Why 3D Printing Is Changing Cave Diving Gear

Why Is Most Cave Diving Gear a Compromise?

Cave diving is a niche specialization within the broader diving industry. Gear manufacturers typically build for the millions of open-water divers, not the few thousand who explore caves. This often results in “technical” or “cave” products that are merely black-colored versions of standard equipment, sometimes with minimal modifications.

For decades, cave divers have modified their equipment using zip ties, adding bolt snaps, drilling holes, or cutting off unnecessary parts, because purpose-built gear was not available.

3D printing is finally changing this paradigm.

How Does 3D Printing Change Cave Diving Gear Manufacturing?

Traditional manufacturing of a plastic part requires an injection mold, which is a block of steel that can cost $10,000 or more. This investment is only viable for parts that will sell in high volumes. There is little room for customization and no financial incentive to produce highly specialized equipment for a small market.

With 3D printing, the cost per part is primarily determined by material and electricity use. This allows us to:

Design a part for a single, specific purpose without mass-market compromises.
Test a new design, identify a flaw, and begin printing a revised version the same day.
Offer custom options like initials or size variations as a standard practice.
Produce specialized equipment for cave divers at an accessible price point.

What Cave Diving Gear Is Good for 3D Printing?

Good for 3D Printing

Reels and spools: Their complex geometry is well-suited for printing.
Markers: Small, detailed, and easily customized.
Electronics Housings: Can be printed for a perfect, custom fit.
Brackets and adapters: Solving unique equipment mounting challenges.
Prototypes: We can print and test numerous design iterations before finalizing a product.

What Plastics Work Best for Underwater 3D Printing?

Not all printing filaments are created equal. Many common materials are unsuitable for diving applications.

Why ASA for Primary Reels?

We use ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) for our primary reels. Its stiffness is essential for a winding mechanism that must remain true under load.

It is highly resistant to UV degradation from sunlight.
It is inert in salt water and chemically resistant.
It maintains its rigidity even in high heat, ensuring the reel frame does not flex during use.
It does not become brittle in cold water.

Why PETG for Spools and Markers?

Spools and markers are printed in PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) for its toughness and flexibility. It handles repeated bending and impact better than ASA, making it the right choice for gear that gets bounced around in pockets or pried off line.

It is UV-stable and chemically resistant.
It does not absorb water or degrade in saltwater environments.
It prints with less warping, allowing for tighter tolerances on our snap-fit spool design.

Why Not Use PLA for Cave Diving Gear?

It absorbs water over time.
It becomes brittle with UV exposure.
It can warp and deform if left in a hot vehicle.
Its “biodegradable” nature is not a desirable feature for life-support equipment.

Why Not Use ABS for Cave Diving Gear?

It is quickly degraded by UV light.
It is prone to warping during the printing process.
It produces unpleasant and hazardous fumes during printing.
Both ASA and PETG are superior in nearly every relevant characteristic for this application.

What Is Next for 3D-Printed Cave Diving Gear?

Improvements in printers, materials, and software are constantly expanding what is possible.

We are currently exploring:

Carbon-fiber-reinforced ASA for components requiring exceptional stiffness.
Multi-material printing to create rigid frames with integrated soft, high-friction grips.
3D scanning of existing gear to engineer perfectly-fitting custom parts.
The potential for open-sourcing certain designs for community modification.

We no longer have to make do with repurposed open-water gear.