The Scuba Gear Experienced Divers Won’t Dive Without

Every diver has a few pieces of gear they feel better having with them.

Some are about safety. Some are about comfort. Some make the whole dive day feel easier. And sometimes, the gear we swear by comes from a moment when we realized, very clearly, why we needed it.

For me, two of those pieces are my SMB and my tank rattle stick/scuba pointer.

I once got separated from my group while diving in the Galápagos, around Darwin and Wolf Islands, the most remote islands in the archipelago and an area known for strong currents. Thankfully, everything turned out fine and the boat crew saw me after I aborted the dive. But it was scary. Looking back, my rattle stick could have helped me get the group’s attention before I got too far behind, and my SMB could have made me more visible once I surfaced.

That experience changed how I think about the gear I want with me on every dive.

So I asked a few scuba friends the same question:

What are the two pieces of scuba gear you won’t dive without, and why?

Their answers were practical, personal, and very revealing.

The most popular answer: SMB

The piece of gear that came up again and again was the SMB, or surface marker buoy.

That did not surprise me. An SMB is one of those pieces of gear that can feel optional until the moment it very much does not.

Roxy said it beautifully:

My two must-haves are: My SMB: having it with me on every dive gives me SO. MUCH. peace of mind. If I need to come back up alone or with a smaller group, or I get unwillingly separated from my group and need to do a lost-buddy ascent, I know I’ll come up safely with the help of my SMB. Not only does it help prevent boat accidents (them running over me), I’m also much more visible to other divers on the surface, as well as the skiff that should pick me up.

Zach said something very similar:

For me … I’d say a DIVE COMPUTER and SMB … A dive computer for safety… both mine and group’s safety as I do teach diving on the sidelines… For the SMB, it’s really about being safe not only underwater but also on the surface, to get the vessel crew’s attention and to alert other vessels of our presence in the water…

And Val put it simply:

For me it is my SMB and dive computer, one is critical for safety underwater and one for surface.

That’s exactly why I carry mine too. It’s not just about being prepared for an emergency. It’s about having a simple, visible way to say: I’m here.

Dive computers: knowing where you are in the dive

The other piece of gear that came up repeatedly was the dive computer.

For many divers, a dive computer is not just convenient. It is part of how they stay aware of depth, time, ascent rate, and no-decompression limits throughout the dive.

Viviana shared:

My very compact Suunto computer that I use daily as a regular watch and my favorite whale shark print swimsuit by Flitplanet.

Zach also listed his dive computer as one of his top two items because of safety, especially when teaching:

A dive computer for safety, both mine and the group’s safety, as I do teach diving on the side.

And for Weng, having familiar equipment matters because safety is not just about owning the right gear. It is also about knowing how your gear works.

I prioritise underwater safety over surface. After all, I have to survive underwater before worrying about the surface. My own BCD and dive computer are definitely top of my list. Need to be comfortable and know the nuances/workings of each piece of equipment to dive safely & in case of emergency, know how to operate the equipment to get to safety (surface), e.g where to release weights/buckles of BCD.

I loved this answer because it gets to something important: comfort and familiarity matter. The more you know your own gear, the less you have to think about it when something unexpected happens.

Comfort counts too

Not every must-have is dramatic or safety-related. Some gear simply makes the dive day smoother and more comfortable.

Roxy’s second choice was her mask strap:

My mask strap: long hair and silicone mask straps are just a recipe for disaster for me. Having a mask strap (mine is made of neoprene-like material) avoids my hair getting tangled and torn every time my mask strap moves a bit (and as an UW photographer, that happens a lot). With a mask strap, my straps glide easily on and off my hair.

This is such a good reminder that small comfort items can make a big difference, especially over multiple dive days.

If something prevents annoyance, distraction, or discomfort, it has value.

Visibility, signaling, and backup items

I also posted the question in a scuba Facebook group I belong to, Scuba Divas Over 50, and many of the responses were also about visibility and signaling.

Some of the gear mentioned included:

• flashlight

• magnifying glass

• Nautilus LifeLine

• dive computer

• SMB

• whistle

• spare mask

I found that pattern interesting.

A lot of experienced divers seem to think in terms of two things:

How do I stay aware and safe underwater? How do I get seen or heard at the surface if I need help?

That is a smart way to think about personal dive gear.

Don’t forget sun protection

Robert’s response was a good reminder that dive safety is not only about what happens underwater:

Sunblock- the sun will do a number to people constantly in the sun. In the end, you don’t want any malignant growth on common areas like the nose, ears and neck and feet!

He is right that dive trips often mean a lot of sun exposure: boats, beaches, surface intervals, docks, and long days near the water. Sun protection may not feel like “scuba gear,” but it absolutely belongs in the conversation about taking care of yourself on dive trips.

And when we’re diving, snorkeling, or spending time near the reef, it’s also worth choosing sunscreen carefully. Look for reef-safe options whenever possible, and consider adding a hat, rash guard, or other sun-protective clothing so you can protect your skin while also being mindful of the marine environment.

Several divers also mentioned health-related preparation, from sun protection to medication questions. For anything involving prescription medications, DCS risk, or fitness to dive, it’s best to consult a qualified physician or a dive-medicine resource before making decisions.

A note about buying gear

Many of these items are easy to find online, including SMBs, dive computers, mask straps, whistles, dive lights, spare masks, signaling devices, and sun protection.

But if you have a local dive shop, I always think it’s worth starting there when you can.

A good dive shop can help you choose the right gear for your experience level, show you how it works, answer questions, and sometimes spot things you might not think about on your own. That kind of guidance is especially valuable with safety-related gear.

Online shopping is convenient, but local dive shops help keep the dive community alive.

My takeaway

What I loved most about these responses was that they were not all the same.

Some divers think first about underwater safety.

Some think about surface visibility.

Some think about comfort.

Some think about sun exposure.

Some think about the gear that helps them feel calm, prepared, and self-sufficient.

And honestly, that is the point.

The best gear is not just the gear someone else tells you to buy. It is the gear that helps you dive with more confidence, awareness, and ease.

For me, that means my SMB and my rattle stick.

For someone else, it might be a dive computer, a familiar BCD, a spare mask, a whistle, a Nautilus LifeLine, a dive light, or a mask strap that keeps long hair from becoming a daily battle.

What matters is that we keep learning from our own experiences and from each other.

So now I’ll ask you:

What are the two pieces of scuba gear you won’t dive without, and why?