11 Essential Items for Your Save-a-Dive Kit
Bringing your own save-a-dive kit along on your next dive trip might be the difference between exploring epic underwater scenery or staying on the boat.
If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it likely will soon. An aborted dive because of a gear malfunction. It’s inevitable.
After all, with so much gear to tinker with in scuba diving, it’s bound to happen at some point. An O-ring goes bad. Your mask strap breaks. A tear in your BCD. The list goes on and on…
That’s why, the more you immerse yourself into scuba diving, it’s HIGHLY recommended you invest in a quality save-a-dive kit. A package of goodies that will prepare you for any type of gear malfunction.
Sure, most dive operations carry one aboard their vessel. But take it from me, as someone who has worked for multiple dive shops, these are not always well-stocked, maintained and cared for.
Your best bet? Bringing your own.
Save-a-Dive Kit List
These are the 11+ items we believe you should bring with you for every dive to handle any situation.
1. O-Rings and Picks
A popped, frayed or splayed O-Ring is the most common gear malfunction in scuba diving. It seemingly happens on the daily.
If you have this handy set, no matter which size O-Ring needs replacing, you’ll be prepared.
O-Ring Kit
2. Scuba Multi-tool for Regulator Repair
Even beyond scuba, I carry a multi-tool on me wherever I go. You never know what will need fixing, twisting and wrenching at any given time.
Specifically, for scuba diving, just about everything will need fixing, twisting and wrenching at some point. Just prepare yourself for when it happens right before you’re about to giant stride off a boat.
Scuba Multi-tool
3. Extra Mask Strap
After dives of use and abuse, that mask strap you’ve been wringing around your head time after time is bound to snap at some point.
And when it happens, and you don’t have a replacement, it sucks. Because something so small and trivial can quickly turn your dive trip into one expensive boat trip.
Spare Mask Strap
4. Marine Adhesive Glue
Hole in your BCD? Fixed. Tear in your neoprene wetsuit? Fixed. Water seeping into places it doesn’t belong? Fixed.
This stuff works on everything and is a great addition to your save-a-dive kit.
Adhesive Glue
5. First Aid Kit
Bumps, bruises, cuts, wounds and even stings. You’d hate to cancel a dive because you got injured and couldn’t provide yourself with the proper first aid.
The big one, for scuba diving, is stings. Jellyfish, lionfish or urchins pricking you could easily end a dive if you don’t have the proper treatment remedies.
First Aid Kit
6. Gear Clips
This one is strictly personal. I never dive without a few spare gear clips on me or in my bag. They always come in handy for one reason or another.
Gear Clips
7. Diver Tool and Repair Kit
Albeit, you do have the multi-tool we listed earlier, but these are just a few extra tools for your save-a-dive kit built with scuba diving in mind.
The screwdrivers, wrenches and Allen keys, in particular, will be useful at some point in your dive career (usually for last minute regulator repair or maintenance).
Diver Tool and Repair Kit
8. Mouth Piece for Regulator
Another one, similar to a mask strap, is a mouth piece for your regulator. At some point, they’re bound to rip. After all, we’re chewing on them for hours at a time underwater.
Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried using a regulator without a mouth piece so let me tell you from experience: it doesn’t work so well. Best keep a few of these in your bag just in case…
Mouth Piece
9. Zip Ties
Only third to duck tape and WD-40, zip ties are the solution to almost everything. Their purpose is limitless, particularly with scuba, where they can bind, cinch and secure anything your heart desires.
Zip Ties
10. Dry Bag for Your Save-a-Dive Kit
It is scuba diving, after all. The perfect carrier for your save-a-dive kit contents should be large enough, and dry enough, for a successful trip to and from your dive destination.
Dry Bag
11. Spare Accessories for Your Save-a-Dive Kit
These accessories are the most commonly misplaced, lost or broken when diving and could potentially end your dive day if they are. It’s never a bad idea to keep a spare or two in your dive bag.
SMB
Flashlight
Spare Sling
Your Save-a-Dive Kit Contents
By no means is this list exhaustive. In fact, many divers pack spare gear like regulators, masks and computers. For a list of recommendations on scuba gear that work well as spares (compact, lightweight) head to our article on Best Travel Scuba Gear.
However, this list does serve as a good starting point. Providing you with a more than sufficient kit to save your next dive vacation from turning into a dive nightmare.
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Read More Scuba Diving Tips
We hope you enjoyed our post on what you should have in your save-a-dive kit. Hopefully you’ll find it useful on your next adventure! Here are a few more ocean-loving articles we think you should read next:
- Best Scuba Gear for Beginners
- Complete Guide to Scuba Diving in Jupiter, FL
- 10 Scuba Diving Refresher Tips
- How to Reduce Plastic Use
What do you pack in your scuba save-a-dive kit? What happens should we add into our save-a-dive kit list? Let us know in a comment below!
