Unless you are a one vacation a year diver, you will likely want to own your own gear at some point. Rentals are fine, however, having your own gear means no adjustments getting used to different configurations. Buying a complete kit is an investment and should be planned carefully.

Like so many other things in this online era, the traditional methods of buying your kit at a local dive center has other options, the internet.

What Scuba Gear Should You Buy?

The list of scuba equipment that you can buy is very long, as you will see below. While the purchase price can add up, the basic kit has a few items. Other items may be needed based on your diving location, style of diving and any special training and interest.

The standard scuba gear that is necessary for any dive is:

  • Scuba Mask and Snorkel
  • Fins
  • BCD
  • Regulator
  • Dive Computer
  • Exposure suit depending on your most frequent diving location:dive skin, wet suit, or dry suit

Some other items you may want to consider purchasing, depending on how much and often you dive and whether you undertake any specialized dives include:

  • Dry Suit
  • Rash Vest
  • Dive Watch
  • Dry Suit Under-suit
  • Gloves, Boots and Hoods
  • Reels and Buoys
  • Underwater Camera
  • Clips and lanyards
  • Hoses
  • Dive Knife
  • Underwater Light
  • Ropes
  • Cylinder
  • Weights and belts

Also read: 5 Valuable and Easy to Follow Scuba Kit Maintenance Tips

So, where should you buy all of this?

When you shop online for scuba equipment, you will likely see that the types of store fall into one of three groups. Many dive shops will have an online counterpart. Here you will find the prices and service the same as the dive shop itself. If the dive shop is local to you, you can browse and then talk to the staff when you know what you want.

You have stores that are only online. The cost of business for an online store is generally much lower than a physical location. This means that you can often find items online below the manufacturers suggested retail price.

The online world offers you the ability to shop around for the best possible prices so make sure you check out all the possibilities.

The third would be resellers; these align themselves with companies like Amazon or Ebay. Some dive shops and even manufacturers will also use these last two, to unload old models.

While you can purchase your entire kit online, there are a few items I would advise against purchasing online.

First and most important is the dive mask. Yes, this often overlooked item needs the most care in selecting. It is very important to get a proper fit.

The second item is an exposure suit. Both dry suits and wetsuits must be an excellent fit. Unless you are buying a custom made or semi-custom made suit, it is best to try them on. When you look at the prices online, do not forget to add in the delivery cost. It can add up if you want your gear quickly delivered.

Also read: 5 Tips on How To Maintain Your Wetsuit

One pitfall of purchasing scuba gear online is the warranty.

Feel free to check out our Scuba Dive partners on the map below for packages, training or guided trips:

This article is published by The Scuba Page, the online magazine for Scuba Dive lovers around the world. The Scuba Page is part of RUSHKULT : the online booking platform for adventure sports. Visit the RUSHKULT platform to book your next Scuba Dive training, guided trip and accommodation.

Scuba divers love to buy scuba gear

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