11 Best Gift Ideas for Scuba Divers (That They’ll Actually Use)
When you have a friend, family member or partner who is obsessed with scuba diving and you are trying to figure out what to gift them for christmas or their birthday (or any other occasion for that matter), you are in the right place.
Most scuba gear is too expensive for a normal gift, plus as a person who doesn’t dive, you probably have no idea where to start looking. But there are also smaller things out there to gift someone who loves diving.
So let me show you the best gift ideas for scuba divers, that I would love to receive myself or things that I already use and think would make a great gift. The prices on the items on this list vary between 10 and 90 Dollars so I’m sure you will find something for your budget.
Transparency Note: This blog post contains affiliate-links. I will earn a small commission when you purchase something. This does not influence the price you pay.
Scuba Diving Headband
Every diver with long(ish) hair needs a headband and there are some really pretty ones out there. I own two headbands from Diver Mon. Do you know the favourite marine animal of the person you want to give this to? I’m sure you will find a headband with that animal on it. Here are some examples: Orcas, Corals, Nudibranchs, Sharks, Turtles.
Price: Between 15 and 30 Dollars
Diving Mask Strap
A mask strap is also something a lot of divers use. When I first started diving I thought this piece of gear was unneccesary. But the more time I spent in the water, the more I realized that I need to buy a mask strap since it prevents your hair getting entangled in the mask and it makes it easier to put it on and take it off.
Just like the headband, there are a lot of different colors and patterns. You can just get one-colored straps or some with different fun pattern.
Price: 10-15 US-Dollars
Scuba Diving Torch
Every diver owns at least one diving torch. This is not only needed for night dives but it’s also super useful during day dives to look at things hidden in cracks and beneath rocks. Shopping for a dive torch can get overwhelming fast since there are a lot of (expensive) brands out there. My tip: Don’t buy the cheapest ones you can find, since those are usually not really good. An affordable brand that has some good options is Wurkkos. I have the Wurkkos DL08 and so far I am happy with it. You can buy it here.
Price: Around 70 US-Dollars
Reef Fish Identification Book
Scuba divers see a lot of fish and other marine life during their dives and we can’t alway identify them. So a fish identification book comes in handy. You can get those for fresh water fish, fish in the Caribbean, fish identification guides for beginners, ocean life in florida, fish guide for the tropical pacific, a California ocean life guide or literally any other region you can think of. Most of these books are available on Amazon or better: your local book shop can order them for you.
Price: From 13 Dollars
Waterproof Dive Log Book
A lot of divers log their dives digitally these days, but there’s something special about a physical logbook you can flip through years later. A waterproof log book lets you write down everything from dive site and depth to what you saw down there, without worrying about it getting ruined on a wet boat deck. There are some really nice ones out there, including ones designed specifically for women divers with inspiring imagery throughout. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even find custom logbooks that get personalized with your diver’s name.
A solid, no-frills option is the SCUBAPRO Diver’s Logbook, which comes with over 50 waterproof pages and has sections for dive time, max depth, visibility, and water temperature. You can find it on Amazon.
Price: From 20 USD
Sustainable Ocean Jewelry
About seven years ago I bought myself a whale necklace from Cape Clasp and it has quickly become my favourite piece of jewelry. Their pieces are sustainable, locally produced and you can tell that it is made with love.
This is not sponsored, I am truly a fan of their jewelry, I bought multiple pieces from Cape Clasp by now. The products are high quality, and the customer service is amazing. I messaged them on Instagram that the band on my necklace broke after seven years of daily use, and they offered to repair it for free. So this brand comes highly recommended by me.
Price: Around 35 Dollars for a Bracelet, more for rings and necklaces.
Cute Beach Poncho
Putting on a beach poncho when you come out of the water is widely used with surfers but it’s also gaining popularity with divers. This piece of clothing keeps you warm after an extended time in the water and makes it easier to change out of a wet bathing suit.
There are different materials (cotton or microfiber) and lot of different colors and designs to choose from:
Surfbrands like Billabong, Quicksilver, Roxy and Rip Curl also sell Ponchos.
Price: From 85 Dollars
Waterproof Playing Cards
Divers (sadly) can’t spend their entire lives underwater, so surface intervals need some entertainment too. Waterproof playing cards are perfect for boat days and liveaboards since they can handle getting splashed or slightly wet hands without falling apart. You can keep it simple and cheap with a basic waterproof deck, or splash out a bit more on a marine-themed one for extra fun.
The Trident Waterproof Scuba Diver Design Playing Cards are a good pick, it’s a standard plastic deck with a diver-down design on the back and a snap-shut travel case, easy to find on Amazon.
Price: From 10 USD
Scuba Themed Keychains
Keychains are a small but genuinely useful gift for divers, and there are a lot of fun options out there. A mini o-ring pick and case keychain can actually save a dive day if something needs a quick fix. Other cute options include marine life luggage tags (great for spotting your dive bag on a busy boat) or novelty designs like a shark-shaped bottle opener for post-dive sundowners.
For something practical, the Innovative Scuba Concepts O-Ring Dive Kit Keychain comes with a brass o-ring pick tucked inside a mini tank-shaped case, and is available on Amazon in a few colors.
Price: From 8 USD
Reef Safe Toiletries
If your diver friend already uses reef-safe sunscreen, chances are they’d appreciate other eco-conscious toiletries too. Reef-safe body wash, shampoo bars, and other bathroom products are a growing category, and scuba divers tend to be some of the first people to care about switching to them. It’s a thoughtful gift that shows you support their values, not just their hobby.
Stream2Sea makes a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that’s sulfate- and paraben-free and formulated to be safer for coral and marine life, sold on Amazon in a few sizes.
Price: From 12 USD
If you rather gift them a reef-safe sunscreen, you can find my recommendations here.
Scuba Diving Hand Mirror
I never even know something like this existed until my brother gifted me a hand mirror for diving. It’s just a small mirror you can tie around your hand and you use it to look behind you while diving. Like this it’s easier to keep track of your dive buddy or group.
I have used this hand mirror a couple of times and found it super useful, and this is most likely something that you diver friend does not own yet since a lot of people don’t know this exists.
Price: Around 10 Dollars on Amazon.
What gifts do you buy for the scuba lovers in your life? Leave a comment below!
My name is Cory and my two favourite things in the world are traveling and scuba diving. You will either find me under the water or on top of a mountain. I have the PADI Advanced Certification and want to see as many marine animals as possible.
