Diving deeper brings more of the underwater world within your grasp. But if you plan on diving deep, you should get the proper training, experience and scuba gear — including backup gear. Check out more reviews and Editor's picks in the scuba diving Gear section of the website.

1. Underwater Kinetics Aqualite Pro 20°

When you dive deep, you need to take more light with you. Though compact — just 5½ inches long — the Aqualite Pro 20° dive light produces 750 lumens of light in a narrow beam that penetrates well even in low viz. The rotary switch on the tail lets you choose easily from four power settings (100, 60, 40 and 25 percent) plus an SOS emergency flash. It comes with an ambidextrous rubber handmount that lets you keep both hands free. The light slides into the handmount with a click and stays securely in place. $174.99; uwkinetics.com

Related Reading: Best Scuba Gear of the Year

2. IST Sports Orion 1000s+

Hooray for modern technology that makes possible small backup lights that are as powerful as primaries. The new Orion torch from IST puts out 700 lumens but is just 6 inches long with a smooth, tapered profile, so it can fit easily in a BC pocket. The push-button switch selects from three power levels (100, 50 and 25 percent) plus flash and SOS flash. The ring around the switch is an illuminated, color-coded (green, yellow, red) indicator that lets you keep track of the battery level. The light uses lower color temperature to reflect the true color of any object underwater, and its rechargeable battery burns for 100 minutes on full power. $200; istsports.com

3. Zeagle Stainless-Steel Backplate Combo

Going deeper adds another dimension to your dive experience — and gear requirements. Zeagle’s backplate system provides an expandable platform you can tailor to any condition. The stainless-steel backplate and rugged nylon-webbing harness can be configured with a single tank or doubles. It accepts a wide range of wing and doughnut bladders, so you can select one with the appropriate buoyant lift for specific dive conditions. And you can easily customize the harness with crotch straps, scooter rings, sling bottles, shoulder pads and other options. $469.95; zeagle.com

4.Seac L70 Mask

A kick from a buddy’s fin or maybe a bump from exuberant marine life: There are plenty of ways to dislodge your mask, which is the reason coping with a flooded mask is one of the first skills divers learn. But if your mask is lost or damaged, those skills won’t help without a spare to take its place. While it’s one of the smallest masks we’ve used, the Seac L70 is surprisingly robust thanks to the rugged semiframeless design, so it can take some abuse while stored in a BC pocket. The 3-D buckles attach to the skirt, allowing the skirt, strap and buckles to fold up nearly flat for easy stowing. It fits a wide variety of face shapes, and has ultralow volume so you can clear it easily with minimum air. $59; seacusa.com

5. Aqua Pencil Starter Kit

Hand signals are fine as long as we’re getting the idea across. But it can be frustrating, even dangerous, when scuba divers misunderstand or struggle to communicate more-detailed information. In those cases, a slate is a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page. This complete kit includes a mechanical pencil, slate, pencil tether, pack of spare lead, and eraser. Designed specifically to work with the Aqua Pencil, the 4-by-6-inch slate has a basket to protect the tip of the pencil, which snaps to the slate. The slate has a hole to accept the rubber tether that keeps the pencil secure, and another hole and a slot to provide different ways to attach it to your gear. The kit is available in eight colors. $25; xit404.com

6. Aqua Lung i200 Dive Computer

Modern dive computers are probably as reliable as any gear we use. But no piece of gear is failsafe: Batteries can die, screens can crack and straps can break, leaving you without data about your depth and dive time. If you’re going deep, it’s a good idea to have a spare – preferably one that’s compact, capable and affordable. As compact as a wristwatch, the Aqua Lung i200 uses the Z+ algorithm based on the widely used Buhlmann ZHL-16C model, so its decompression calculations will parallel many other computers. The i200 uses an inexpensive, long-lasting CR2430 battery that’s easily replaced by users. $349; aqualung.com

Related Reading: Best New Dive Computers Reviewed

7. Scubapro MK21/C350 Scuba Regulator

This combo teams up the compact, lightweight C350 second stage and the proven MK21 balanced-piston first stage for dive-all-day comfort and muscle-reg performance even well beyond recreational scuba diving depths. The compact design makes for a travel-friendly high-performance regulator system, and the second stage has a precise breathing adjustment with an ergonomic knob and an effective Venturi control that’s easy to use even with thick gloves. The first stage comes standard with 4 LP and 2 HP ports. An optional tec-diving cap is also available with a fifth LP port in the center and the other four LP ports angled at 0 and 30 degrees for more-precise hose routing. $493; scubapro.com

Related Reading: Best Scuba Regulators of 2024 Reviewed

Dive Alert Buddy Watcher

If you’ve ever been surprised (or annoyed) by your buddy’s ability to ignore your rattle or tank banger, the Buddy-Watcher might be just the ticket. Sort of an underwater pager you and your buddy wear on your wrists, it works like this: Press the button on your communicator, and your buddy’s vibrates like a smart phone and flashes red LED lights. It uses ultrasound frequencies to transmit, so it’s silent, and it works up to 80 meters apart. To sync the units, you turn them on while they’re next to each other and wait for one minute. The units are rechargeable and are about the size of a wrist-mount computer. $279.98; divealert.com