Where to buy scuba gear in 2024

If you’re shopping for your next dive trip, you will inevitably want to know where to buy scuba gear in 2024.

There are plenty of options for every piece of equipment, from online shops to forums, and brick-and-mortar stores. In this post, we will show you our top picks of the best places to buy scuba gear in 2024 both online and offline!

We included options for divers in the US, the UK, and for EU-based shoppers. However, most places also ship internationally, no matter where you live.

Here are the best places to buy scuba gear in 2024:

• Best Overall in 2024: Scuba.com
• Best Service: Dive Right in Scuba
• Best scuba gear consultation & ordering service Social Diving 😎
• Fastest shipping: Amazon
• Best for bargains: eBay
• Cheapest for EU customers: DiveInn by TradeInn

We also added some more tips and tricks to buying scuba gear, which store is the right one for you, and the pros and cons of each.

Where to buy scuba gear in 2024

These are my recommendations on where to buy scuba gear online in 2024:

Scuba.com

Scuba.com Quick Facts

Type	Online Shop & Stores
Main Market	USA
Free Shipping	yes (above $100 domestic & on marked items)
Support	Live chat, phone, email, contact form, product questions
Good for	Scuba gear, snorkeling, water sports
Inventory	Large (but not always reliable)
Shipping times	Medium
Other Features	Great blog & knowledge base

• Shop on Scuba.com

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Dive Right in Scuba

Dive Right in Scuba (DRIS) is one of the best places to buy scuba gear online, especially if you are from North America.

They have everything in stock from snorkeling sets to scuba gear and even technical and cave diving equipment.

Customer support is top notch and they offer live chat, email, and phone support! Whenever I had a question, they were super quick to respond.

Prices generally are competitive and getting one of their listed packages will save you even more money.

Unlike others out there, DRIS is actually open and upfront when items aren’t in stock. So you’ll never wait endlessly on your order to arrive.

Dive Right in Scuba Quick Facts

Type	Online Shop & Stores
Main Market	North America & Europe
Free Shipping	yes (above $75 domestic & $500 international)
Support	Live chat, phone, email, contact form, product questions
Good for	Scuba gear, tech diving equipment, snorkeling
Inventory	Large
Shipping times	Very fast
Other Features

• Shop on Dive Right in Scuba

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DiveInn (TradeInn)

DiveInn Quick Facts

Type	Online Shop
Main Market	Europe
Free Shipping	No
Support	Live chat, email
Good for	Anything & everything
Inventory	Large (but not always reliable)
Shipping times	Slow – Medium
Other Features	Due to their multiple stores this is a one-stop-shop

• Shop on DiveInn by TradeInn

House of Scuba

House of Scuba Quick Facts

Type	Online Shop & Dive Center (San Diego)
Main Market	USA
Free Shipping	yes (above $50 domestic)
Support	Live chat, phone, email, contact form
Good for	Scuba gear, tech diving equipment, snorkeling
Inventory	Medium
Shipping times	Medium
Other Features

• Shop on House of Scuba

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Best scuba gear consultation & ordering service

If you want the absolute best customer service, and help with not only a specific item but your scuba gear setup as a whole, why don’t you give us a try?

Social Diving

Social Diving Quick Facts

Type	Various consultation & ordering services
Main Market	Worldwide
Free Shipping	Depends on your location
Support	Video chat, messenger chat, phone, email, in person
Good for	Anything scuba gear & snorkeling related
Inventory	We will find anything for you
Shipping times	Depends on your setup & chosen store
Other Features	1-on-1 consultation service & ordering

• Let us find your perfect scuba gear setup together

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Best shopping platforms for buying scuba gear

Besides dedicated scuba stores, you can also find lots of scuba and snorkeling gear on large shopping platforms.

Amazon

Amazon Quick Facts

Type	Online
Main Market	Worldwide
Free Shipping	Yes (for Prime members)
Support	Email
Good for	Everything
Inventory	Mega large
Shipping times	1-day delivery options
Other Features	Amazon prime comes with lots of cool scuba diving movies

• Shop on Amazon

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eBay

Amazon Quick Facts

Type	Online
Main Market	Worldwide
Free Shipping	Depends on seller
Support	Email
Good for	Bargains
Inventory	Large
Shipping times	Depends on seller
Other Features	The best place to buy used scuba gear online

• Shop on eBay

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Where to buy scuba gear in person

Some people prefer to buy their scuba gear in person and if you have the options near you that’s a great approach. Here are my suggestions for buying diving equipment in person:

Local Dive Store

Local Dive Stores Quick Facts

Type	In-person
Support	Email
Good for	Testing equipment before buying
Inventory	Small
Other Features	Possibility to meet new divers

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What to look out for when buying scuba gear (online)

We all love buying new scuba gear. Come on…admit it…I won’t tell anyone.

There is just something to the touch and feel and smell of new diving equipment just taken out of its wrapper.

But it’s even better if the equipment you bought is exactly what you wanted and the experience of getting it is positive. So let’s go through what you should look out for when buying scuba gear and where.

My three key performance indicators of every dive shop both online and offline are:

• Quality (of equipment and experience)
• Service (you receive)
• Price (in regard to the two aforementioned aspects)

Quality

Quality always comes first, especially when buying life-critical pieces such as regulators, tanks, BCDs, and dive computers.

Check if the store you are buying from is offering quality dive equipment from reputable manufacturers.

Look for reviews online or ask your diving friends about their experience with both the shop and the gear they are selling.

Equipment should be intact when you receive it and include proof of certification by common norms like DIN, INT, EN, etc.

A good indicator of quality is also the website design or store interior. If it looks out of date or dirty, what does that tell you about their inventory?

Service

Ask yourself: Are you receiving quality service and support from the dive store?

If yes, a higher price can be well justified as you receive much more than just the scuba gear itself.

For online dive stores, email support is a must, phone or live chat support sets the good ones apart from the rest.

If they offer a good return policy and product-specific support, then you have found a good store.

When visiting an actual store, check if the salespeople appear knowledgeable and are able to offer different options depending on your budget and requirements.

Stay away from those who push the newest releases too hard or give generic tips like “this BCD is the best for advanced divers“, “regulator xyz is the best money can buy” or my favorite one “all dive instructors use this“.

Price

It goes without question, money doesn’t grow on palm trees and price does matter.

A good store will offer something for different budgets and needs.

Don’t pay for features you’ll never need

Best examples: Trimix functionality if you never plan to do technical diving or Sidemount regulators, if you only do mono-tank dives.

Don’t pay for looks or a “special feel“

Ask yourself: Do you need the anniversary super-limited platinum edition of that dive computer or would the normal version do just fine?

A word of caution

If the price is too good to be true, it’s not true.

Simple as that. Quality comes at a price.

I am always surprised when people are only focused on the price and not willing to spend just a tiny bit more for quality equipment and good support.

Let’s take a regulator, for example…your life depends on this piece of equipment underwater.

Is it worth saving $50 on an inferior product when a good one will most likely last for at least 10-15 years if serviced regularly?

A good drysuit, for example, can last forever if you buy a quality one.

I had a student who bought from one of the online shops I absolutely do not recommend buying from…I remember even telling them not to do it…

Long story short, they bought a BCD for an upcoming dive trip, saw it on that site for an incredible price well below the market average…and it never arrived.

In the end, they bought the same piece of equipment from me using express shipping at 2 in the morning…at a higher price than what it would have been if they had bought from a reputable store or me directly, in the first place.

This “cheap cheap cheap” mentality is a very common occurrence in the scuba diving community and leads to a lack of innovation and quality issues.

I personally find it hard to understand, why people spend thousands of dollars on stuff like golf equipment but are not willing to put the same money into essential scuba gear.

Anyway, that’s a topic for another post.

Best time to buy scuba diving gear

Unlike other sports, scuba diving is not really a seasonal activity and you’ll always find a place to dive.

Since most scuba divers are used to traveling long distances to pursue their favorite hobby, there is also always a demand for new dive gear.

Therefore, there are usually no big summer or winter sales at the big stores, like you might be used to for clothing, skiing, or hiking equipment.

Black Friday does offer an opportunity for some discounts, though.

On the other hand, this also means you can find great discount deals year-round at various stores at different times.

What I’m saying is…the best time to buy scuba diving equipment…is probably now!

Conclusion

I hope you liked this list of the best places to buy scuba gear in 2024 both online and offline.

If you have had good or bad experiences with any of them or know of even better options, share them in the comments!

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Always dive with friends and happy bubbles. 😃

Cheers

Julius