Which Weapon Upgrades Should You Prioritize Early?
If you are deciding where to spend your first weapon resources in DAVE THE DIVER, start with at least one permanent harpoon damage upgrade after the iDiver app opens. The harpoon is Dave's default weapon, and those iDiver upgrades stay with you on every dive. That makes them a better early investment than temporary boosts from weapon crates.
Those crates are still worth opening. They can give you temporary guns, special harpoon tips, or Gun Enhancement Kits, and they also help your long-term progress by building blueprint progress for Duff's shop. The key early on is not to scatter your materials across too many gun paths at once.
Simple Upgrade Path (Early to Mid-Game)
If you want a safe, efficient upgrade order, follow this approach:
- Take at least one early harpoon damage upgrade to make every dive more manageable.
- Consider a permanent gun once you want more reliable ranged damage against aggressive fish.
- Add a tranq option when live catches become more important, since tranquilizer weapons can put many fish to sleep for pickup.
- Keep some gold and upgrade materials in reserve so new story unlocks or harder fights do not leave you short.
Basic Underwater Rifle Upgrade Considerations
The Basic Underwater Rifle is a sensible first permanent firearm, but it is not something you need to rush. It is the first gun you are introduced to and the earliest permanent firearm path through Duff, while many other guns depend on blueprint pickups from weapon crates. If aggressive fish are starting to feel awkward with only the harpoon, the rifle is a practical way to add straightforward ranged damage.
That said, it works best as an early support tool, not as your main upgrade sink. Guns use ammo, and gun upgrades are less universal than harpoon upgrades or core dive upgrades because they only help when you bring that weapon. When resources are tight, it usually makes more sense to compare rifle spending against upgrades that improve every trip, such as harpoon damage and general dive stats like oxygen, carry weight, and suit depth.
A good rule is to craft the rifle if it solves a problem you are having, then stop and reassess before spending heavily on more upgrades. One early upgrade can be worthwhile if it makes hostile fish easier to handle. If the next rifle upgrade would delay a broader upgrade that helps everywhere, you are usually better off coming back to it later.
Tip: Unlock the Basic Underwater Rifle when you want a simple ranged backup, but let your harpoon and core dive upgrades do most of the heavy lifting early on.