Going scuba diving requires lots of gear. And while friends and family might be eager to buy scuba-themed gifts for birthdays and holidays to help support a new hobby, it can be tough to buy scuba gear for someone else.

You need to not only know their exact size but also what gear they already have and what their preferences are.

Luckily, there are plenty of other scuba diving gifts you can buy that your friends or family will love but that don't require that specific knowledge. Scuba diving shirts, plane tickets to dive sites, and guide books are all great choices.

But if you want to buy something unique that they can use on their next trip, why not opt for something that helps them identify and mark their gear?

Keep reading to learn 5 scuba diver gift ideas that will help any diver in your life keep from losing or mixing up their gear ever again.

1. Scuba Tank Name Tag

When it comes to choosing your scuba gear, many items offer you the chance to customize your look.

For instance, while black wetsuits with striping or other decoration in another color are the norm, many companies offer fun alternatives. You can choose from bold patterns, color combinations, and other unique looks. 

This is not only a great way to make your gear easy to identify when you're on trips with other divers, but also a cool way to mix up your photos and videos.

Other gears that can sometimes be customized include supply bags and masks. But one item that you'll rarely find to be customizable is your air tank. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most common items and the easiest to misplace.

Too large and bulky to put in a gear bag, tanks often get piled up. Dents and scratches are commonplace, making your tank perhaps even less easy to identify.

Scuba tanks can be dangerous if they do get mixed up. They need to be cared for and kept in the right environment, as well as checked and certified by an expert yearly. If you grab a tank that belongs to someone who hasn't kept theirs to these standards, you could be putting yourself at risk.

Scuba tank name tags make for perfect gifts for scuba divers because they eliminate this concern.

2. Wetsuit ID Tag

If your friend or loved one doesn't want to shell out a lot of money for a new, expensive, unique wetsuit, they might be looking for other ways to customize their gear.

Because trying to squeeze into a too-small suit or finding yourself in a large one that hangs off of you is never fun. And you may not want strangers climbing into and out of your suit either.

Wet suit ID tags are a great solution. Lightweight and low-profile, they won't get in the way while the wetsuit is in use. But they're noticeable enough to keep someone else from doing the wrong suit.

And you don't have to choose a simple, dog-tag look either; a cool tank-shaped tag makes a great gift for every diving lover in your life.

3. Luggage Tags

Sometimes getting to and from your favorite dive site is half the battle.

No matter where you live if you want to dive all of the best reefs and wrecks around the world, you'll need to do a lot of traveling.

Some locations, like Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef or the colorful sites lining Hawaii's coast, are easy to get to. If you live near a major city with an international airport, you may even be able to catch a direct flight.

But for many of the top dive sites and lesser-known locations, you'll be hopping from plane to plane, then bus to bus, to get close to where you need to go. And you'll be lugging around lots of scuba gear, not to mention your clothing, toiletries, and other belongings, every step of the way.

Even with a direct flight, this can be a hassle.

From finding your bag on the airport luggage-carousel to grabbing your packs from a pile on a bus, there are plenty of opportunities for your gear to get lost or mixed up. A luggage tag can solve this.

Buy one, two, or several for your scuba diving friends so that they can mark every bag they need to bring along on their next adventure.

4. Sharpie Oil-based Paint Pen

While ID tags and tank bands are great for marking all of your scuba gear, you'll likely still end up with unmarked items. This is especially true for smaller gear, like bottles of goggle defogger, your goggles themselves, and your underwater camera.

These items might be easier to toss in your bag than a tank, they can still get lost and mixed up. Even inexpensive items will have to be replaced, which can be tough when you're on site.

Help your friends keep track of every piece of gear by buying them a pack of Sharpie Oil-based Paint Pens. These make it simple to mark all of your gear, without worrying about the marks wearing off in water or with wear.

These paint pens are also ideal for writing on the backs of ID tags that haven't been previously personalized.

5. Zipper Tags

While luggage tags are great for marking duffle bags and suitcases used for getting to and from dive sites. But when you get close to water, these are often too big and not waterproof enough to keep on your dive packs.

That's where zipper tags come in. Ideal for using on clothing, wetsuits, or gear bags, these are waterproof and low-profile.

They make it easy to mark your belongings to help them stand out, without getting in your way of actually using your gear.

Finding the Perfect Scuba Diver Gift for Marking Gear

Any of the scuba diver gift ideas on this list can help you mark and identify your gear with ease. That way you can spend less time searching and sorting and more time in the water!

To learn more about other essential scuba gear, check out this guide next!