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Best Dive Gear in 2024
By Dr. Simon J Pierce
This guide to the best dive gear is by world-expert marine biologist, Dr Simon Pierce, co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation where he leads the Global Whale Shark Program. Simon is also an award-winning underwater photographer and has done thousands of dives across the world.
Hi! I’m Simon. As a marine biologist who dives for a living, I’m often asked what the best gear on the market is.
I’ve listed this year’s top dive gear below. Each product listed is the overall category winner for best Dive computers, Dive Masks, Dive Fins, BCDs, Regulators, and Full-Face Dive Masks in 2024.
The Best Dive Gear in 2024 is:
Shearwater Perdix 2 – Best Dive Computer
Cressi Big Eyes Evolution - Best Dive Mask
Mares Avanti Quattro Plus - Best Dive Fins
Cressi Travelight – Best Dive BCD
APEKS XTX50 Dive Regulator – Best Dive Regs
Ocean Reef Neptune Space G - Best Full-Face Dive Mask
Waterlust - Best Dive Base Layer
Top Picks
Best Dive Gear in 2024
Top Pick
Shearwater Perdix 2 Dive Computer
The Shearwater Perdix 2 is the Best Dive Computer in 2024. This evolution of the legendary Perdix AI dive computer – the dive computer I’ve happily used since 2017 – is packed with features that both recreational and technical divers appreciate. The Perdix 2 is available in either Black or Silver (i.e. natural titanium), with the optional Shearwater Swift air integration transmitter, sold separately.
Click here to read my full Perdix review, along with my other top picks.
Top Pick
Cressi Big Eyes Evolution Snorkel Mask
The Big Eyes Evolution is a top-end choice at a mid-range price, and we’ve tested it extensively across the world. The Cressi fits the majority of face shapes well, it’s comfortable, and has a great field of vision.
Click here to read my full Big Eyes review, along with my other top picks.
Top Pick
Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Dive Fin
The Mares Avanti Quattro Plus is a high-performance and powerful channel fin that works for all fin-kick styles. We marine biologists (and dive professionals) tend to prefer dive fins like this, with a deceptively simple design, as they can take the abuse we put them through, diving year after year.
Click here to read my full Avanti Quattro Plus review, along with my other top picks.
Top Pick
Cressi Travelight BCD
I bought the Cressi Travelight myself, and have subsequently racked up about 1000 dives in this BCD. If I lost it somehow, I’d buy this model again tomorrow. It’s that good.
It’s lightweight for travel, very comfortable to wear with integrated weights without a wetsuit, and it’s tough enough for harsh conditions in cold water too. It’s not an expensive model, and it’s feature-rich compared to other travel-orientated BCDs.
Click here to read my full Travelight review, along with my other top picks.
Top Pick
APEKS XTX50 Dive Regulator
The Apeks XTX50 is the go-to choice for serious divers who focus on performance and durability - and the regs I’ve been using professionally for years. As a BBC filmmaker buddy of mine put it: “Apeks or GTFO.” They also look great, if that matters to you.
Click here to read my full Apex review, along with my other top picks.
Our Top Pick
Ocean Reef Neptune Space G Full-Face Dive Mask
This is the base model from Ocean Reef, but we love it because it’s so adaptable. The mask comes in two sizes and four colours, and you can purchase add-ons for your dive mask to suit your needs (and budget!) as you go.
Here are some of the most popular add-ons:
Click here to read my full Ocean Reef review, along with my other top picks.
Top Pick
Waterlust’s Whale Shark Collection
Waterlust is an eco-conscious ocean apparel brand, that creates rashguards, boardshorts, leggings, sunsuits, and more from recycled plastic bottles.
Our whale shark research team frequently relies on Waterlust gear, whether they're snorkeling (shown in the image) or using the brand's leggings and rashguards as a base layer beneath their wetsuits to simplify the process of suiting up. For team members researching in sufficiently warm waters, some choose to ditch the wetsuit and dive exclusively in Waterlust.
10% of the profits from Waterlust's whale shark collection is donated to MMF’s global whale shark conservation projects which I lead!
Why you can trust our dive gear guides
Simon is a shark conservation biologist and world-renowned underwater photographer who dives, snorkels and freedives for a living. He is a co-founder and Principal Scientist at the Marine Megafauna Foundation, where he leads the global whale shark research and conservation program. His marine research and photography are routinely covered by major media outlets, including the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and New York Times amongst many others. One of his photographs was chosen as a personal favourite of Sir David Attenborough’s, in conjunction with BBC’s Blue Planet II series, and another illustrates one of the global PADI scuba diving certification cards.
Madeleine is an avid scuba diver and recreational freediver who’s dived some of the most spectacular locations around the world, including Misool and northern Raja Ampat, Lembongan, Lembeh Straight, Tulamben, Fiji, Vanuatu, and of course at home in Australia. She’s a minimalist and likes to travel light (which Simon encourages, as he can then use her baggage allowance!!), opting to mostly hire dive and snorkel gear wherever she goes. She’s been sampling the world’s equipment for over a decade. She has opinions.
How we identified the Best Gear for Diving
We looked at all the current models from top brands globally to find the best gear for diving on the market in 2024. Aside from our own personal experience using and testing endless models of dive gear, we spent hours watching YouTube Reviews and product explainers, debating with diver friends both recreation and professional divers, and scouring reviews and message boards. We also asked Simon’s Facebook followers (30K+) for their input, feedback and insights.
To summarize, we:
Dive for a living so know what is needed in various situations.
Spoke to dive gear retailers in both Australia and Indonesia who specialize in snorkeling, freediving, and diving.
Interviewed marine biologists, dive guides and instructors, dive operators, and underwater filmakers to get their feedback on functionality and durability.
Chatted to dozens of other divers about their gear and what’s important to them.
Read thousands of reviews covering all experience levels and dive needs.
Viewed 100’s of YouTube reviews and product explainers.