Snorkeling Equipment - Rent or Buy?

[kho7002]

I'm surprised that most people rent their snorkeling equipments. Isn't it cheaper and more hygenic to buy your own snorkeling equipment. Was wondering if we should buy our own or would it be a hassle to carry around? Thanks for any feedback. And how much does a decent one cost?

[Bebet]

It really depend on if you will be using it much again. YOu could just buy your own snorkle and mask, not the fins. Some people complain the masks don't fit right. We opted to buy our own. I got ours at Sam's for about $50.00. It was by Body Glove. Snorkle, Mask and fins. It came with a hand carrying "back back" thingy that worked great. You also have to consider packing it. We drove to the pier so luggage weights wasn't a problem for us.

Rhapsody of the Seas 3/04

[This message was edited by Bebet on 04-22-04 at 11:03 AM.]

[bplazo]

We bought our own last year at a diving shop. I didnt like the thought of used snorkeling equipment. It was easy enough to pack in our luggage. We didnt buy the fins though

[megalyce]

Last cruise we went on, we used the snorkel they supplied. I doused it in hand sanitizer before I put it in my mouth....ugh! It might smell great, but it doesn't taste so good!

This year, we bought our own sets at Costco for like $42 (fins, snorkel and mask) and will be taking them with us.

Keep in mind, that this also allows you to use it whenever you want...if you're doing a beach excursion that doesn't have snorkeling, you can bring your own!

Holland American Veendam 3/03
Carnival Imagination 4/00
Lake Champlain Ferries 88-95

[cal2632]

If you go to your local dive shop they will ensure you have a properly fitting mask. It will be a little more, (~$50 for mask & snorkel), but you'll be happier in the long run. You run into bigger money for good fins; mine were $179, (lucky me), but they were on sale for 'only' $129.

2 X RCI
5 x HAL
2 x Carnival
2 x Celebrity (way back when it was Chandris)
1 so long ago I don't even remember who!

[checkard]

We got ours a K-Mart for about $20. We've used them on cruises and in the river. The mask has an extra "skirt" inside that really keeps that water out. The snorkel has a valve that doesn't let water in. We've never had a problem with water and I know whose mouth that snorkel has been in.

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Explorer 11/2001
Explorer 12/14/02
Serenade 10/13/03
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Until Grandeur 5/21/04
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[mammallama]

We also bought our own. (Stomach viruses? Yuck!) I found a large mesh duffle bag at one of those large sports mega-stores. It was perfect for carrying our gear on the plane. We loaded our suntan lotion, beach towels, even some floating lounges in it and checked the bag at the airport. There are backpacks made for snorkel gear also, that would be easy to schlepp around. I made drawstring bags to keep our masks in, easy enough. Kept them from getting scratched. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] , Karen

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[kho7002]

thanks guys...i think i'm definitely leaning towards getting my own. problem is....there aren't much choices in New York. will probably shop in florida for them.

[jstducky]

i also bought my own. like one of the previous posters, i got mine at costco. it comes with the snorkel (with a valve that doesnt allow water in) a mask and fins. also it comes with a back pack that holds all of this stuff that you carry with you on excursions...

also, i bought mine about a 1.5 month ago when costco had a $12.00 off coupon, so the whole set only cost $25!

i thought that was a great deal!

jstducky!
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[mammallama]

KHO7002--Excellent idea to get them in FL. It's important to get a good fit. Place mask over face and breathe in through your nose. The mask should stay in place easily. If it falls off, there may be a leak somewhere. Also, make sure before you use the mask, you wash the film off (put there by the manufacturers). This can be done with mild toothpaste and a fingertip. Rinse well. Good old fashioned spit also keeps the mask from fogging up while you're snorkeling. You can also buy anti-fog spray for about 5-6 bucks but spit is free so why bother?! We enjoyed having our equipment with us even if it was just for a beach stop. And from what I can recall, you can't rent the stuff for the entire cruise, you had to rent it at each excursion...$$$! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img], Karen

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[cprincess]

We opted for buying our own also. Got our first set at Costco as some of the above post mentioned. The mask however wasn't the best fit so the water would leek into it. Enough of that! For our next trip we purchased individual mask, shorkels and fins at dive shops. Then used the vest that you can rent or are provided on the tours. Well enough of that too. You have to put your mouth on it to inflate the water. So this year we purchased those at the local dive shop. Found a great waterproff/mesh back-pack that folds up nicely at another dive shop to carry all our equipment in (or for DH to carry it I should say). So I think we're all set now for this trip!

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Viking Serenade 7/91
Enchantment of the Seas - Eastern 9/02
Enchantment of the Seas - Western 9/02
Voyager of the Seas 11/03
Brilliance of the Seas 11/03
Mariner of the Seas 5/04

[Chris Brook]

My wife and I each have our own kits:
waterproof backpack containing the following:
mask
fins
dripless snorkel (key to keeping out salt water from waves!)
rubber soled zipper booties
black dive shirts (you'd be amazed how they save your back from burning!)
Rain poncho
misc items in ziplock
We set these up a couple of years ago, always ready to go, even when we fly. We bought a suitcase with a "false bottom" that both of these packs can fit in.

[flamingosun]

Also- if you are 'vision challenged,' you can buy either magnifying or actual perscription ground lenses for your mask at a dive shop. Costs a bit more but I was amazed at how much more I could see with the magnifying lenses. (I have 20/400 vision and wear glasses not contacts)
I only take my mask and snork with me on cruises... they require less space than fins, which I rent as needed.


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Sovereign 01/02, 11/02, 6/03, 08/03, 09/03
Fantasy 06/2002
Mariner 12/03
Radiance 04/04

[woodz]

Go to the dive shop. We are PADI divers, but we decided to go with the Costco mask and snorkle last year because we moved and couldn't find our equipment. Big mistake. You have spent so much on your vacation invest in a good quality, custom fit faceplate. We also put ours in a sports duffle bag along with the kids roller blades, a cheap blow up mattress and suntan stuff.

Vision '00
Rhapsody '01
Radiance '01
NCL Star '02
Princess Star '02
Grandeur '02
Radiance '02
Statendam '03
Navigator 7/03
Radiance 5/04

[Candleonwater]

I wondered the same thing - so I visited a dive shop in our area a couple of weeks before leaving... over $200 for masks, snorkels and float vests for me and my daughter... yikes! I wanted the snorkels for sanitary reasons, the masks so that I knew they fit well, and the float vests so that we would have the option of snorkeling anywhere... wasn't worried about the fins. I decided to not make that purchase.

When we reached Port Canaveral, we had an hour before we could park at the port, so we hit a dive shop... $160 for the above mentioned items. I love my mask... and I'm glad the snorkel has a purge valve as many I saw on our excursions didn't.

Mariner or Disney Wonder 3/27/05
Mariner of the Seas 4/11/04
Disney Magic 12/01/01

[Smile0808]

Bring your own. We wouldnt use toothbrushes,etc. that the public has put in their mouths! The arent expensive.

[Family of 14]

it's not the expense, but the weight of these supplies (not to mention the room they take up). We usually only snorkel once a cruise. I take the hand santizer Wet One's wipes along with the gel. We really give our snorkels and goggles a good washing.

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Disney Wonder 3/2000 ~ Disney Magic 9/2000 ~ RCI Vision 2/2001 ~ Carnival Victory 12/2001 ~ Celebrity Millennium 3/2003 ~ RCI Adventure OTS 9/2003 ~ RCI Mariner OTS 7/18/2004 ~ RCI Serenade OTS 9/26/2004

[thrpy]

If you are planning on more cruises, snorkeling etc. you are going to be better off buying you equipment from a good dive shop. WELL worth the money. If you require eyeglasses, lenses can be obtained that fit into the mask (mine). I want to see things out there, not just catch a blur. A good mask and a comfortable set of fins, probably with some dive socks will make your underwater adventure much more enjoyable.

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MORE than ready...

[Woodywoman]

We did the same as Chris Brook.
We went to a dive shop and purchased good quality items. It was pricey, but we snorkel at least 2 times each cruise. We never have a problem with equipment not fitting properly or water going down our snorkel (breathing tube).

No hassle here about carrying it around. We pack it all in one small suitcase and check it at the airport. We don't get in that suitcase until we arrive at the snorkeling port. At the time we purchased the equipment, we also purchased a net bag. All the snorkeling items fit into the bag with room to spare.

If you are spending the money on the snorkeling equipment, go ahead and get yourself a good underwater camera. There is a big difference between the disposables and a digital (with underwater casing).
Definitely worth the money!

Southward ~ 1984
Tropicale ~ 1985
Sun Cruise Lines ~ Stella Solaris ~ 5/91
RCCL ~ Song of America ~ 7/92
Carnival ~ Fascination ~ 9/95
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RCCL ~ Radiance of the Seas ~ 11/23/02 (Thanksgiving)
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RCCL ~ Monarch of the Seas ~ 5/8/03 (Price was right)
Princess ~ Grand Princess ~ 11/23/03 (Thanksgiving)
RCCL ~ Splendour of the Seas ~ 3/29/04 Diamond Status

[erniesband]

We've got good quality items from a dive shop, as well, and worth every penny. Masks (prescription for our son, I wear contacts, and that works well with a mask), good COMFORTABLE snorkel (some mouthpieces can be very uncomfortable), vests, fins and gear bags. Good quality stuff lasts for years, and fits right. And owning your own allows you to have more snorkeling choices and to go to the places that not everyone goes. They tend to be less crowded, with better snorkeling, but may not have equipment rental.

We have to fly to port, but packing our gear has never put us over the weight limit.

Rhapsody 3/'99
Soveriegn 3/'00
Monarch 1/'01
Enchantment 8/'01
Radiance 1/'02
Monarch 8/'02
Radiance 1/'03
Serenade 1/'04
Empress 1/'05

[Chris Brook]

22 days until VOS out of Bayonne June 4!
On a quick note: my wife and I went to Key Largo for an extended weekend. Waves were 3-4 feet and we did snorkeling excursions every day. My snorkel has a drip valve, my wife's is dripless. Every trip out we saw people going back to the boat quickly because of the amount of salt water they were drinking with the rental gear. Every trip had at least one person sick from drinking salt water. My wife and I were very grateful that we had our own gear!
The current was very rough, the only people able to get out to the reef were the ones with scuba quality fins, not the flimsy rubber(?) rentals.
Again, for the money you spend on a vacation and the money you spend on gear, it definitely pays to have your own!
We were also able to snorkel at sunset at the hotel beach, after everyone else had to turn in the gear (closed at 5:30 sunset at 7:45). Nothing like being in the ocean and watching the effect of sunset!