The holiday season is once again upon us. Here is my list of thoughtful and quite useful gifts for the average scuba diver. My list is no particular order and I’m not receiving any compensation from any of the manufacturers on this list. I hope this list inspires a great holiday gift. (Thanks to Trent for the picture above.)
Action Camera
Action cameras such as the Gopro Hero 8 Black are producing surprisingly high quality images. Gopro’s are only waterproof to 33ft (10m), a Gopro Protective Housing is required for deeper dives between 33-196ft. Most action cameras are small, lightweight and affordable. I currently use a Hero 4 Silver and Hero 8 Black.
Memory Cards
Memory cards are always useful. New cards have faster read/write speeds and they can store more data. All camera manufacturers list compatible cards on their respective sites. Make sure you purchase a card that is approved for the camera. One of my favorite brands is SanDisk. It’s never bad to have an extra card, just in case a card goes bad during a dive trip.
Waterproof Labels
Many divers have similar looking equipment. Labeling your possessions helps avoid any unfortunate situations. I have used Dive Label to design my unique stickers. Turn around time was pretty quick when I purchased.
Fun Dive Hoods
A dive centre in Orkney, UK called Scapa Scuba makes custom dive hoods. They have several designs and you can choose the thickness of neoprene. Here’s a link to a picture of me sporting my devil hood from Scapa Scuba.
Fish ID Books
After dive trips, I always struggle to figure out the correct names of marine life I observed. New World Publications produces a fantastic series of Fish ID books.
Dive Map
I purchased this dive map to brighten up my living room. It’s a great conversation piece. I mounted the map to poster board and purchased red flag pushpins from Amazon to mark the dive sites I have visited. (You can see my living room couch and the map on the wall in this post – scroll down and the picture is in the middle.)
Wetsuit / Drysuit Hanger with Fan
The HangAir Drying System with built-in electric fan is a lovely accessory. The system helps dry a wet or dry suit pretty quickly. The high power waterproof fan pushes 120 ft of cubic air per minute.
Dry Bags
If you are diving off of a day boat or shore diving, it can be hard to keep items completely dry. I find dry bags very useful.
Wet Socks
I like wet socks for two reasons. Reason 1: It helps slip dive boots on and off. Reason 2: It helps reduce foot odor in boots. A company called Scuba Do Rag produces a wide range of wet socks and other accessories.
Dive Travel Insurance
Most scuba diving organizations, dive operations, and travel advisors recommend some form of dive travel insurance. Dive Assure offers scuba diving, medical and travel insurance in one affordable package. Earlier this year, I posted about my experience.
I hope this list helps provides non-divers and scuba divers with a few good gift ideas!
Happy Holidays!