Great Gifts for SCUBA Divers

If you have a SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diver on your holiday gift list, you probably already have spent a small fortune on the necessary equipment. These less expensive gifts will have your SCUBA diver smiling all through the dive season, year after year!

SCUBA Divers are notoriously deeply involved in their sport, sometimes to the point of obsession. That is, as Martha Stewart would say - "A GOOD THING!", because that fact makes gift giving for SCUBA Divers simple.

• Luminox Original Navy Seal Diver Series 3003 Men's Watch
Designed for the rugged use of US Navy SEAL teams, fiberglass reinforced polyester injection molded case with double gasket crown and stem, along with stainless steel plate case back, provides water resistance to 660 feet (farther than any recreational SCUBA Diver will ever need!) The watch has a luminous face, for easy reading in the dark depths SCUBA Divers enjoy, and an Arnitel dive strap with stainless steel buckle. This is a really cool (and functional) dive watch. Under $150; I got mine at KenMar Watches, http://www.kenmarwatches.com.

• Inflatable SCUBA Dive Flag and Float
This inflatable and highly visible SCUBA Diving Flag and Float packs down into a handy compact space for easy portability, and when blown up is a large, bright warning to crazy jet-skiers and boaters near the dive sight. The inflatable dive flag sits on a ring 22" across, printed in black on yellow "DIVER BELOW". Give the gift that will help keep your SCUBA Diver safer! $40; Florida Scuba Depot, online and stocking an extensive supply of SCUBA needs and treats at http://www.floridascubadepot.com.

• Dive Lights
Dive Lights come in many shapes and sizes, but I recommend having at least two. Keep one as a spare, or emergency, light. SCUBA Lights can also be used to signal on dry land, and to attract the attention of passing boaters in the night, whether to warn them off the dive location, or to get them to pick you up, after a night dive. Consider average dive times, and then double it for a safety margin, when selecting the lasting power of the dive light. Dive lights with rechargeable batteries might cost more to start, but it will not take long before the cost equals the savings. I bought a two light SCUBA set, the Princeton Tec Shockwave L.E.D. and Tec-40, together for under $100, at LeisurePro, http://www.leisurepro.com.

• SCUBA Dive Knife w/ calf sheath
Fishing nets, fishing lines and even a bed of kelp can be deadly to the SCUBA Diver! Having a quality (and sharp!) dive knife handy and accessible can mean the difference between life and death to a SCUBA diver! I have the point tip, titanium Blue Reef 5" Deluxe Dive Knife, that has both a serrated and straight side on the blade, and at the same time I also bought a very nice leg sheath I can open with just a quick touch of my finger. There is a hard end cap on the knife, handy for 'banging the cans', known as attracting attention by pounding on your air tanks underwater. Very good buy, at around $70, for both knife and sheath, at LeisurePro, http://www.leisurepro.com.

• Mesh Dive Gear Bag
Gear accumulates, when SCUBA Divers progress in the sport, and washing and drying your expensive gear can't always happen right on the spot, so toss your wet gear in these Stahlsac large (36 inches x 18 inches) mesh gear bags until you can properly care for your valuable gear. The large mesh holes in the bag allow for excellent drainage. $30, Joe Diver America, http://www.joediveramerica.com.

Stocking stuffers and gift tie-ons for your SCUBA Diver are all around you, as you look through the many dive shops online and in your town. Gift Certificates for air fills are always a great small stocking stuffer, a rolled high absorbency towel for after diving, a fish or marine identification card on plastic coated cardstock, a SCUBA diver's sticker for their car or bike, or a keychain with the dive flag, all these things are inexpensive and practical!

Have fun searching for great gifts for your SCUBA Diver, and watch their excitement as they open gifts you have chosen especially for the SCUBA Diver in your life!