbor Tour
Be sure to read my post on what you should know before you take a Pearl Harbor tour.
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snorkeling brandon
Wednesday 12th of March 2014
We always rent our snorkeling gear when we go snorkel or diving its just easier and faster..looks like you guys had lots of fun! We loved our snorkelong adventures in fort lauderdale florida.
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