Fins - Take your own?

[BookemDano]

We're getting ready for our trip to the Galapagos and wanted opinions on bringing personal fins. Seems to me that is something that is not that critical to be your own (just use rentals).
We want to save weight on packed luggage, too.

[Sansho]

If I remember another thread correctly, you haven't been diving in awhile, so in that case maybe using rental fins is fine.

When I went to Australia, I took all my equipment except tanks and weights. More comfortable, and I think safer, diving with equipment I'm familiar with, and that includes fins.

[Flatliner]

I dive a lot and have personal preferences BUT I wouldn't even consider going somewhere as increadible (and expensive) as that without my own gear.

[fisheater]

Me neither.

I'd make sure that my gear was tuned up and ready to go and, much more importantly, that I was tuned up and ready to go. I'd want to get my diving skills honed up, so I wouldn't miss a damned thing out there.

[chicken]

I take everything except tanks and weights. My fins are way more comfortable than any rental stuff I've seen or used. Also if you are wearing your own gear, it fits and works (or should) and the dive experience is much better for me.

[buddhasummer]

I agree with others, I always take all my own gear, save tanks/weights, when ever where ever, I know my gear Im comfortable with it, I know its well maintained and in good working order etc. My vote is take ya own gear if you are familiar enough with it etc. Have a great trip, itll be amazing Im jealous. Cheers

[Damselfish]

The few times I've been stuck wearing rental fins they weren't that great. The Galapagos are more challenging conditions that your average reef diving, I wouldn't want to be out there using crappy fins. And you want something comfortable that isn't going to give you blisters.

[thor]

I concur with everyone. The last thing you want is some fins that don't fit right or just don't work for you. The last time I demo'ed a drysuit I had to use a pair of rental fins they had, since the boots didn't fit my fins. I spent most of the dive feeling I had to catch up to everyone, used a lot of air doing it, and ended up with a leg cramp. Not a pretty picture.

[jet126]

Just to give this dead fish one more solid thump: I recently returned from a dive trip to Indonesia. Another trip-of-a-lifetime diving mecca. My luggage was lost so I ended up having to rent everything except reg & computer which I carry in my backpack.

The fins broke my first dive. Not the strap: the actual fin tore. And they didn't have another pair that fit me quite as well. And the mask was a little leaky. I didn't let it ruin my vacation (trip report posted elsewhere in this forum) but I sure wished I had my own gear.

If you want to get rid of weight take another look at your clothes, shoes, etc. You need far less than you think you do - especially on a live aboard.

[rmkrause]

Yeah, I'd look at all the other stuff you take along.

Personally, for a week or two of travel I'll take one pair of travel/hiking pants plus 2 travel shirts, (long sleeves with swiss tabs), 2 pairs of underwear and few pairs of socks and a small vial of Dr. Bonners soap and wash them myself in the sink or tub. Shoes I'll take one pair and every night I just pull the insoles and open it up to let them dry out as much as possible. There's many sites on the internet about how to get by with less stuff when traveling.