A Tauranga marine student could face failing her dive instructor course if she can't replace thousands of dollars of dive gear stolen from outside her student flat.

Aimee Chipperfield left $5000 worth of dive gear outside her Olivine Street flat to dry last Tuesday night after going for a night dive.

Tauranga marine student Aimee Chipperfield wearing some of her dive gear which was stolen from her flat this week.

Her diving regulators with a Suunto Zoop dive computer and gauges, woman's Pinnacle wetsuit, Oceanic BCD vest, Scuba pro mask, Aeries Mako fins inside a black and red Pinnacle dive bag were taken between about 6pm Tuesday and 10.30am Wednesday.

'We're down a long driveway and there are only three student houses and unless someone knew about it, they wouldn't know that there was dive gear there,” says Aimee.

'My dive computer was brand new and it was only used twice and that cost me $800.”

The 22-year-old borrowed her flatmate's hooded dive vest and gloves, which were also stolen.

'It's been reported [to police] and we're watching Facebook, Tauranga Buy and Sell, Trade Me, and we'll go have a look at Cash Converters and keep an eye out for it...”

Aimee is studying a Bachelor of Marine Science at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and uses the gear for her course.

Since the theft Aimee has been borrowing equipment from friends in her course but will need her own to complete the Dive Instructors course and dive trip to Papua New Guinea in October.

'I can't do either without any dive gear. So I won't be passing my course if I can't.”

Anyone with information about the stolen dive gear can contact Tauranga Police.