How To Buy A Christmas Present For A Diver If You Don’t Dive YourselfUpdated 2 years ago
You probably can’t stand the idea of diving, it sounds claustrophobic and terrifying. Why in the world would you want to descend into a hostile environment (possibly full of sharks) and get the bends for fun? But, you’ve got that weird friend/family member who doesn’t talk about anything else and this year you want to show them how much you care by buying them some diving stuff. The only problem is, where do you even start?
The good news is that diving, like many other activities, offers an endless selection of accessories and upgrades and you are unlikely to meet a diver who ‘has everything’. Here’s our non divers guide to shopping for your diving friend!
- The expensive version of the inexpensive thing
Your diving friend probably has a mask, but do they have a bling, top of the range mask with treated lenses? If your friend is a fairly recently qualified diver then they probably ended up with a decent, mid range mask sold to them during their course. Examples of the kind of mask we’re talking about would be:
Other great examples of top end versions of less expensive items are the Fourth Element Gloves, which came out earlier this year and put most other dive gloves to shame, the Apeks RK3 fins (flippers to you), now one of the most popular fins in the world simply because of how good they are, and the Apeks Reels which are the first truly excellent quality reel made by a mainline manufacturer.
- A Good Torch
Most divers will always find it useful to have another torch. A primary and a backup, with the backup being either the smaller or least powerful of the two. Torch technology also improves rapidly so even a good torch a few years ago has probably been surpassed in battery life and brightness too so you’re unlikely to go wrong here.
Examples of great torches for gifts are:
- The new Metalsub torches
- The new Apeks torches
- The Scubapro 850R Nova
- Stuff there’s a good chance they won’t have
They almost certainly have a mask, maybe they have a really expensive one too… But, do they have a neoprene mask strap cover made from upcycled wetsuits with all the profits going to fund Ghost Fishing Expeditions? We doubt it…
How about a little all in one tool kit that can be kept in a pocket: The Pandora tool is a super useful item any diver would be pleased to have.
If you care about your friend or family member, which we assume you do, seeing as you're here, then why not get them an emergency marine rescue GPS. The nautilus lifeline is an all in one system that can be taken under the water and will give you a bit of extra piece of mind that your friend has not been left behind in shark infested waters somewhere!
Finally if you want to get them a really useful bag, then the Apeks phone case drybag is the perfect item to take onto a dive boat and keep your valuables safe whilst still enabling you to use your phone with wet hands
- Some Cool Diving Attire
It’s cold so get them a hoody. The Fourth Element Xerotherm and Arctic hoodies are functional, fashionable and super warm
We also think it’s unlikely that they'll have a turtle tube (A buff to you or I) another Fourth Element product that's super versatile on the dive boat.
- A Wetsuit
We all know there are supply chain issues with everything at the moment but in diving, it’s neoprene that’s going to be the big issue for the next few months. So if your loved one is umming and ahing about a new suit then now’s the time to buy!
The new Waterproof W7 is an amazing all round wetsuit whilst for colder climes you can’t go wrong with the Apeks Thermiq suit.
And there we have our run down of some suggestions to leave your loved one astounded and amazed on Christmas morning, potentially leaving you with enough brownie points to get out of the washing up....