Seasons Greetings? Try Seas and Greetings! We may be a bit biased here at Scuba Diving magazine, but we think the ocean makes everything better. This includes the holidays, and gifting a dive certification is a great way to add a little salt to the season. Now hear us out! We aren’t saying this just because we love diving (though, duh, of course we do because it’s great). We have six reasons right here for you about why this is the best gift idea you’ve ever heard.

1. It Never Gets Old

Did you know a dive certification never expires? Once someone earns a PADI Open Water Certification, they’re a diver forever. It’s hard to compete with a gift that truly lasts a lifetime.

2. Experiences Are Better Than Things

Most people today want more experiences than objects, a preference approved by research—again and again, studies show that spending our money on doing things makes us happier than spending our money on having things. So when you gift an experience, you’re giving what people want and what they’ll enjoy! As any diver knows, diving is all about doing. We get to explore hidden worlds and have animal encounters most people never dream of!

3. It’s The Gift that Keeps on Giving

A dive certification isn’t a one-and-done experience. Becoming a diver means unlocking a whole new world! Gifting a certification is basically buying somebody a lifelong subscription to adventure. We can’t think of anything better!

4. They Won’t Get Two

That awkward moment when somebody opens a gift they already have? No worries about that happening here! This is such an original gift idea that you’re sure to be the only one popping a cert course in an envelope this holiday season.

5. Things Are Better Together

Diving is always better with a buddy. If you’re already a diver, helping a loved one get certified adds to your dive crew. If you’re looking to get certified, doing it with a friend gives you a built-in buddy for all of the adventures to come! It’s a win-win for everyone.

6. Options for Any Diver

There’s no such thing as complete mastery of diving. That’s part of what makes it so fun! Divers can always learn more, whether that’s tackling a new scuba style—like wrecks or caves—or becoming a safer diver with a rescue course. So no matter what kind of diving your loved one enjoys, there’s a course you can give to support their dive journey.

Are you ready to step up, help save the ocean, and #LiveUnfiltered at the same time? Sign up for a PADI Open Water Diver course now.