It’s likely a familiar situation. Whether it’s due to procrastination or the result of a gift-requiring occasion appearing out of the blue, we’ve all had to find a last-minute gift idea at some point in time. Luckily, when it comes to great last-minute options for the diver in your life, we have you covered. These divers’ gifts will save you from an awkward situation, and delight the buddies in your life!
This gift guide has gifts suitable for every occasion, be it the holidays, a birthday, graduation or even an anniversary. Plus, you can purchase these gifts within days, hours and even minutes of when you need them.
Scroll on to discover our top last-minute gift ideas for divers and ocean lovers. You might even find the best last minute gift for someone who has everything.
1. Give an Experience With PADI eLearning
Delivery Time: Nearly instantaneous
The brilliance of this gift idea is that purchasing a PADI eLearning® course only takes a few minutes and can be done completely online (that means almost no delivery time). It’s an ideal solution as one of the best last-minute gift ideas for someone who has everything!
PADI eLearning allows you to give your recipient the theory element of a range of PADI scuba diving courses. From the very beginning of the journey for those who want to become scuba certified (PADI Open Water Diver) to the first step into being able to work in the dive industry (PADI Divemaster), there’s a course to suit every level of scuba diver, including anyone simply interested in giving the sport a try (Discover Scuba® Diving).
Sound like something your buddy would love? Here’s how it works:
- Choose a PADI eLearning course from the online catalog.
- Purchase the course online.
- Log into your PADI account and access the course.
- From the Dashboard, go to Student Details and Manage Your Courses.
- Click ‘Share the Course’ and enter the gift recipient’s email address.
- An email will then be sent to your recipient asking them to log in or create a PADI account so they can begin their online learning.
- Their adventure begins!
A PADI eLearning course ticks all the right boxes as one of the best last-minute gift ideas for divers.
2. Shop Locally
Delivery Time: The journey time to and from your local PADI dive shop
If delivery times make ordering online too much of a gamble, shopping locally may be the answer you’re looking for. Your local PADI dive shop will likely stock a range of great gift ideas for scuba divers. From scuba artwork to a PADI gift card, dive shops often hold their own collection of meaningful gifts.
There are several great reasons to shop at your local dive shop instead of online. These include:
- Being able to buy and take the gift home right away.
- Seeing the gift before you make a purchase.
- Receiving in-person assistance from knowledgeable PADI staff.
- Knowing your money is going into the local dive community.
To see whether shopping locally will work for you, click the button below to use the dive shop locator and find the nearest PADI dive shop to you.
3. Tried & Tested Gift Ideas for Delivery
Delivery Time: The specified time at the online checkout
If delivery times aren’t (or are less of) a concern for your last-minute gift, you still have access to the wide range of the best gifts for scuba divers available online. Here are some of our favorite gift ideas for divers that you can order for delivery to your door.
Limited-Edition Certification Cards
While pulling any diving certification card out of your wallet is certainly exciting, there’s something about a cert card featuring an eye-catching image that’s hard to beat. A unique (and limited-edition) certification card is a gift that all divers would love to receive. PADI often feature limited edition cards, and even cards that include a donation to the PADI AWARE Foundation, providing a lasting impact as a result of your gift!
Currently available certification card designs include:
- A Cenote and Diver
- A Purple Anemone
- A Seahorse
- A Sea Lion
Dive Gear & Accessories
If you’re buying for an experienced diver who already has almost everything, buying them gear is going to require some out-of-the-box thinking. Here are some traditional gear items mixed in with some ideas the average diver might not have (yet!):
- Fin Keepers
- Diving Mask Strap Cover
- Personalized Scuba Diving Stickers
- Fin Spring Straps
- Wetsuit Bag/Changing Mat
- PADI recycled plastic Tiger Shark Rash Guard (the perfect last-minute gift ideas for the diver who has everything!)
- A selection of colorful recycled plastic dive towels: Parrotfish Design, Dive Flag Design, Dorado Design.
5. Give a Gift in Their Name
Delivery Time: Nearly instantaneous
If all else fails, and you’re still stuck on a meaningful and impactful to buy for a special someone in your life, consider a donation in their name to a good cause. The PADI AWARE Foundation® is a publicly-funded, non-profit organization working to address key threats facing the marine environment. PADI AWARE Foundation works passionately to drive local action for global ocean conservation through citizen science, public policy, and community grants. Consider gifting a donation to provide a lasting impact in the recipient’s name!
6. Gift a Last-Minute Dive Trip
Delivery Time: Nearly instantaneous
Special occasions certainly call for special gifts, and thankfully PADI Travel comes in handy here. PADI Travel is the world’s largest scuba diving travel agency, offering a diverse selection of excellent last-minute deals on dive resorts and liveaboards across the globe. Although booking a last-minute trip may not be ideal for some, if you have more flexibility to leave at short notice, then excellent deals await! Trips across the Maldives all the way to the shores of Belize are heavily marked down as travel dates approach. Explore PADI Travel’s last-minute deals below.
Need More Scuba Diving Gift Ideas?
If you still can’t find the right last-minute gifts for your ocean lovers, all hope isn’t lost yet. We have numerous other gift guides filled with hundreds of ideas for scuba divers, freedivers, mermaids and just about anyone who loves being in or around the ocean.
Note: If you purchase any of the featured items from Amazon.com using links in this article, we will earn a small commission through Amazon’s affiliate program. Any revenue earned from the sale of featured products will be donated to support the ocean conservation efforts of the PADI AWARE Foundation.
