🤿 The 10 accessories in detail
#1
🛟 Safety first
SMB 4 ft Surface Marker Buoy with 15 m finger spool
A 4 ft open-bottom marker buoy sold as a set with a 49 ft (15 m) finger spool and a double-ended bolt snap, so you can send it up from your safety stop. It shows the boat exactly where you are about to surface: the cheapest and most useful safety item in the bag.
✅ Pros
- · Spool and bolt snap included
- · High-visibility tube
- · 4.4/5 from 300+ reviews on Amazon.ca
❌ Cons
- · Practise deploying it from depth with an instructor
- · Brand not shown on the listing
4 ft15 m spoolOpen bottom
Check price on Amazon.ca →#2
✂️ Safety
Dive Rite Ceramic Line Cutter
A ceramic blade protected inside a hook-shaped body, supplied with a sheath. It cuts monofilament and thin rope cleanly without the risk of slicing yourself, and ceramic does not rust. On Great Lakes wrecks and around piers, lost fishing line is the real entanglement risk.
✅ Pros
- · Ceramic blade, no rust
- · Protected edge, hard to cut yourself
- · Rated 4.7/5 on Amazon.ca
❌ Cons
- · Not for thick rope
- · Mount it where either hand can reach it
CeramicSheath includedWreck diving
Check price on Amazon.ca →#3
🔦 Backup light
Wurkkos 2000 lm dive torch
A small 2,000-lumen dive torch rated to 150 m with four light modes, according to the listing. In green Canadian water a torch brings colours back from the first metres, then it becomes the backup tucked into a BCD pocket.
✅ Pros
- · Rated to 150 m
- · Compact
- · Affordable
❌ Cons
- · Wide beam, less punch in murky water than a narrow-beam torch
2,000 lm150 m4 modes
Check price on Amazon.ca →#4
💡 Cold-water upgrade
OrcaTorch D530
Our cold-water addition. A 1,500-lumen torch with a narrow 7° beam that cuts through suspended particles instead of lighting them up, three modes (high, low, SOS) and a 150 m rating. The torch for wrecks in the St. Lawrence or Tobermory, and for signalling to your buddy.
✅ Pros
- · Narrow 7° beam for poor visibility
- · SOS mode
- · Rated to 150 m
❌ Cons
- · Narrow beam is less suited to filming
1,500 lm7° beam150 m
Check price on Amazon.ca →#5
🧤 Cold water
ZCCO 5 mm Neoprene Gloves
Double-layer 5 mm neoprene gloves with an elastic wrist and an anti-slip palm. Cold hands lose dexterity fast, and you need it to deploy an SMB, read a computer or clip a torch. In very cold water (under about 10 °C), consider thicker gloves or mitts from a dive shop.
✅ Pros
- · 5 mm double-layer neoprene
- · Anti-slip palm
- · 4.3/5 from 1,100 reviews
❌ Cons
- · Thick gloves reduce feel: practise clipping with them on
- · Check the size chart
5 mm5 fingersAnti-slip
Check price on Amazon.ca →#6
🧢 Cold water
ZCCO 3 mm / 5 mm Neoprene Hood
A neoprene dive hood sold in 3 mm and 5 mm versions: pick 5 mm for Canadian water. A large share of body heat escapes through an uncovered head, and a hood also prevents the ice-cream headache when you descend into cold water.
✅ Pros
- · Choice of 3 mm or 5 mm
- · Stretchy neoprene
- · Around 1,000 reviews
❌ Cons
- · Select the 5 mm option before ordering
- · A tight fit takes a few dives to get used to
3 or 5 mmFace sealMultiple sizes
Check price on Amazon.ca →Cressi's two-lens mask with tilted lenses for a wide view downwards, where your gauges are, and a silicone skirt. To check the fit, hold it on your face without the strap and breathe in through your nose: it should stay put.
✅ Pros
- · Wide downward field of view
- · Silicone skirt
- · 4.4/5 on Amazon.ca
❌ Cons
- · One adult size: try the fit
- · Wash the new lenses before the first dive
2 lensesSiliconeTilted lenses
Check price on Amazon.ca →#8
💧 Comfort
Stream2Sea Reef Safe Anti-Fog Spray
A biodegradable anti-fog spray for dive masks. A couple of sprays on dry lenses, spread, quick rinse, and the mask stays clear. Cold water against a warm face is exactly what makes masks fog.
✅ Pros
- · Biodegradable formula
- · Easy spray format
- · 1,800 reviews
❌ Cons
- · A new mask must be degreased first, or no anti-fog will work well
SprayBiodegradable2 fl oz
Check price on Amazon.ca →#9
🧭 Navigation
Dive compass Wrist Compass (5 ATM)
A wrist-mounted dive compass with a TPU strap. When visibility drops to a few metres, a compass is how you get back to the line or the shore without surfacing. Entry-level dive computers usually have no compass.
✅ Pros
- · Wrist strap included
- · 4.4/5 from 160 reviews
- · Affordable
❌ Cons
- · Brand not shown on the listing
- · Learn to use it on a navigation course
Wrist mount5 ATMTPU strap
Check price on Amazon.ca →#10
🎒 Transport
Unigear Floating Dry Bag
A roll-top dry bag that floats, sold from 2 L to 40 L (20 L is right for a dive day). On a boat everything gets wet: this is where your towel, car keys and the warm jacket you want after a cold dive go.
✅ Pros
- · Many sizes on the same listing
- · Floats if it goes overboard
- · 8,400 reviews
❌ Cons
- · Pick the size before adding to cart
Roll-topFloating2–40 L
Check price on Amazon.ca →❓ Frequently asked questions
Which accessories should I buy first for diving in Canada?
A mask that fits and an anti-fog, then the cold-water items: 5 mm gloves and a hood. Next come the safety items: an SMB with a spool, a line cutter and a backup torch.
Do I need an SMB for lake diving?
On any dive with boat traffic, yes: an SMB shows boaters and your own boat where you are. Many Canadian dive sites are busy with recreational boats in summer.
Are 5 mm gloves warm enough for Canadian water?
For summer lake and coastal diving, 5 mm gloves work for most wetsuit divers. In water under about 10 °C, or for drysuit diving in winter, thicker gloves or dry gloves from a dive shop are a better choice.
Why does my new mask fog up?
New lenses carry a manufacturing film that encourages fog. Degrease them first (non-gel toothpaste or a dedicated cleaner, then rinse), then use anti-fog before each dive.
Do I need a compass if my dive computer has one?
Entry-level computers usually have no compass. A wrist compass remains the basic navigation tool taught on the Advanced Open Water course, and it does not need a battery.