How Much Does Scuba Gear Cost? Prices by Item, Tier and Upkeep

How much does a full set of scuba gear cost?

Somewhere between about $1,665 and $4,744 for everything except the cylinder, pressure gauge and weights, if you add up the example list prices below. The table picks one model per tier from each maker's own price list, mostly Tusa's US MSRPs plus Mares, Suunto and Shearwater store prices. Prices are shown as each source lists them. They change, and they vary by country and currency, so use them as anchors, not quotes.

We have not tested these products. Each one is an example of what a price tier buys, not a recommendation. For choosing each item, see our scuba gear guides.

Mask, snorkel, fins and boots: the cheapest items

These cost least and depend most on fit, which makes them the natural first purchase. Tusa's US MSRPs run $54.95-$279 for masks and $20-$65 for snorkels, and Mares's US store lists masks at $91.95-$217.95. Tusa fins run $35-$239, and the fins on Mares's US store $103.95-$297.95.

The extra money buys materials, optics and finish rather than basic function. Tusa's $99 Paragon S already has UV 420 and anti-reflective lens treatment on CrystalView optical glass; the $279 Special Edition Paragon adds a matte finish, special colors and a fabric strap. Tusa's HyFlex Switch Pro fin has a polyurethane blade with what Tusa calls a 20% stiffer compound for advanced divers. Open-heel fins also need boots, $58-$95 at Tusa. If you need a prescription mask, add the lenses: Tusa lists its Liberator Plus corrective lenses at $48, sold as left or right lens.

What does a wetsuit cost?

Thickness sets the price more than tier does. Mares's US store lists the same Evolution wetsuit at $339.95 in 3 mm, $439.95 in 5 mm and $519.95 in 7 mm, and its Pro Therm 8/7 at $599.95. The thickness you need depends on the water, which our wetsuit thickness guide covers by temperature.

Cold water adds accessories: Tusa lists 3 mm and 5 mm winter gloves at $39.95 each. If you dive in two climates, you may end up owning two suits, which is a reason to buy the suit for the water you dive most.

BCD and regulator: the big-ticket items

Together they make up close to half of each kit in the table above. Tusa's BCDs list at $309-$799, and Mares sells its XR-Rec Trim single backmount wing set at $877.95. A regulator (first and second stage) lists at $349-$719 at Tusa and $497.95-$1,179.95 on Mares's US store. You also need a backup second stage, $160-$299 at Tusa, or an alternate inflator regulator such as Tusa's Duo Air II at $265, which combines the backup with the BCD inflator.

Mares describes its $497.95 Dual 15X as ideal as a first configuration for new divers. At the top, Mares's all-metal Abyss 22 Navy II comes with a kit for diving in extremely cold water. DAN's gear advice is to check that a regulator is rated for the water temperatures you will dive in, because cold water is the harder case.

Check the connection before you pay: Mares sells the Dual 15X and the Abyss in DIN and INT (yoke) versions, and the right one depends on the cylinder valves where you dive.

What does a dive computer cost?

Entry-level wrist computers start around $300 at maker prices: Suunto lists the Zoop Novo at $299 and Tusa the TC1 at $329.95. The middle includes Mares's Puck 4 at $437.95, Shearwater's Peregrine at $580 and Tusa's solar-charging DC Solar Link at $699. Mares's Genius tops its US list at $1,297.95.

A computer is one item worth owning early. DAN points out that no computer can account for a dive it was not on, and that you cannot move in and out of relying on a computer unless it has recorded all your dives. Our guide to choosing a first dive computer covers which features are worth paying for.

Air integration, which puts tank pressure on the computer screen, costs extra twice. Shearwater lists the Peregrine TX at $760, $180 more than the Peregrine, and the transmitters it pairs with are optional extras. Mares lists its LED Tank Module transmitter at $391.95, and it works only with named Mares computers such as the Genius. Without air integration you need a separate pressure gauge, which the kit totals above leave out.

How much does a scuba cylinder cost?

A common aluminium 80 costs about $185-$220 in two US dive shop listings: $185 with a valve at River City Scuba, and $209.99-$219.99 depending on finish at SC Diving. In the UK, Mike's Dive Store lists a Faber 12 L 232 bar steel cylinder at £315, including valve and boot.

Owning a cylinder also means paying for its inspections (next section). It pays off mainly if you dive locally and can get it filled.

What does scuba gear servicing cost each year?

Plan on a regulator service every year, a BCD check every year and a cylinder inspection every year, with a pressure test every few years. At one London shop's guide prices, the yearly three come to £236.97.

Regulator makers set the pace. Tusa and Apeks call for service at least once a year, Apeks regardless of how little the regulator was used. Mares asks for an inspection every year or 100 dives and a full overhaul every two years or 200 dives, and says the hose should come out of service after five years at the latest. Scubapro and Apeks tie their lifetime regulator warranties to annual service by an authorized dealer. Rental use can shorten that to every 3-6 months, according to both Tusa and Apeks.

Cylinders have two cycles. Luxfer says every scuba cylinder needs a visual inspection at least once every twelve months. In the US, a hydrostatic retest is required every five years; other countries set their own intervals. Computers need occasional service too: Suunto gives the Zoop Novo a maintenance cycle of 200 dives or two years, with battery changes done by an authorized service center.

Over five years, yearly regulator and BCD service at those guide prices adds up to £959.90, and that is before any parts an inspection finds worn: Mares notes that its annual inspection may call for parts or a full overhaul. Divers who log a lot of dives hit the dive-count limits first, such as 100 dives for a Mares inspection.

What should you buy first?

Start with the items that must fit you, then the computer, then the BCD and regulator. PADI recommends owning your mask because it has to fit your face, and DAN's advice on fins is to try as many as you can in the water until one matches your kick. That makes the first purchase the $207.95-$317 group of mask, snorkel, fins and boots at Tusa's entry and mid prices.

A computer comes next for the reason DAN gives: it only knows the dives it was on. The exposure suit follows, since DAN rates fit as the most important factor for a suit. The BCD and regulator come last, once you know where and how you dive; DAN suggests asking whether new gear fits your diving goals and conditions, and trying demo units in a pool where a shop offers them.

• Mask, snorkel, fins and boots: $207.95 at Tusa's entry prices.
• Dive computer: $299 for the Suunto Zoop Novo at the entry end.
• Exposure suit for your usual water: $339.95-$519.95 for Mares's Evolution range.
• BCD and regulator with backup second stage: $818 at Tusa's entry prices (Crestline, RS1207, SS0007).