Scuba diving can be an expensive business. Travel, equipment, servicing—let alone the cost of actually diving—it all adds up. Most divers are always looking to save money (to pay for more diving), but this list looks at the opposite end of the spectrum: how to spend a huge amount of it.
I’ve pulled together the ultimate, money-is-no-object dive setup. The aim is to design the most egregiously expensive kit list for the diver with more money than sense and a burning desire to show it.
A couple of ground rules: this is built for warm-water recreational diving, so there’s no need for drysuits, and crucially each manufacturer can only provide a single item to this setup.
Mask: TUSA Paragon S
£194 / $220
TUSA is not a brand that’s normally associated with high-end gear. They’re known as a reliable and affordable manufacturer, probably best associated with masks and fins. The Paragon S, however, is a standout. Retailing at nearly £200, it falls firmly into the high-end market.
You can easily get a high-quality mask for under half this price, but of all the kit on this list, investing in the best mask possible is worth it. A good mask is key to how you experience the underwater world, and one with a narrow field of view or a poor fit will quickly ruin a dive.
Regulator: Scubapro MK25T EVO/S620 X-Ti
£2,015 / $2,499
Scubapro has always made excellent regulators, and this range-topping MK25T EVO/S620 X-Ti is no exception. The first stage is milled from a single block of titanium, giving it excellent corrosion resistance and strong cold-water performance. There’s a well-placed selection of ports, and the balanced second stage offers outstanding breathing characteristics.
I’ve had the slightly more affordable MK25 EVO / A700 for a number of years, and it’s served me flawlessly.
BCD: Atomic Aquatics BC2
£1,500 / $1,549
You could put together a wildly expensive setup using only Atomic products—being expensive is kind of their thing. I picked the BC2 as Atomic’s contribution to the load-out simply because it’s so much more expensive than anything else on the market. You could easily get yourself on a dive trip for the same money.
I’ve never even seen one in the wild, either being used by a diver or sitting in a dive shop. The BC2 is a back-inflation-style jacket with integrated weights, so there’s nothing revolutionary here. It does, however, have some nice features: a patented weight-release system, water-shedding fabric, and a ratcheting tank band. Will it be well made? Yes. Is it worth the money? Probably not.
Wetsuit: Waterproof W5 3.5mm
£399 / $623
Modern wetsuits are excellent: supple, easy to don, and crucially warm. They’re a far cry from the stiff neoprene of 20 years ago. The downside is that they’re pretty boring, with the wild neon colours of the past largely consigned to history. These days, you mostly get to choose between different brands’ versions of the same black suit.
When it comes to high-end wetsuits, my view is that there are two real choices: Waterproof or Fourth Element. There’s not much between them, but I’ve gone for the Waterproof W5 3.5mm.
Fins: Original Force Fins
£280 / $379
Some people swear by them; others find them underpowered. Force Fins have always been a bit divisive in the diving community. There are, however, a number of pros that can’t be debated: they’re compact and excellent for travel, the upward curve of the blade makes them easy to walk on at the surface, and the open toe pockets are very comfortable.
The short blade design requires a shift in finning technique, so if you can, it’s worth trying them before you buy.
Dive Computer: Garmin X50i
£1,329 / $1,499
Garmin has steadily built its range of dive computers over the last few years. Expanding from smartwatches, they’ve now added full-sized dive computers to their line-up. The Descent X50i is their range-topping model, featuring a wide-aspect display, wireless tank integration, mixed-gas diving, and support for underwater messaging between devices.
Unlike some of the other products on this list—where features and performance can be more subjective—it’s easier to directly compare the X50i with its competitors and make a value judgement. Yes, the Garmin is expensive, but it packs in a lot of features and stacks up well against the competition.
Reel: Apeks Lifeline Ascend
£281 / $299
If there’s a single item on this list that’s a pure flex, it’s this. Apeks’ reel is made from forged aluminium, is user-changeable from right- to left-hand configuration, and is available with either 30m or 60m of line.
A reel is a key piece of safety equipment, but there’s no real need for one that costs nearly £300. In truth, though, I still want one.
