The costs involved in scuba diving vary depending on what you choose to purchase and what you choose to rent, as well as the quality and brand of your gear. You should also consider ongoing costs, such as dive trips and tank refills.
We’ll break down these costs for you in this article to provide a better understanding of how much scuba diving costs for what you need, including your initial certification course. We will also compare renting gear and buying gear, pointing out the merit in each situation.
What Equipment Do You Need for Scuba Diving?
For scuba diving, you need:
- A scuba tanks
- A mask
- Fins
- A snorkel
- A diving suit
- A buoyancy control device (BCD)
- A regulator
- A dive computer and/or gauges
There are also small items that are worth carrying, such as dive knives. The cost of gear adds up, but you can also rent certain items to cut costs and keep your scuba diving bulk to a minimum.
How Much Does Scuba Equipment Cost?
A full set of scuba diving equipment can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 (sometimes more) when purchasing everything new. In most cases, you won’t purchase your own scuba tank unless you’re diving professionally or fairly often.
You have plenty of options to choose from, all the way from budget-friendly to high end items, and you may need to adjust the numbers depending on specific accommodations.
Mask, Fins, and Snorkel
Average price: $50 to $300 (mask); $25 to $300 (fins); $5 to $75 (snorkel)
We’re lumping your mask, fins, and snorkel together because these are three items that you almost always buy, regardless of your financial situation. They’re some of the cheaper pieces of equipment you can purchase, and they make a great launching off point.
Your mask and fins should fit as close to perfect as possible. While there are plenty of styles to try, ill-fitting equipment will only cause problems later on.
Those with prescription lenses may need to spend more for a prescription mask, so it may get as high as $500.
Diving Suits
Average price: $50 to $200+ (wetsuits); $1,000 to $3,000 (drysuits)
Your diving suits come in a variety of styles, but most fall into the wetsuits or drysuit categories. Some shallower divers work fine using a rashguard, which costs anywhere from $30 to $100 and beyond.
Your diving suit cost varies depending on the type of suit you choose, the style in that type, how thick it is, and any extra features.
Buoyancy Control Device
Average price: $350 to $1,500 (usually between $500 to $700)
Your BCD sets the foundation for your equipment. It holds your tank and routes hoses, but may also hold weights and serve as a connection point for your other gear.
Travel BCDs are much lighter and fold up easily. They may also be more rugged to hold up over travel, but they don’t work for everyone.
Most BCDs have the same basic design, but your high end options use better materials that last longer and likely dry quicker. They may also allow for replacements on a part by part basis, extending the life of your BCD indefinitely.
Regulator
Average price: $200 to $2,000 (usually between $500 and $700)
Your regulator has a first stage that connects directly to your tanks and a second stage that connects to the first. You hold the second stage in your mouth to breathe.
There are different types of regulators, and the kind you choose depends on the conditions you dive in. For example, cold water divers need one that uses a diaphragm design (rather than a piston design) to combat freezing.
Balanced regulators are more expensive, and they provide air consistently regardless of your depth or the remaining amount. Unbalanced are cheaper, but there’s a noticeable difference the deeper you go and less air you have.
Higher end regulators are often made of titanium, and they may be smaller with a better warranty.
Dive Computers and Gauges
Average price: $400 (non-air integrated – spend another $250 for gauges); $500 to $1,500 (air integrated)
Dive computers are extremely helpful, but you may not need them for shallow dives. Those who want to dive deep or complete their Advanced Open Water Diver course need them.
The main difference to note is air integration. Your more expensive options use air integration to calculate:
- Air pressure
- Bottom time
- Your safety stop time
- Decompression time
- Surface interval time
Those without air integration need an analog reading of air pressure and depth. You should have the gauges anyway, but you’ll also need to take the time to record this information manually.
Is Scuba Diving Expensive?
Scuba diving has a high upfront cost, especially if you insist on purchasing your own gear. This makes it fairly expensive to cost.
Even if you’re renting equipment, you’re still on the hook for:
- Paying for your training course
- Paying for instructor time for in-water training and open-water dives
- Any associated fees for your initial open water dive after certification
Renting is far less expensive than buying, but it’s still a significant chunk of money for some people.
Training Costs for Scuba Diving
Your first scuba-related expense is often your dive training, and you’ll spend money on:
- Academics
- Confined water training
- Open water dives
The entire course may cost about $350 to $450 to start, and the price varies depending on your location. While the cost for the academic portion remains steady if you use eLearning resources like PADI’s online training, you still need to find an instructor to run you through the rest of the course.
At this point, you’re paying for their time and expertise as they supervise you in the water. You may need to travel to complete your open dives for certification, and this adds on to your overall expenses.
Is Diving a Rich Sport?
Some argue that scuba diving is a rich sport, but it’s more of an investment than anything. This doesn’t mean that only those with piles of money set aside can enjoy scuba diving.
Most of your costs for scuba diving lay in your initial work. You need to pay for your class and gather equipment, as well as pay for your dives.
The good news is that once you get your equipment, you’re really only paying for dives and refills. Even if you’re renting some of the larger equipment, your costs go down significantly once you have the items you need.
The only ongoing issue is if you have a tendency to buy the next best thing when it comes to gear, but most of your tried-and-true items won’t need upgrades anytime soon.
Is Scuba Gear Worth Buying?
The worth of buying scuba gear depends on your financial situation and how frequently you dive. If you’re considering buying gear to use on vacation once, it isn’t worth it. But if you’re invested in scuba diving as a regular sport, buying your own gear is the easiest way to save money in the long term.
Advantages of Buying Scuba Gear
Buying scuba gear is the way to go if you’re in it for the long haul. You don’t need to buy everything at once, but even just purchasing a mask and fins helps you feel more comfortable in the water. Ultimately, you want gear that fits your body and your diving situations perfectly.
It may not be the best option if you dive occasionally, but for those heading out at least a few times a year, it pays off in the long run. After you’ve rented gear for about a month, you’ve spent enough to cover the cost of a full set of gear.
There’s also nothing that beats the peace of mind of using something familiar. You know exactly when everything was serviced and inspected and how thoroughly it was. There’s little to no learning curve in using your own gear, reducing your chance of error on a dive.
Renting Over Buying Scuba Gear
Renting is another option for scuba divers, and it’s not a bad idea. Renting a gear package costs an average of $120 to $150 per week, but this changes depending on:
- How many items you’re renting
- Where you’re renting
- Any other deals you have with the dealer (i.e. loyalty, referrals, bundles)
Renting gear comes out on top in certain areas, such as choosing gear for growing children.
Advantages of Renting Scuba Gear
Renting is great for anyone who only dives about once a year on vacation. It’s also a great way to reduce your load when packing for vacation, and you can still purchase smaller items as needed.
If you’re starting out with scuba diving, renting lets you try different types of gear, including different brands and forms, before you invest in them. This may be the only way you know it’s worth it to spend twice as much on a certain piece of equipment that you would have overlooked otherwise.
Dive shops must keep all their gear in top shape, so anywhere you go with a good reputation you can expect scuba gear that’s been professionally serviced and inspected. For some people, this offers greater peace of mind than using their own gear.
How Much Is a Scuba Suit?
A scuba suit can cost anywhere from $50 to $3,000. This varies greatly because of the difference in:
- The type of scuba suit you choose (wetsuits vs. drysuits)
- The style of the suit (i.e. shorties cost less than full-coverage wetsuits
- The thickness of the suit
- Color
- Brand
Depending on where you dive and how often you dive, you may want to purchase multiple suits. For example, a thin dive skin won’t cut it in cold water conditions like a drysuit will, and you might need both if you’re hopping back and forth.
How Much Does It Cost to Refill a Scuba Tank?
A scuba tank refill can run anywhere from $5 to $200, but the average range is $10 to $20. This price varies depending on the shop you’re refilling your tank at, but price is also affected by tank size and the type of air you want.
| Type of Gas | Tank Capacity | Average Price |
| Compressed Air | Any – up to 207 bar | $5 |
| Clean Air (O2) | Any – for cleaning | $10 |
| Nitrox | 0 to 40 cubic feet | $3 to $9 |
| Nitrox | Up to 80 cubic feet | $5 to $20 |
| Nitrox | Up to 100 cubic feet | $7 to $27 |
| Nitrox | Up to 120 cubic feet | $10 to $32 |
| Oxygen | 1 cubic foot | $3 |
| Helium | 1 cubic foot | $0.40 |
Compressed air is the cheapest, but blends like nitrox or trimix help you with deeper dives or technical dives. You’ll need to clean the tank prior to using specialized blends, and you may need to carry them in a transfer tank and use compressed air on the way down.
References
https://www.keylargoscubadiving.com/scuba-gear/how-much-does-scuba-gear-cost/
https://www.ourglobetrotters.com/cost-of-scuba-diving-gear-rent-or-buy/
https://www.tdisdi.com/sdi-diver-news/scuba-cost/
https://openwaterhq.com/scuba/how-much-does-it-cost-to-refill-a-tank-cylinder/