Looking for gifts for scuba divers can often end in two ways, sticker shock or confusion. Buying a gift under $100 for that avid diver in your life is not an easy task unless you are familiar enough with the sport or ready to commit to items over a $100 budget. Browsing through our online store for scuba gear shows just how many choices you face with each click of the mouse. Purchasing gear can often be a very personal choice for many divers and knowing why he/she likes a brand over another can compound the task to find a reasonable gift for that scuba diver buddy.
Our Vancouver dive shop answers a lot of questions and regularly provide ideas for gifts for scuba divers over the phone or through email correspondence. If you have a moderate budget, or are looking for a less expensive dive toy, here is a list of some fun and practical items that will likely be a big hit with the scuba diver in your life and make the hunt a little easy on you when looking for gifts for scuba divers under $100.
10 great gifts for Scuba Divers under $100
Scuba dive books are usually between $20 and $50
Scuba diving guide books to local marine animals like Whelks to Whales; books on local sites like 151 Dives or logbooks for active BC divers in any part of the world are sure to be appreciated and useful!
Slates (diver’s notebooks) are about $30 and always needed
We can’t talk underwater, but still need to communicate with our dive buddy so a dive slate or set of wetnotes can come in extremely handy and won’t break the bank. Scuba photographers often make notes about locations and exposure settings, wreck divers and their discoveries. You can never have too many slates and this gift is a welcome one for all divers.
You can find basic back-up dive lights just under $100
Brighten someone’s day by getting them a back-up dive light (also known as a dive torch). While primary lights, photo lights and video lights can run into the hundreds or thousands, back-up lights, to use in emergency can be found under $100. Designed to be used above and below water a gift like this can serve a few purposes. It’s a great gift even if it’s not for a diver!
Grab a surface marker buoy starting at $30
Every diver needs this and often more than just one or two. Surface marker buoys or SMBs are an important, although sometimes overlooked piece of safety equipment because they mark the diver’s position during and let others know that there is someone down there. These items range in price, starting at approximately $30 for decent quality, small ones that can be inflated at the surface to well over $100 with a number of inflation options, over-pressurization relief valves and come in various sizes.
Diver repair kits run about $30 and are always being needed
A necessary part of a diver’s equipment, but often one of the last items divers purchase for themselves this is a sure bet. Don’t let a loose hose fitting blow an O-ring and not have the proper tools and parts to fix it An added bonus is that a lot of the items in such kits are consumable pieces, meaning that they’ll have to be replaced as they are used in repairs from time to time, so even if your recipient already has one, they could probably use another.
Not everything is on YouTube, grab a DVD on scuba diving for $20
I know it’s hard to believe but not everything is on YouTube. It’s nice to receive a DVD on the sport of scuba. We have videos that feature information on local sites and marine life, on caving and other expeditions or we have some DVDs available for children with a passion for the underwater world.
For less than $10 you can get a can of mask defogger
Divers and snorkelers alike use a mask defogger before every dive (otherwise they must spit in their masks) to prevent their dive masks from fogging up while in use. A cheap, but useful little stocking stuffer if you are shopping around the holidays. This stuff also works on anything that fogs including swim goggles, paintball masks, ski goggles, eye wear, windows, binoculars, scopes & more!
An underwater compass is about $100
A diving compass, like the Suunto SK-7 is an essential piece of gear. Once again, it is not often one of the very first pieces divers buy for themselves, but it is something all divers should have.
Gotta have a dive knife, it’s functional and cool and about $75
A good scuba dive knife or alternative cutting device is a safety item that ranges in price. It is an essential piece of equipment for all divers. If you know someone just starting out in the sport this is a great gift option.
GoPro Accessories run anywhere between $20 and $70
These little units are fun toys for any diver (or snorkeller, surfer, snowboarder, skier, cyclist, et cetera)! If the outdoor enthusiast in your life uses a GoPro to capture their adventures we have accessories such as wall chargers, auto charger, wifi kits and more to spice up their set up.
Happy shopping!