• Outfit Yourself for Scuba Diving

• Take the Pressure Off With Scuba Tanks

• Find Scuba Gear on eBay

• Buy Scuba Gear With Confidence

Outfit Yourself for Scuba Diving

Outfit Yourself for Scuba Diving

Scuba-diving products from brands such as Scubapro, Oceanic, Halcyon, Faber, Dacor, Dive Rite, Sea Elite, Suunto, and OMS can help keep you comfortable in the water.

Stay warm with a scuba wetsuit

To make your dive as easy and as comfortable as possible, choose a well-insulated wetsuit that fits your body and lets you breathe and move about easily. Most wetsuits are made of neoprene, a material that compresses and becomes less insulated the deeper you dive. If you plan to dive in deeper, colder waters, consider a thicker wetsuit. While a 1/8-inch thick neoprene suit is fine for 70-degree (or warmer) waters, a 3/8-inch thick suit is ideal for water with temperatures between 35 and 65 degrees.

• Dry suits: Dry suits with seals and straps at the neck, wrists, and ankles keep out excess water. Most are designed for use in water colder than 60 degrees and on deeper dives. You may want to add a hood and booties if you venture into waters below 50 degrees.    

• Full-length wetsuits: A full-length wetsuit covers your arms and legs to the wrists and ankles. Scuba divers typically wear them in 65- to 72-degree waters.    

• Full suits: One-piece full suits enclose you from the neck to the ankles (some are available with shorter legs). Scuba divers typically wear them in 60- to 65-degree waters.    

• ¾ wetsuits : Short-sleeved, ankle-length, ¾ wetsuits are one-pieces worn in 72- to 80-degree waters.    

• Shortie: Shorties are short-sleeved, short-legged, one-piece wetsuits worn in 72- to 80-degree waters.

See underwater with a scuba diving mask

Consider size and construction when purchasing a scuba mask.

• Scuba mask sizing: Masks are available in small, medium, and large sizes with smaller masks delivering the tightest seal. Low-volume scuba masks offer less distortion and greater peripheral vision, while double-flanged face seals keep your mask even more water- and airtight.    

• Scuba mask construction: Most scuba masks are made of durable, lightweight plastic and non-allergenic silicone masks. Manufacturers often employ distortion-free tempered glass for lenses. Both single- and double-lens masks are available (the latter offer enhanced peripheral vision).

Fit your scuba fins

If you’re male, use your usual shoe size when choosing scuba fins. If you’re female, subtract one-half to two sizes from your usual shoe size. Next, pick a model ideal for your body type: larger, stiffer fins are best for divers with strong legs and hips, while the smaller, flexible fins are ideal for smaller divers. Both open-heel and full-foot fins are available.

• Open-heel scuba fins: Open-heel scuba fins are worn over neoprene booties.    

• Full-foot scuba fins: Full-foot scuba fins are worn over bare feet or thin Lycra or neoprene socks. They are not designed for use in water colder than 70 degrees, near coral reefs, nor in other potentially abrasive settings.

Take the Pressure Off With Scuba Tanks

Take the Pressure Off With Scuba Tanks

Packing sufficient air and monitoring its pressure are crucial when you scuba dive.

Choose a scuba tank

Your scuba tank should be lightweight, yet roomy enough to hold all the air you need on your dive. A 50 to 63 cubic foot tank is sufficient for shallow diving; the 80-cubic-foot tank is best on deeper (130-foot) excursions. There are also 100-cubic-foot tanks available for “heavy breathers” as well as pony bottles of 40 cubic foot or less (used as a backup air supply).

Regulate your airflow

Scuba tanks contain high-pressure air that must be converted to breathable air by scuba tank regulators. Monitoring your air pressure is an important prevention against the bends. Be sure to choose a hose and mouthpiece ideal for your use.

Buy buoyancy compensators (BC)

The buoyancy compensator (BC) keeps you and your tank afloat at varying depth levels. Pick a BC ideal for your size, shape, and diving style and test its valves and vents before use.

Accurately calculate decompression time

Dive computers track your decompression time at various diving depths, as well as stop times, breathing rates, total dive time, and other crucial information. Some even sound alarms when problems occur.

Because scuba diving is a strenuous activity, you may want to consult your doctor if you do not have experience diving.

Find Scuba Gear on eBay

Find Scuba Gear on eBay

Once you know what type of scuba gear you want, go to the Sporting Goods portal, click Scuba, Snorkeling, and start searching for item listings on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Buoyancy Compensators, Dive Computers, Tanks, Wet Suits, and more. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.     

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find short style wetsuit, type "shortie wetsuit" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Scuba Gear With Confidence

Buy Scuba Gear With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.