You’re staring at the Pacific Ocean in Los Santos, knowing there’s a literal fortune in hidden caches and wreckage sitting at the bottom, but you can’t reach it because Michael starts coughing after thirty seconds. It’s annoying. Most players think they need to drop a massive amount of GTA Online cash or finish the entire story mode to finally breathe underwater. They’re wrong. Learning how to get scuba gear on gta 5 is actually one of the simplest gear upgrades in the game, yet Rockstar hides it behind menus and specific vehicle spawns that aren’t exactly intuitive.
The sea floor in GTA 5 is massive. It's actually more detailed than some of the land areas. If you aren't equipped, you're missing out on the easiest way to lose a 5-star wanted level or find those hidden Briefcases.
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The Story Mode Shortcut: The Dinghy Method
In the single-player campaign, you don't actually go to Ammu-Nation to buy a wetsuit. It doesn’t work like that. You can’t just walk up to the counter and ask for a regulator. Instead, the game ties your breathing apparatus to specific vehicles.
Basically, the easiest way to trigger the scuba gear is to find a Nagasaki Dinghy.
Once you hop into a Dinghy and then exit it while in the water, your character—whether it’s Trevor, Franklin, or Michael—will automatically be wearing a full scuba tank and mask. It just appears. If you jump out of a standard Speedophile or a Marquis, you’re just going to be in your street clothes or trunks, which means you’ll be holding your breath until your lungs give out.
Where do you find these boats? Head over to the Elysian Island docks or the Puerta Del Sol Marina. There is usually one spawned near the helipads. Another surefire way is to buy the Sonar Collections Dock up in Paleto Cove for $250,000. It seems like a lot of money, but it guarantees a Dinghy spawn and unlocks the Submarine Pieces side quest.
Honesty time: the Submersible (the little yellow sub) is cool, but it’s slow. If you want to actually move and explore the crevices of the ocean floor, the auto-equipping scuba gear from the Dinghy is the superior play. Just remember that the gear disappears the moment you climb back onto solid land. It’s a temporary buff tied to the boat itself.
Getting Scuba Gear in GTA Online Permanently
GTA Online handles things differently. You don’t want to rely on a boat spawn every time you want to go for a dive. You want to own the suit.
Go to any clothing store on the map. Suburban, Ponsonbys, or Binco—it doesn’t matter, they all carry the same specialized tactical gear. Walk up to the front counter where the clerk is standing and browse the Outfits section. You need to scroll down until you see Outfits: Scuba.
Here’s the catch: they are expensive. A basic scuba suit is going to run you around $155,000 to $160,000.
Why the price tag? Because unlike the story mode version, this outfit is permanent. Once you buy it, you can save it to your "Saved Outfits" menu. This is a game-changer. If you’re being chased by a Mk II Oppressor or a swarm of police helicopters, you can just open your interaction menu, swap to your Scuba outfit, and dive into the ocean. You can stay down there forever.
The suit also comes with a flashlight and fins that actually increase your swim speed. It’s not just a cosmetic choice. It’s a survival tool.
Customizing the Look
Don't feel like you're stuck with the basic black rubber look. Rockstar added a bunch of colors—neon greens, reds, and digital camo patterns. They all function exactly the same. Don't waste extra money on a "high-end" color thinking it has a better oxygen tank. It doesn't. Buy the cheapest one, then if you’re feeling fancy later, you can swap the colors.
The Submarine Perk: The Kosatka
If you’re a serious GTA Online player, you probably already own or are saving for the Kosatka submarine. This is the hub for the Cayo Perico Heist.
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Inside the Kosatka, you actually have access to scuba gear for free. If you go to the living quarters or the moon pool area, you can find scuba suits sitting there. Equipping them inside your sub saves you that $160k you would have spent at Binco.
Actually, if you’re doing the Cayo Perico heist prep, the game will often force you into scuba gear anyway. But for free-roam exploration, having that suit saved to your interaction menu is the pro move.
Why You Actually Need This Gear
You might be thinking, "Why bother?"
Aside from the aesthetic, there are hidden collectibles called Hidden Caches. There are 10 of these scattered across the ocean floor every single day in GTA Online. If you have the Sonar Station upgrade on your Kosatka, you can see them on your mini-map. Each cache gives you GTA$ and RP. If you try to do this without scuba gear, you will die. Period.
Then there’s the tactical advantage. The ocean is the only place in Los Santos where players can't easily auto-lock on you. If you’re wearing the gear, you can swim deep enough that most explosives won't reach you. It’s the ultimate "reset" button for a chaotic session.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A lot of people think the Rebreather is the same thing as scuba gear. It’s not.
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- The Rebreather: You buy this at Ammu-Nation. It’s a small mask that uses canisters. Each canister lasts about a minute. You can carry a maximum of 20. It’s a massive pain to manage.
- The Scuba Suit: Infinite air. No canisters. No stress.
Another mistake? Thinking you can wear a scuba suit under other clothes. You can’t. It’s a full-body outfit. When you put it on, it replaces whatever hypebeast fit you were rocking. But the moment you hit the water, the flippers flip down and the mask slides over your face. It’s a cool animation that actually works.
Summary of Actionable Steps
If you're ready to dive in, follow this exact sequence to make sure you don't waste time:
- For Story Mode: Drive to the Sonar Collections Dock in Paleto Cove. Steal the Dinghy that spawns there. Jump into the water. You now have the gear for free.
- For GTA Online (The Fast Way): Open your map, find the nearest clothing store, and buy a "Scuba" outfit from the clerk at the desk. Save it to your "Style" slot in the Interaction Menu.
- For GTA Online (The Value Way): Enter your Kosatka submarine. Locate the scuba gear in the moon pool area to equip it without spending the $160k retail price.
- The Escape: If things get hot in a public lobby, pull up your interaction menu, switch to the Scuba outfit while running toward the pier, and disappear into the depths.
You’ve now got the entire seafloor open to you. Go find those caches or just enjoy the weirdly peaceful silence of the Los Santos coastline.