5 Great Halloween Costumes for Divers
Brian Vaccaro Oct 28, 2026
Halloween is Saturday, and you own a closet full of gear most people think is already a costume. Good news. You're halfway there.
Here are five costumes that work for divers, from "ten minutes of effort" to "worth a Saturday afternoon." Most of them use stuff you already have.
1. The Jacques Cousteau
This one is easy and everyone gets it. Red knit beanie, navy sweater, a pair of dark pants, and a serious look into the middle distance.
Add a clipboard or a small notebook and you're a marine explorer. Bonus points for a French accent you can't quite hold onto.
Effort: Low. Best for: Parties where you'll be talking a lot.
2. The Glow-in-the-Dark Jellyfish
A clear umbrella is the whole costume. Hang strands of ribbon, tinsel, or clear tubing from the edge, then wrap string lights around the dome.
Wear all black underneath and the jellyfish seems to float. Battery-powered lights are the way to go. Skip anything that plugs in.
Effort: Medium. Best for: Trick-or-treating after dark, because you'll be easy to spot.
3. The Shipwreck Survivor
Raid the gear bag. Wetsuit, mask pushed up on your forehead, and a snorkel are a good start. Then add the story.
Drape some fake seaweed (green crepe paper works fine), stick a rubber fish in a pocket, and carry a "treasure chest" candy bowl. If you're a Great Lakes diver, you can say you survived the Lake Michigan wrecks. That's a real thing people dive, so you'll get nods from the right crowd.
Effort: Low. Best for: Divers who want to wear their own gear without buying anything.
4. The Deep Sea Anglerfish
This is the scary one, and it's fun. Wear dark clothes and add a headband with a stalk coming off the front. Hang a small LED light on the end of it. That's the glowing lure.
Add a mouth of paper "teeth" around your hood or collar if you want to go all in. You'll get a lot of questions. Be ready to explain that anglerfish are real and live deep in the ocean.
Effort: Medium. Best for: Adults who want something a little creepy.
5. The Octopus
Pick one color and stick with it. A blue, purple, or orange hoodie and matching pants is the base. Then make the tentacles from tights in the same color as the hoodie, so everything blends together.
Cut the legs off the tights and stuff each one with poly-fill or crumpled newspaper. Sew or safety pin the open ends around the bottom hem of the hoodie, spaced evenly, so the tentacles hang down all the way around like a skirt. Eight is the magic number, but more looks great too.
Now for the fun part. Glue or sew colorful pom-poms down each tentacle to look like suckers. Wear the hood up, put big googly eyes on the front-top of the hoodie, and finish with socks or shoe covers in the same color.
Octopuses are one of the best things divers get to see, so the dive crowd will love it. It's also a great one for kids.
Effort: Medium. Best for: Kids and adults alike. Easy to do as a family.
A quick safety note
Costumes are for dry land. Please don't wear a costume tail, a heavy cape, or anything loose in the water, and don't take decorative lights or props into the pool. They can tangle, snag, or get in the way of a safe exit.
Also, if you're wearing your real mask or regulator as part of the look, make sure it gets a good rinse and a full dry before it goes back in the bag.
Need gear to finish the look?
Stop by Diver Dan's in Kenosha. We've got masks, snorkels, and fins on the shelf, and we're happy to help you find something that works for the costume and for the water.
And if watching everyone dress up got you thinking about trying the real thing, ask us about scuba classes in Kenosha or a Discover Scuba experience. No certification needed to try it.
Happy Halloween from all of us at Diver Dan's.
