Blueprint

As the owner of a dive business and writer on the topic of scuba diving I often get asked about recommendations on everything diving-related.

People are especially interested in the scuba gear I use, as well as how I go booking my private (dive) travel and services.

As a result, I created the Social Diving Blueprint that gives you a “behind the scenes” look at all the scuba gear, tools, providers, and other services I use as a diver.

My Scuba Gear

This is my scuba gear. I’ll go through it one by one so you can see exactly what I use to explore the underwater world.

Dive Computer

Garmin Mk1 Descent – My primary dive computer is the Garmin Mk1 Descent which also serves as my everyday sports and smartwatch. You know I love this thing and it’s on my list of the best dive computers in 2023.

Shearwater Perdix – The Shearwater Perdix is my second computer (not(!) my backup though) and I use it in combination with the Mk1. It’s an absolutely terrific dive computer and if you are into tech or deep diving, get it.

Scuba Mask

Atomics SubFrame – I switch between different masks, but my go-to choice has been the Atomics SubFrame with dual lenses in black for several years now.

Your mask should fit comfortably, offer a large field of vision and be sturdy enough to last for at least 3 to 5 years. The SubFrame does exactly that for me.

Scuba Fins

Apeks Rk3 – I use the super light Apeks Rk3 rubber fins whenever I dive. They are lightweight, yet very sturdy and perfect for travel.

What I like most is that they work flawlessly with both wetsuits and drysuits and I don’t have to carry around heavier full-rubber fins all the time.

Boots

AquaLung 6.5mm Superzip Ergo – I run through boots pretty quickly but these do a great job for me. When diving my Kallweit drysuit I use Kallweit dry boots.

Wetsuit

I own a bunch of different wetsuits, depending on the diving destination, as well as the water temperature and how light I want to pack.

AquaLung SolAFx – My favorite 7mm wetsuit. Keeps me super warm in cold water, fits perfectly and looks pretty cool.

Camaro Stingray – My 7mm semi-drysuit was the first suit that I bought and I still own and use it regularly.

Semi-drysuits are usually warmer than wetsuits of the same thickness, as they have special cuffs in their sleeves that keep the water in (or out) a little longer.

ScubaPro Everflex – This 5mm wetsuit is great for warmer waters above 26°C. I use it all the time when traveling, especially when I am not sure yet how warm the water will be (but when I know it won’t be cold enough for a 7mm).

ScubaPro suits are really sturdy and built like tanks. The Everflex 5mm is no different in this regard and will serve its purpose well.

Diving Gloves

Camaro 5mm – I run through gloves really fast and need about one new pair per season (~400 dives). The Camaro 5mm are super comfortable and easy to put on.

Since my fingers tend to get cold faster than the rest of my body, I also like these gloves because they keep me nice and warm.

BCD

Halcyon Eclipse Wing – I dive a Halcyon Eclipse Wing BCD for mono tank dives.

AquaLung Pro HD – For the occasional times that I need an ADV-style BCD anymore (very rarely!), I use the AquaLung Pro HD that I bought as my first BCD years back.

It’s built like a tank (you see, I like my scuba gear like that) and is a great bang for your buck. Beginners and experienced divers alike will love it and it does everything you could expect from a BCD.

Scuba Regulator

Apeks XTX50 – I personally dive a pair of Apeks XTX50 regulators with rotating turrets on all my dives. I actually installed the 5th port on both to make hose routing easier (and it’s great for sidemount). I also own a number of XTX200 which are identical except for the rotating top.

They are coldwater certified, perfect for the toughest environments and I am pretty sure, if I drove my car over them they would not even have a scratch.

The XTX series regularly makes it into my best scuba regulators list.

Drysuit

Kallweit Xenon Front X-TREME – The X-TREME is the high-end model of the Kallweit drysuit line and their most premium offer. It features large Kevlar applications which make it extremely sturdy and perfect for my cave diving needs.

Weights

AquaLung lead weights – When I started Social Diving I ordered about 50kg of lead weights from AquaLung and they are still in use. What can I say…they are lead weights. I never saw the need for different ones, but I’ll update this page if something changes.

Reel

I use a cheap no-name reel that I bought on a diving convention years ago and it works. Nothing fancy about it, and I don’t even know the brand anymore.

Diving knife

DiveRite knife – When I bought my Halcyon wing, I got a free DiveRite knife with it. I use it when I dive with a knife.

Compass

Suunto Sk8 Compass – The Suunto Sk8 is the best dive compass on the market. It has a large turn radius (meaning you can turn it quite a bit before the needle gets stuck) and is extremely sturdy.

If you’re in need of a new dive compass for underwater navigation, look no further than the Sk8. I use the bungee cord version by the way, but there is also a wristband one.

Rashguard

Rashguard – I own more than a handful of different ones, among them from AquaLung, Quicksilver and a few others I picked up over the years. Just pick one you think looks decent and has good quality and you’ll be fine.

Scuba Tanks

Not to brag, but I’ve probably dived half of every diving tank under the sun. 😄 Mono, Double, 300bar versions, Nitrox, Trimix, steel, aluminum, carbon…I mean, I’ve even tried historical ones (which was super fun).

I recommend you buy one that can be filled at your local filling station. If possible, use a DIN valve unless your area has mostly Yoke ones.

Underwater Cameras

Sony A7 III – My main camera is the 3rd generation Sony A7. Incredible piece of technology, super good image quality both above and below water and the specs are at their finest. What I love about this thing is that it’s also great for videos, which is why I use it for our YouTube videos and online courses.

Olympus TG6 – My “let’s do some quick shots” camera is the Olympus TG6 that’s also responsible for many of the photos you can find on the Social Diving site. It’s super affordable, takes really good photos, and can be expanded with all sorts of fun shenanigans.

GoPro Hero 10 – My action camera of choice has always been a GoPro. Right now I’m on the GoPro 10 Hero which is perfect for scuba diving and any other sports I do (mainly mountain climbing, snowboarding, and such).

Bags & Suitcases

AquaLung Explorer II Roller Bag – My personal dive bag is the AquaLung Explorer II in its 108 liters version. Pretty heavy and a little unbalanced but can’t be beaten in regard to size and available space.

It fits my entire scuba gear apart from my drysuit so that means I can essentially carry all my stuff in one round instead of needing multiple bags (but if I do I use the one below).

AquaLung Explorer Duffel Pack – I use the Explorer duffel bag a lot when traveling by car, and it’s really handy. Super lightweight, very robust, and lots of space. You won’t fit an entire scuba gear set in this but it can hold a bunch of stuff.

Oh, and it is also in use as my regular gym bag. 😎

Dive Insurance

aquaMed Dive Card Professional – I’m on the professional plan (obviously) and the only time I ever needed it, they were friendly and quick to help me.

Check out the best dive insurance in 2023 to read my review.