You can rent every piece of freediving gear you need in Anilao — longfins, low-volume masks, snorkels, 3mm wetsuits, weight belts, and buoys with lines — for roughly ₱500–₱1,500 per day depending on what you take and where you rent it. If you're doing a course or a try session, you often won't pay anything extra at all, because most schools bundle gear into the price. This guide breaks down what's typically included, what dive shops charge for individual items, and when it makes sense to stop renting and buy your own.
A note on prices: all figures in this guide are indicative 2026 ranges compiled from public sources. Rates change with season, gear condition, and rental length — always confirm the exact price with the host before you book.
The short version
- Taking a course or try session? Gear is almost always bundled. Bring swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, and a towel; the school handles the rest.
- Fun diving or line training independently? You'll rent from a dive shop or your guide. Budget ₱500–₱1,500/day for what you need.
- Beginner thinking of buying? Buy a mask and snorkel first. Rent everything else until at least intermediate level.
What schools bundle vs what dive shops rent
There are two ways gear reaches your hands in Anilao, and they work differently.
Freediving schools (browse them here) treat gear as part of the product. When you book a beginner course (indicatively ₱12,000–₱18,000) or a try session (₱2,000–₱3,500), the price normally covers longfins, a low-volume mask, snorkel, wetsuit, weight belt with weights, and use of the buoy and line. Some schools include gear for the duration of the course only; a few charge a modest daily rental on top, especially for wetsuits. It varies enough that it's worth asking explicitly in your booking request — Plan a Dive lets you put that question to the host directly before you commit.
Dive shops (directory here) rent by the item or by the set, usually per day. This is the route for certified freedivers who arrive without gear, people between courses who want to keep training, or anyone whose airline baggage allowance didn't stretch to a longfin bag. Anilao's shops grew up serving scuba divers, so not every shop stocks freediving-specific kit — plastic longfins and low-volume masks are increasingly common, but carbon fins and dedicated freediving buoys are rarer. Call or message ahead rather than assuming.
Independent instructors and guides (find one here) sit in between. Many own a small pool of rental gear and will bring a set for you if you flag it when booking a line session or coached fun dive (₱1,500–₱3,000 for the session itself, gear sometimes included, sometimes ₱300–₱500 extra).
Indicative rental prices in Anilao
These are typical 2026 daily rates. Multi-day rentals often get a discount; ask.
| Item | Indicative daily rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Low-volume mask + snorkel | ₱150–₱400 | Cheapest item to rent — and the first thing worth buying |
| Longfins (plastic blades) | ₱300–₱600 | Fiberglass/carbon rarely rented; when available, expect the top of the range or above |
| 3mm wetsuit | ₱300–₱600 | Open-cell freediving suits are uncommon as rentals; most stock is standard closed-cell |
| Weight belt + weights | ₱150–₱300 | Rubber freediving-style belts not always available; nylon scuba belts common |
| Buoy + line + bottom weight | ₱300–₱700 | Usually rented per session with a guide rather than solo |
| Full set (fins, mask, snorkel, suit, belt) | ₱500–₱1,500 | The realistic all-in number for most divers |
Confirm current rates with the host — condition, brand, and demand (weekends and holidays especially) all move prices within these ranges.
A few practical notes on that table:
- Fins: rental longfins are almost always plastic. That's fine — plastic blades are forgiving, durable, and honestly what most freedivers should learn on anyway. If you dive a specific carbon setup at home, bring it.
- Wetsuits: Anilao water runs roughly 26–30°C depending on season (see conditions and when to dive Anilao). A 3mm is comfortable year-round for most people; some divers go 1.5mm or a rash guard in the warm months. Rental suits are mostly closed-cell scuba-style suits, which work but feel stiffer than open-cell freediving suits.
- Buoys and lines: you generally won't rent these solo, and you shouldn't want to — line sessions in Anilao are best done with a guide or buddy through a school anyway. The buoy is typically part of the session, not a separate line item.
Rent or buy? Honest advice for beginners
The freediving internet will happily sell you ₱40,000 of carbon and neoprene before your first course. Resist. Here's a saner sequence.
Rent everything through your beginner course. Your school provides it, you don't yet know what fits you, and beginner technique doesn't benefit from premium gear. If anything, learning on plastic fins builds better finning mechanics.
Buy a mask and snorkel first. This is the near-universal advice from instructors, and it holds in Anilao. Reasons:
- Fit is personal. A mask that seals on your face without strap tension is the single biggest comfort upgrade in freediving, and rental masks are a lottery.
- It's cheap. A good low-volume freediving mask plus a simple J-snorkel costs less than a week of rentals.
- Low volume matters more as you go deeper. Less air needed to equalise the mask means more air for your ears. You'll want your own before you want anything else.
- Hygiene. It's the item that spends the most time on your face.
Rent fins and wetsuits until intermediate level. Once you're training past roughly 20–30m and doing repeated line sessions, you'll have opinions about blade stiffness, footpocket fit, and suit thickness — and those opinions are worth acting on. Before that point, buying is guessing. If you're working through the certification ladder, our course levels guide maps roughly where "intermediate" lands in each agency's system.
Weight belts are a judgment call. A rubber freediving belt is inexpensive, and rental stock in Anilao is often nylon scuba belts, which ride up during dives. If you're diving regularly, a rubber belt is a cheap, packable early purchase. Weights themselves you should always rent locally — never fly with lead.
Fit and care tips that save your day
Mask fit test: press the mask to your face without the strap and inhale gently through your nose. If it holds on its own, it seals. Do this at the shop before walking away with a rental.
Footpocket fit: longfin footpockets should be snug barefoot or with a thin (1.5–2mm) sock — your heel shouldn't lift when you flex. Too loose costs you power and blisters; too tight cramps your feet mid-session. Try both feet, walk a few steps, point your toes.
Wetsuit fit: snug everywhere, no gaping at the lower back or armpits (that's where cold water flushes through). If you're between sizes on a rental, go smaller — a loose suit barely insulates.
Defog rental masks properly. Rental masks have been through many faces and many defog routines. Baby shampoo diluted in water works; spit works in a pinch. If a rental mask fogs relentlessly, ask to swap it — chronic fogging is often residue you can't fix poolside.
Rinse and return. Freshwater-rinse everything after the last dive, hang the suit inside-out in shade, and don't leave fins blade-down in a hot van — plastic blades warp. Shops notice divers who return gear well-treated, and it's the fastest way to get the good gear next time.
Check before you leave the shop. Mask strap condition, fin buckles or heel straps, wetsuit zips, belt buckle release. Five minutes at the counter beats discovering a cracked buckle at the dive site in Mabini with the boat waiting.
Booking gear alongside your dive
The clean way to handle all of this is to sort gear at booking time rather than on arrival. When you send a request through Plan a Dive, state what you have and what you need — "I have my own mask and snorkel, need longfins, 3mm suit, and belt" — and the host will confirm availability and the exact price. Schools and guides in the directory are used to this question; the request-to-book model exists precisely so these details are settled before money changes hands. There are no booking fees on Dive Select either way.
If you're staying a few days and mixing line training with recreational spots — and Anilao's dive spots reward that — a multi-day rental negotiated up front is almost always cheaper than daily rates, and it means the gear that fits you on day one is the gear you have all week.
First time in Anilao altogether? Start with the full freediving-in-Anilao guide, sort your ride down via getting to Anilao from Manila, and if you're beginning from zero, a try session with everything bundled is the simplest possible entry: show up with swimwear, and the water does the rest.