Should we buy equiptment (snorkel)

[Jorgen]

My fiance and I leave for our honeymoon in about a month. We are plannign to snorkel while in Belize and I am tryign to decide if I should buy equiptment for the two of us for this one time of going snorkeling. Around here there is no where that we would be able to use it and would only go on a trip we woudl use it on once every 2 years or so right now. I just don't know how much I want to use snorkel equiptment that has been used by 5000 people in the past few years. Would you recommend buying a starter entry level set for snorkeling the caulker caye and shark ray alley tour in belize.

[Dusie]

Hi Jorgen,

I was thinking along the same lines as you 4 years ago. We decided to take the plunge (pun intended) and buy our own gear. We used the tour groups gear on our first cruise and frankly they tasted like bleach. I guess the only thing worse is not tasting like bleach. So 3 cruises ago DH and I bought gear for each other for Christmas. The other benefits to having your own gear are: they really fit you, and you can get a better quality snorkel with the splash guard on top. The ones we used from the tour group looked like kids snorkels from Walmart. I can still pack them in a 25" suitcase and along with a 22" carry on have enough for a 10 day cruise. We also bought fins. Hope this helps.

[Jorgen]

Thanx for the thoughts I am going to go look at a few dive shops or sports stores this weekend to see what is around that will work for us. We will likely end up buying some pretty basic stuff but eh basic that fits is better than what they will give me to use down there I assume.

[scubaran]

Thanx for the thoughts I am going to go look at a few dive shops or sports stores this weekend to see what is around that will work for us. We will likely end up buying some pretty basic stuff but eh basic that fits is better than what they will give me to use down there I assume.

 

Hi,

 

I know there's the santitary view but the fit is the best reason. My brother-in-law didn't want to buy his own mask and sure enough we're in Antigua and he's sitting on the beach while we snorkel because the "rented" mask wouldn't fit his face. Having your own mask and snorkel are definitely good choices. If you figure what a decent mask costs compared to the cruise cost, airline cost, bar bill, excursion cost and those cute beach clothes you buy, it really is a minimal cost. Also go somewhere, sporting goods store or dive center where you can try on the mask and have professional help for fit.

 

Randall

[KS&JW]

Hi,

 

I know there's the santitary view but the fit is the best reason. My brother-in-law didn't want to buy his own mask and sure enough we're in Antigua and he's sitting on the beach while we snorkel because the "rented" mask wouldn't fit his face. Having your own mask and snorkel are definitely good choices. If you figure what a decent mask costs compared to the cruise cost, airline cost, bar bill, excursion cost and those cute beach clothes you buy, it really is a minimal cost. Also go somewhere, sporting goods store or dive center where you can try on the mask and have professional help for fit.

 

Randall

 

I was going to comment on this, but realized that you have said exactly what I was thinking. And you probably worded it better than I ever would have. :p

 

The only thing I would add is that you need to treat your equipment well. Make sure to rinse it off well when you get back to your cabin. Salt water does awfull things to equipment.

[tnrnchick74]

I'm not the OP, but have similar questions (Except living in Florida I can snorkel a lot)...are there brands that are better/ worse? Things to avoid? Things to look for?

[CFDAlden]

Make sure the mask fits your face. It should be able to "suck" to your face when you place the mask on your face, and inhale through your nose slightly. No straps! Masks should also have a tempered glass lens.

 

You can pick up a snorkel for as little as $10, up to $50. Some have no splash protection, to a splash guard, to a totally dry system. Just make sure the snorkel has a large diameter breathing tube. If your going to use it a lot, spend a little more for bells and whistles.

[PHXscuba]

If I had to pick, based on room to pack, price, etc., I'd for sure buy the mask and snorkel, and think about renting the fins.

 

The snorkel is of course a sanitary issue. The mask is a fit issue as others have stated (and even my diving buddies are always searching for that Holy Grail of a mask that doesn't leak, doesn't pinch, has a wide field of vision, etc.). So get the stuff that touches your face and definitely try it on.

 

Unless your feet are particularly hard to fit (very large, narrow, etc.) they should have fins you can use. Even without a perfect fit you can probably do some casual snorkeling. It's a trade-off for the space in your luggage and wandering around.

 

Good luck,

PHXscuba

"You can't have everything -- besides, where would you put it all?":D

[Isailaway]

I don't know if all Sam's Clubs carry the same merchandise, but in Terre Haute, Indiana, Sam's is carrying BodyGlove snorkel gear for women for $18 -- that includes mask, snorkel and fins. After having no luck finding anything at Gander Mountain (which you would THINK would be one of the best places to look), I happened to stumble upon the set at Sam's. (and I did the "happy dance"!) Hope this helps someone else out there.

[booth22]

Go to a dive shop and ask questions... they will help you out in finding exactly what you need. Plus you don't want to have the $10 fins from Walmart that bend in half while swimming with them.. in the big scheme of things paying a decent amount for something which will last you all your trips is worth it. if you're only snorkeling, i'd get a mask with a purge and a dry snorkel for sure.. Good luck!

[cruisinreunion]

My husband and I are also new to snorkeling, having last gone on our honeymoon and this cruise celebrates our 15th anniversary. We are going to bring along our own mask and snorkel for Bermuda, (I hate to think of someone else's mouth on the snorkel) before me. How necessary is it to bring along the fins? We do have a very nice carry case for our equipment, came with the US Diver package, but I was thinking without the fins, I could just pack the mask and snorkel in the suitcase with one less bag. We aren't planning on any snorkel boat trips, just off the beach, but I don't want to be unprepared if we change our minds and book one once at the island and need them. Do they require you to wear fins on the boat trips? If it is yes, we will simply just pack it all with us.

 

Thanks from a very new snorkeler!:)

[Romy40]

Too funny Kathy. I just bought the same gear from our Sam's Club here in Las Vegas! small world

 

Now I'm looking for an inflatable snorkel vest. Anyone?

[Donjamoni]

My wife and I actually picked up our mask, dry snorkel, and fins set for our Oct Eastern Carr. cruise at Gander mountain. (US Divers, $29.00 a person) I felt this was a well worth it.

[booth22]

cruisin reunion- take the fins, almost every boat will require you to wear them..

 

romy40- check http://www.scuba.com or scubatoys.com for a vest

[Romy40]

Hey booth22 - - thanks for the link! Vests look like a good idea.

[purplejc5]

Love the diving pictures and videos, booth22. What kind of camera did you use for the pictures (not videos). I am looking for a new camera.

Thanks

[booth22]

A Canon A620 for both pictures and videos... we're a bit behind on updating the site too, those aren't even the really good pictures!

[SDRR]

My wife and I have been planning on going on a cruise in February of 2008 to Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios for a little over a year now...

 

Snorkeling was in the plans.

 

I was oogie about using stuff that other people had been spitting on, too... :eek:

 

Last October, one of our local dive shops (imagine that, dive shops in Phoenix, Arizona) was having their "end of season" sale, and we picked up a pair of really good masks (with purge valves and a great field of view) and two dry snorkels, all at about 35% off.

 

Checked the "fit" of the masks there in the shop, and they were deemed "good" (stayed on during the inhalation test).

 

By having the gear on hand over the summer, we were able to practice in the pool, ensuring that DW didn't have any issues with breathing through a tube, or claustrophobia, and develop a decent technique for diving/surfacing/purging of the snorkels so that we won't loose much exploring time out on the excursions.

 

And since fins take up quite a bit of room in a suitcase, and don't help much with pool maintenance here at home, I figured that we'd just use what was available from the excursion operators and leave it at that.

 

Besides, I haven't heard of anyone spitting on the insides of fins... :p

[Snorkel Dawg]

Go to a dive shop and ask questions... they will help you out in finding exactly what you need. Plus you don't want to have the $10 fins from Walmart that bend in half while swimming with them.. in the big scheme of things paying a decent amount for something which will last you all your trips is worth it. if you're only snorkeling, i'd get a mask with a purge and a dry snorkel for sure.. Good luck!

 

Hey Booth22,

 

Thanks for posting the pics & vids I really enjoyed looking at them.

[Snorkel Dawg]

Too funny Kathy. I just bought the same gear from our Sam's Club here in Las Vegas! small world

 

Now I'm looking for an inflatable snorkel vest. Anyone?

 

Romy,

 

You can also look at www.snorkelmart.com their customer service is top notch.

[Starward_Girl]

My husband and I are also new to snorkeling, having last gone on our honeymoon and this cruise celebrates our 15th anniversary. We are going to bring along our own mask and snorkel for Bermuda, (I hate to think of someone else's mouth on the snorkel) before me. How necessary is it to bring along the fins? We do have a very nice carry case for our equipment, came with the US Diver package, but I was thinking without the fins, I could just pack the mask and snorkel in the suitcase with one less bag. We aren't planning on any snorkel boat trips, just off the beach, but I don't want to be unprepared if we change our minds and book one once at the island and need them. Do they require you to wear fins on the boat trips? If it is yes, we will simply just pack it all with us.

 

Thanks from a very new snorkeler!:)

 

 

Don't bother bringing the fins. If you go on an excursion, you can wear their fins. If you don't, you won't need them anyway, unless you are swimming 1/2 mile or more to get to the actual snorkeling spot. Most people just float around (they don't actually swim). We take our mask and snorkel and leave the fins home and we never wish we had the fins.

[leavitt1]

Hello all. My husband and I are cruising on Princess in January, and we're going to be doing a stingrays and snorkeling excursion in Grand Cayman as well as maybe some snorkeling off the beach in Cozumel and Princess Cay. Thanks to the guidance of this thread, I decided to look into getting my own snorkeling equipment. I'm relatively new to snorkeling, but I did go on one excursion on my honeymoon to Aruba. Great fun, but I didn't love using the snorkel the whole world had used. :eek:

 

So...I went onto Amazon.com and found a U.S. Divers Cozumel Seabreeze Dry Proflex II Mask, Fins and Snorkel Set for $29.99. It seemed like a good deal, and I had a $25 gift card, so it cost me $5! It just came in today, and I love the mask (It passes the "suck to my face" test! :D ) and the snorkel, but I'm not so sure about the fins. Are they supposed to fit very tight? Are they just harder to put on because they're new? Or because my feet are completely dry? Help. I'm not sure if they need to be returned.

 

Thanks,

Michelle

[Big Kielbasa]

I had the same issue a couple of years ago when we went to Maui, I started to picture some people with cold sores all around their mouths renting the equipment before me. Couldn't get to Costco fast enough to purchase our own and drag it with us.:eek:

[jtechyjenny]

I have to defend the snorkle equipment I bought In Walmart....LOL. We bought them for our trip to Curacao in 2006 and have taken them to 2 other trips and they are also going with us on the destiny. In my opinion they serve the same purpose, I can breath with my mouth piece and I have a good view with my goggles. They fit perfect! My boyfriend bought the expensive ones at a dive shop and he would wait till I took breaks to use mine because the fins where so much lighter. I paid a whole $20 for mine he paid $150 go figure

[rsbg1]

Hi, We have never gone snorkeling before, and thought this might be fun on our upcoming trip in Jan. I went to the sporting good stores in town to see what they have, and what I found was what I thought to be high prices. I checked Ebay and got a snorkel set for my wife ( $14.99 plus $5.00 to ship) in town it was $29.99 , she has small feet and could use a junior set. I then checked for me, I went to Amazon and found the US Diver set for $29.99 and free shipping, for an XL set.(in town it was almost $60.00 for XL set for me) It pays to shop around !!!!!