Apparel & Footwear
Here at Divers Direct, we have an excellent selection of quality clothes, swimwear, footwear, and more to complement your aquatic lifestyle in every way possible. Browse through to explore some great brands or take a scroll to the bottom of the page to be guided in the right direction towards your personal oceanic style.
Style guide—Wear the right clothes for the occasion:
Sometimes we can find ourselves stylistically challenged with no idea where to begin, especially if we’re new to the world of watersports. What’s the right swimsuit for scuba diving or snorkeling or surfing? What’s the right outfit for a pool party with my dive buddies or for a post-dive, beachside brunch? That’s okay, we’re here to help! Let’s start with what you’ll find yourself wearing during nearly every water activity—swimwear!
Swimwear (Beach Swimwear vs Watersports Swimwear)
In a life spent in, on, or by the water, there’s a pretty huge chance you’ll need some swimwear for your splashing fun. It seems obvious to say that not all swimsuits are made the same, but we’ll say it anyway—not all swimsuits are made the same. Some swimwear is made for a sporty lifestyle, offering a more secure fit and a tad more coverage in most cases. Then there’s swimwear that’s made for a more relaxed day in the sun. For ladies, it may include less material and a tie-on bikini top, and guys may be looking for a more fashionable style of boardshorts when at the beach or on the boat for the day rather than performance boardshorts or swim bottoms. What’s the difference? Well, when doffing your wetsuit, ladies, you don’t want a mini bikini top to cause a Janet-Jackson-at-the-Superbowl moment, and guys, too much material (i.e. baggy boardshorts) can cause unnecessary bunching under a suit and make things a tad uncomfortable. While baggy boardshorts and teeny bikinis are great for the beach, when it comes to activities that require more movement than sunbathing, something more snug with more coverage is likely a better fit.
When you’re trying to be active and have a great time in/on the water, the last thing you need is to be constantly pulling at and adjusting your swimwear. Some sport-friendly swimwear we carry here at Divers Direct is listed below, and could make your diving, snorkeling, surfing, paddleboarding, beach volleyballing, and any other sea sport experience much more comfortable.
For women, one-pieces are often a good idea for watersports. They're perfect for a fun day on the water, but if you’re more inclined to bikinis for your activities, the Fourth Element Tiger Reversible Bikini Top & Bottoms are designed to keep you comfortable and covered while you’re playing the day away.
Guys, you’re a little opposite here in the sense that less is more—less fabric may be more comfortable anyway, especially if you’re trying to squeeze you and your shorts into a wetsuit. The Huk Capers Volley Shorts are versatile for quite a few reasons. They’re small and snug, making them perfect for wetsuit wear, feature performance fit security so you know they’ll stay on even when wiping out in the waves on a surf day, and are super stylish with a South Beach Miami feel for any Sunday funday party. But for an even more snug fit, try the Speedo Shoreline Square Leg Black Swim Shorts. These were made for the modern sporty aquaman and would be the most comfortable option for frequent wetsuit wearers.
Now, let’s talk about the other end of the swimwear spectrum. These swimsuits are designed to be more fashionable than sporty, making them great for relaxing days at the beach, post-dive pool parties, and more. Guys, you’ve got it easy when it comes to blending beachwear with sport-style swimwear. Literally any swim trunks will rock the beach or pool party just fine, but might we recommend amping up the style with these Quiksilver Highline Swell Vision 20” Boardshorts or Pelagic Dri-Flex II Hybrid Shorts. Both are comfortable and fashionable and ready to party and chill.
Ladies, per usual you have more options to choose from on the fashion front. While some of these swimsuits could cross the bridge between style and sport, the following are more so designed to help you look and feel fabulous. To start off with a one-piece option for our one-piece loving ladies, the Speedo Core Super Pro One-Piece Swimsuit is all about style by the sea. With the scoop front and open back, you’ll get tons of sun and stand out like you were made for the bright, sunny spotlight. For a fashionable bikini option, the Pelagic Key West Reversible Bikini Top & Bottoms are a great choice. Of course, don’t be afraid to step outside the box and mix-and-match tops and bottoms.
Remember, these are all just suggestions to help get an idea about what styles go with which activity and to help you know what to look for when shopping for swimwear. If none of the selections mentioned here suit your personal style, that’s totally fine. Scroll through our vast selection of swimwear to find something that works best for you.
Swimming onward… Are you off on an adventure you’d prefer a little more coverage on? Maybe you’re snorkeling in the Bahamas, fishing with friends, or paddleboarding with the family. Aquatic activewear is totally a thing now and we are here for it. From ladies’ leggings made for the water like the EVO Erica Leggings to men’s performance shirts made for the sun like the Pelagic Aquatek Performance Fishing Shirt or the Costa Men’s Technical Familia Performance Crew, we’ve got loads of water-friendly activewear for whatever adventure you’re off to for the day.
Pre/Post-Dive Apparel
So, you just got off the boat or back on shore from a fantastic dive. Where to next? Off to lunch with your dive buddies to replenish those calories? Or do you need to head straight home to let the pup out? One thing for sure is that no matter where you go from here, you’re not going to wear your soaking wetsuit on the way to your next destination. If you’re going straight home to hang your gear or walk your dog, you’ll just need a simple cover up. For guys and girls alike, a t-shirt will, but if you want a tee with a little more sport to it, the Pelagic Dorado Collection Premium UV T-Shirt has all the sporty style you need for a quick ride home.
Ladies, we get it, you want something a bit more stylish for the road. Check out our full selection for something quick, cute, and comfy for the ride to or from the sea. And if you have other plans for the day that include the wholesome pleasures of food and friendship after your fun in the water, you may want to take your post-dive outfit up a notch. Or maybe you’re off to a semi-casual destination beach wedding (that you’ve snuck a dive or two in on—hey, we don’t blame you!). We’ve got you covered there as well. You’ll want something not too casual, but comfortable all the same. Ladies, you can find that perfect balance between chill and sophistication for a buddy brunch or beach wedding with our full selection of women's apparel for a classy look that will flow elegantly into the night’s festivities.
Guys, we haven’t forgotten about you and know you enjoy getting handsomely dapper too. If you’re looking for an outfit a bit higher on the “dressy” scale while still feeling relaxed and casual, try something like the Hook & Tackle Men’s Hi-Tide Hybrid Shorts with the super stylish Huk Kona KC Marlin Mayhem Shirt. But, if you find the occasion calls for a more casual style, but not quite so casual as a tee and boardshorts, a tropical print shirt and fishing shorts will work perfectly, peruse our full selection of men's apparel. You're sure to find everything you need for the beach wedding or on-land adventures and most of our items are easy to wear the next day when fishing—that means less stuff to pack!
The Right Shoes for the Scene
It must be said that thong flip-flops have come a long way in the world of style, especially seaside style, and you can pull off nearly any outfit along any coastline with a simple pair of sandals. Guys, you can wear OluKai Sandals with just about any outfit to be a totally stylish seafarer. And ladies, something as simple as shiny straps on your sandals can make your outfit pop in all the right ways. Still feel like thong sandals are too casual for the occasion? No worries, Reef Sandals transition easily with most outfits. So, between flip-flops and scuba fins, we’ve got your feet covered in and out of the water!
Designed to protect your skin
When you love spending time outdoors like we do, it becomes essential to start protecting your skin from harmful UV rays. Thankfully for all of us who do play in the sun on a regular basis, certain clothing and accessory brands have dedicated their line totally to protection. Our faces are certainly the most vulnerable parts of our bodies to the sun, especially our foreheads, noses, and eyes. The next most likely part of the body to sunburn would be the shoulders and arms. We’ll start with brands dedicated to protecting your eyes, since regardless of whether or not you wear a hat or shirt in the sun, nearly everyone brings sunglasses on their adventures.
Costa is a brand that’s widely known for their amazing sunglasses. Every set of shades is polarized to help cut the glare from the sun’s rays along the waves, and even their sportier styles are made to offer greater coverage across the face so that sunlight doesn’t sneak in through the sides. That’s what you call incredible protection! Of course, while they’re known for their eyewear, they have other products like performance shirts, c-masks, hats, and more. And besides, if you’re a Floridian or travel here often, it’s always great to support local businesses and Costa del Mar is based right here in Florida, so they know the power of the Florida sun and how to protect against it.
Another great brand that stands to protect is Sunday Afternoons. Created by adventurers for adventurers, this Oregon-based brand specializes in protecting your whole family’s heads, faces, and necks. Sunday Afternoons carry every style of hat to go with every sunny day activity for every member of your family. These hats feature the highest levels of UPF protection possible and include certain features that were made for all types of adventures—hats that float, hats with hidden pockets, hats with neck capes, hats made for travel, and hats made solely for style. Seems like this brand has everything covered when it comes to protecting your head.
Another great Florida local brand making quality protective gear for fun in the sun is Hook & Tackle. This brand was born from Miami fishermen who know the South Florida sun better than anyone and understand what it takes to block it with their incredible performance and fishing shirts. Using the highest UV protection where possible (UPF 50+), their apparel is made for anyone who spends loads of time on a boat, dock, or by the sea in any way.
If you’re looking for even more protection for your neck and face, check out our selection of face masks/neck gaiters to get the fullest coverage possible. Adventure on and stay protected while doing so.
Planet-Friendly Threads
While we’re on the subject of protection, do you know what else needs better protection from the growing power of the sun’s rays and increased presence of pollution and plastic? Our collective home, Planet Earth! In the current world we live in, it can be difficult to find apparel that doesn’t include plastics or harmful dyes, but there are certain companies that are doing everything in their power to create some really great, watersport-quality clothing and footwear. You may be wondering why you need to concern yourself with eco-conscious clothing, and the answer is simple—to avoid any further harm to the environment. Let’s be honest here for a moment, we humans have certainly made a mess of things around here. Unfortunately we can’t go back in time and save the planet from ourselves, but what we can do is start to slow down the process of further planetary destruction as best as we can until hopefully (and this is a really big hope for many generations down the line) we can get to a point where all the billions of people on this earth are living sustainable lives for the sake of the planet’s health. Again, that’s the big dream, but as we’ve become more aware of our own impact, we can start small in our fight against planetary pollution with little things that can make a big difference. The clothes we put on our bodies are just one of many ways we can become more eco-conscious and earth-friendly.
Here at Divers Direct, our love for the ocean and everything in it keeps us fighting for a healthier planet, and we look to support any company that strives to do the same. That’s why we proudly carry brands that are making a difference in the way we shop apparel and footwear for the good of the earth.
One brand with a passion for protecting the planet is Fourth Element and they show it through their OceanPositive line of swimwear and rashguards. They utilize ECONYL material for their OceanPositive apparel, and ECONYL is a yarn made from recycled nylon using ghost fishing nets and other discarded waste. By using these recycled materials, they’re helping keep the waste out of the ocean and put it to much greater use. This way they’re not creating brand new fabric materials (which causes more pollution in the air and sea) and are taking advantage of materials that are already available. You know what they say, one person’s trash is another person’s swimsuit… or something like that.
One highly popular watersport brand that’s been getting greener and greener with the materials they use is Billabong. The Billabong team likes to say that “Life’s better in boardshorts,” and are they wrong? No, they’re definitely not wrong about that. Though, at the rate they’re going they’ll soon have to change that saying to, “Life’s better in planet-friendly boardshorts”. Anyone who spends tons of time in nature will start to build great respect for it if it wasn’t there already, and with Billabong being a company centered around nature activities, it’s only natural that they began creating planet-positive apparel. While most of their eco-conscious material is used for boardshorts (recycled from PET plastic bottles), they’ve started to expand even further by now using 100% organic cotton for their shirts and other apparel. To stylishly showcase their passion for the planet, they’ve even teamed up with the popular environmentally advocating cartoon, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, to build an entire line of Lorax-inspired clothing—all sustainably made and designed to biodegrade! So check out our selection of Billabong gear to help support their mission and save the seas (and look good doing it).
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -The Lorax
Finally, while when we talk about becoming more aware of our actions to better the health of the planet, we often use the phrase, “carbon footprint,” and while we’re not talking about literal footprints here, what’s happening with our footwear can make a huge environmental impact. We can actually reduce our carbon footprint by becoming more aware of what shoes we put on our feet. This is where OluKai comes in. OluKai makes footwear inspired by Hawaii living—adventure, aloha, and ocean. They are committed to adventure by creating long-lasting, quality shoes (which minimize their manufacturing footprint), and are committed to the ocean by constantly evaluating their energy usage, materials, and reducing hazardous substances in the manufacturing process. Not only do they remain mindful of the way they manufacture their products, but they even create certain shoes to be 100% vegan-friendly. When they do use leather for their products, it is only from Gold Certified tanneries which ensures the minimization of waste water. So, walk tall in what you know are good shoes for you and great shoes for the planet with OluKai!
Must-Haves For Any Seafaring Adventurer:
No matter what type of fun you’re having in the water, there are some things we all need for our days spent with the sea. The Fourth Element Storm Poncho is one of those necessities for any water wanderer. A pocho may not be the first thing you think of when you ask yourself what you need for an adventure, but trust us, you’ll be glad you have it if you need it. Not only will it come in handy for the obvious reason of shielding you against a surprise rainstorm (not uncommon in the tropics), but it’s additionally great for warming up after a dive or even using it as a quick changing station out of your swimsuit. To make it even better, it’s one of those super awesome planet-friendly threads we talked about.
You’re checking out the ocean and playing in the sun and that means the glare from the water’s surface is shining right into your eyes. Grab some sunglasses to protect your eyes for when you’re by or on the sea. They don’t have to be the fanciest shades on the market, but polarized lenses certainly help cut the glare. Best to grab a floating eyewear retainer too so Poseidon doesn't steal your shades.
Another quick-grab item on your way out the door to the boat or sand is a cap for your ocean-minded noggin. Everybody has their own taste in hats, and even if you don’t like wearing a hat, it’s always good to have one if you’re spending hours in the sun. Unless you'd rather pack a parasol, check out our hat selection to find one that suits your style and gives your face the shade it needs on a bright, warm day.
One more thing, you’ll definitely need some sandals. While we all want to be barefoot all the time and, let’s be real, being barefoot is not only good for the body but good for the soul, we need shoes for things like restaurants and walking around town and not getting splinters on the dock and so on. Lucky for you, the Reef Ortho-Bounce Coast Sandals for Men and Women are so comfortable, they’ll make you feel like you’re barefooted everywhere you go.
Everything else can be done naked—no, we’re totally kidding; buy some clothes, we have tons to choose from here!