Kurt Kucera

Scuba Diver, Car Enthusiast, Outdoorsman

The Best Holiday Gifts for Scuba Divers

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The holidays are around the corner. Therefore, people need to start preparing gifts for scuba diving enthusiasts on their gift list. The gift a person will give to a scuba diver friend will depend on their budget.

Choosing the best holiday gift for scuba divers can be challenging, especially for people who aren’t enthusiastic about scuba diving. Moreover, they are many gifts for scuba divers. Therefore choosing the best one can be confusing. People can find these gifts at local dive shops or online. Here are the best holiday gifts for scuba divers.

Ocean-Themed Jewelry

Scuba divers love the ocean. They enjoy scuba diving and taking photos or videos of marine life. Ocean-themed jewelry such as earrings, bracelets, and necklaces reminds them of ocean life.

If a scuba diver prefers to wear a wet suit instead of a suit, handmade bracelet cuffs with marine life designs can be a good holiday gift for them. Masks, diving helmet cufflinks, and snorkels are also great holiday gifts for a scuba diver.

T-Shirts or Hats

Scuba divers don’t always spend all their time underwater. When they are not Scuba diving, they are probably basking on the beach. Hats help protect their head from sunlight rays, which can be harmful. When people buy PADI gear hats, they somehow help keep plastic out of the ocean. It is because they use recycled plastic to make hats.

A t-shirt is yet another gift a scuba diver would love to receive. Before buying a t-shirt, it is advisable to ask the scuba diver which dive shop they prefer. The t-shirt can have phrases such as “I work well under pressure.”

Books about Sea Creatures and Scuba Diving

Before sending a holiday gift to a scuba diving enthusiast, the sender should consider the diver’s interests. If they enjoy reading books about sea creatures and scuba diving, then such books are the best holiday gifts.

For instance, National Geographic books inspire individuals to love and protect the underwater world. Books about scuba diving can also help them become better scuba divers and safe places to do it.

Scuba Diving Gadgets and Accessories

Thanks to technology, there are several gadgets that individuals can give to scuba divers. It includes a dive torch, GPS devices, underwater cameras, etc.

The above are some holiday gifts for scuba divers. The gifts should be unique and fit their budget range.

Exercising to Support Scuba Diving

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Whether you’re a veteran diver or a beginner, there are ways that you can improve your scuba diving experience. One of the best things that you can do is work on your physical fitness. 

Regular exercise strengthens your heart and lungs, which will increase your endurance and help you feel more comfortable under the water. Furthermore, the more physically fit you are, the safer you’ll be as a diver. Here are some quick tips to get you in shape for your next dive.

Walk regularly

It seems overly simple, but it’s true– walking can help you to live longer. Research has shown that people who walk regularly are 50% less likely to die from heart disease than non-walkers. This fact is significant considering that heart disease is one of the leading killers of divers. Try to walk about 30 minutes per day.

Strength train

Strength training will make everything in life easier, including lugging your 50lb oxygen tank around. Leg exercises will help you to swim better. Working your core will help you support your back. And don’t forget that muscles burn calories. That means that the more muscle you have, the easier is it to keep extra weight off and it’s best to be a healthy weight when diving. 

Work on your feet and calves

Your feet and calves are muscles that are most likely to cramp when you are scuba diving. Your feet and calves are not accustomed to the work required by extended dives. Working on these muscles not only strengthens them, but it also increases circulation. The more blood flow to a muscle, the less likely you are to cramp up. Try to do toes grabs and calf lifts as part of your daily exercise routine.

Great Gifts For Scuba Divers

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Finding gifts for your friends and family can be a daunting task especially when it comes to those who have hobbies as unique as scuba diving. This is a common struggle among many people with friends who participate in scuba diving. So, let’s take a look at this list of great gifts for scuba diving enthusiasts.

 

Jackery Mini Portable Charger

The company Jackery designs many different models of their mobile portable phone charger, however, the Jackery Mini is great for its travel-friendly size. These chargers are compatible with most devices such as iPhone, iPad Mini, iPod, Android, Windows phone, Smartphones, Tablets, Gaming devices, and MP3 players.

 

iSea 4

This is iPhone housing unit that will allow you to record any underwater images or videos with your iPhone up to 200ft. While it may be a little pricey, costing about $250, it could be worth the money due to its versatility and how it adds to your iPhone.

 

iStabilizer Flex

This is another Apple compatible product. In fact, one of the leaders in universal lightweight compact tripods, steady cams, and other products for smartphones, tablets, and cameras announced that this iStabilizer Flex recently won the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award in the category for Best App/Gadget for Phone Pics.

 

UK Pro Pole 38HDF

Compatible for the GoPro or any other underwater camera, the UK Pro Pole 38HDF is a unique floating telescope pole that is perfect for watersports, traveling, sailing, and any other activity where you will need maximum flexibility in shooting to go along with security in water. This also makes it a perfect gift for those who enjoy scuba diving.

 

Sharkbanz

It is a fear for all divers to encounter sharks during their dives which is why Sharkbanz are a great gift for those divers. The Sharkbanz wristbands include a patented magnetic technology which deters sharks away from the divers wearing them. Now, keep in mind, many divers do enjoy encountering these majestic creatures, especially due to the fact that they are so unlikely to bother divers. However, these Sharkbanz are great for those divers who to add a little peace of mind during their dives.

Oceanic Wonders Only Scuba Divers Can See

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When you become a fully certified Open Water Diver, it does not simply mark the end of your scuba diving course; it marks the beginning of the endless underwater adventures that are now available to you. Those who are now certified do not just go out and practice their skills in a swimming pool. This is your opportunity to break out the map and start creating your scuba diving bucket list to find the top spots where you will make your memories. You can explore historic shipwrecks, go up close and personal some of the world’s most feared underwater apex predators, and even venture into caverns and peruse underwater museums. Becoming a certified diver ensures that there will be something out there for you to explore. Let’s take a look at some of the oceanic wonders out there for scuba divers to explore.

 

Great Barrier Reef – Australia

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system and has over 2,900 individual reefs along with 900 islands that stretch for over 2,300 kilometers and over an area of about 344,400 square kilometers. It’s not just the immense size of the area that makes for the unforgettable experience; it is also the diversity of the encounters you can have. From the scores of great humphead parrotfish swimming past to the spying giant clams, the Great Barrier Reef has so much at its disposal. Some of the best times come in June and July when there is the migration of the curious minke whales.

 

Underwater Museum – Cancun, Mexico

The Underwater Museum in Cancun was installed as the first underwater sculpture park in 2009 by sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. It includes life-size figures that act as a foundation. Each work in the underwater museum has become a habitat for many of the creatures in the surrounding area such as the budding coral, sponges, and shrimp and other crustaceans. Jason deCaires Taylor himself has recommended viewing his works at night as your view will be limited to what the light can illuminate which adds to the overall experience.

 

Ocean Cave – Palau

One of the most famous sites in Palau is Chandelier Cave which as mandarin fish who flit about near the entrance. Diving in this marine cave, you will find yourself along with stalactites and even find some reef fish as well. One of the things that make this place so spectacular is the four chambers that also have air pockets so that divers can travel through the dark tunnels and then pop their heads out to see a ceiling supported with formations that are as big as columns.