Renting Underwater Camera in Indonesia

A simple answer is some do and some don't. I know for example Dream Divers on Gili Trawangan and I think Two Fish in Bunaken did. However usually the cameras for rent are pretty low end point and shoot jobbies. Nothing too wrong with that but I recently took 1200 pics underwater in Indonesia and I can certainly say the more I got used to the camera (its only a basic one) and switched into manual settings etc the better the pics became. If you have a new camera every set of dives it will hamper you.

Also sounds like you're hitting all the best dive spots - how much diving will you do because rental will really add up and you will want housing if not for this trip then for the next.

You may choose to only take photos occasionally. I didn't take my camera on 1 dive out of 63 in Indonesia. It was 20m viz with 7 mantas. I never left it behind after that!!

thx mucksavage. yeah, you're right it's defo. a compromise if I would have to rent it everywhere....and never sure I can rent one everywhere and then you 'll see you'll get these 7 manta's surrounding you ;-)

the thing is, 4 months ago I bought this new camera on my backpacktravels cause my other one got stolen.......and now since I'm starting to dive more and more I'm getting more enthousiastic about underwater photography. i'm not ready yet to kick it up to the more semi-pro kind of stuff (also cause don't have the budget for that now) but it's a real bummer to find out there's no underwater casing for my model available.....

so buying a new camera AGAIN and incl. housing and letting me stuck with the one I already have is a bit of money munching too.

but I guess it's worth buying a new camera (albeit not too expensive but still...) and getting lots of memorable underwater photography rather than keep thinking "I should have had one now, damn!" when I'm there........ :-)

Its a tough one alright. I was in Indo recently and going all in for the semi pro rig with strobe would be great, the pics are great, but if you have clothes and then all your own dive gear (which I did!), lugging a hard case filled with a camera and a strobe is that last thing you need. My camera is an old 3.2mp Canon. I had camera envy half the time but eventually I realised mine was a lot less hassle and still got take some half decent macro pics. On the Liveabaord I was on my buddy actually stopped taking his strobe rig as it was giving him a pain in the currents so maybe a cheap and cheerful cam and housing might be worth it.

Of course there is the other thing - 8 years ago we are all just divers, now everyone is a photographer too. Its good to try and remember why we started diving - to enjoy the sensation and the life and not to chase the best pic and be a Pygmy Seahorse hog (you know who you are!).

Either way you'll enjoy it.

Big Bubble on Gili Trawangan used to rent out a digital camera with underwater housing.
I suggest you email dive shops in places you want to go and ask.