Snorkeling Equipment Questions for Newbie

We will be trying snorkeling for the first time on our cruise. It's something I've always wanted to do, hubby and I are in our mid-50s. We want to take our own snorkeling equipment, but I don't want to pay a lot of money for something we may never do again. Can it be purchased simply at Walmart, Target or on Amazon?

We are going to a dive shop for a one hour lesson on snorkeling, and they sell equipment there, but I worry that it will cost a lot.

Also, should we get flippers for the feet? Or just a mask and the tube thing? Ha, ha, sorry, I really don't know if that breathing tube has an official name, sorry!

Strongly advise trying equipment prior to buying. What we did was go to water sports store, try various kinds, etc, then order cheaper from amazon.

The masks fit differently according to your face shape, etc. it's important the mask is airtight.

Also, if beginners, you may want to think about a dry snorkel. That's what my girls and I have. Waves do not not get water in tube and it closes if you go under water. My DH used to scuba, but now just snorkels. He has a regular snorkel tube.

Ask lots of questions. A lesson/practice is a great idea.

Ha, ha, sorry, I really don't know if that breathing tube has an official name, sorry!

I think the "tube thing" is called a "snorkel". :cool:

You could do it with just the mask and snorkel, saw plenty do that. But flippers do help a lot in the water. We have the shorter, wider travel fins.

Most sets come with a travel bag that makes it convenient to carry.

I do not care for surface swimming with fins on, so even in current, I do not snorkel with fins. I just plan to snorkel with the current, or swim really hard to get back to the boat if it can't come get me when I drift away :)

This was my first snorkel/mask set. It wasn't fabulously comfortable, but it didn't leak (I know about 8 different people who have used it, all different shapes and size faces). http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Divers-Admiral-Island-Snorkel/dp/B004TTMGL4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1405108035&sr=8-8&keywords=snorkel+set

I still use that snorkel, but now I use a much better mask. It cost me $90, which is more than most people want to pay for a mask :) But man is it comfortable and a perfect fit for my face. If you want that, try a local dive shop where they will have many options, but none nearly as affordable as the Walmart/Amazon ones. (Walmart's are usually plastic wrapped so you can't try them on either.)

We bought sets from Academy. Can't remember what I paid, it's been a few years, but they were pretty cheap. As mentioned cane with a mesh bag to keep everything together.

I'm a pretty good swimmer but I would strongly suggest the flippers. They make it much easier to go where you want to.

Also most places rent equipment if you don't want to take your own.

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I don't want to jump too deep here... But every diver/snorkeler will tell you that nothing can make a dive/snorkel trip worse than a poorly fitting mask. Well, there are worse things.. but this one is preventable.

You can certainly go to WalMart/Target / Sports Authority, or whatever.

Or you can go to your LDS (local dive shop), find a mask that fits.... if they have silly prices (many local dive shops, at least here in Florida, have very good and reasonably priced masks), then find a mask that fits and then go to Amazon or http://www.leisurepro.com and find it for less money.

When preparing for my first cruise (last year) I wanted to take along my own gear...mostly because I didn't want to use gear that had been used by hundreds of different people!

I actually live for researching stuff like this...I scoured amazon.com, Leisurepro.com and other sites for reviews on different masks, snorkels, fins and complete sets. There is one dive shop in the Boston area and they're apparently really good. But, their prices were steep and the selection didn't reflect what I knew was out there on the market.

In the end I spent about fifty bucks on a mask/snorkel set and about sixty bucks on a great pair of fins.

Now, that I've got some serious snorkeling under my belt...I know what I like rather than depending on reviews. If you have a normal/medium sized face (and are new to snorkeling) I can easily recommend a Promate mask and snorkel set. Just google Promate Purge Mask and you'll find it. As a newbie I really appreciated the purge (blowing out of your nose a bit to clear your mask) on the mask and snorkel. My favorite fins (for an easy kick and swift ride) were the Mares Avanti Super Channel...you should be able to find them on line for around sixty bucks. They're not toooooo long for the suitcase (and some airlines allow them as your carry-on)...best fin I own for warm water snorkeling.

My newest mask, now that I am more comfortable diving a bit deeper than just hanging around the surface, is a Mares i3 liquid skin mask (the Sunrise version as my face is WIDE) that I got on line for about fifty bucks. I like the really comfortable nasal section...super comfortable and easy to pinch for equalizing pressure as I dive a bit.

I know I'm writing a bit...sorry. But, there are a couple of other things I'd really suggest. I watched YouTube videos on how to prepare my mask so it won't fog up so quickly. SO important! I ended up buying Sea Buff and Sea Drops for preparing my mask and then a defogger (that's the drops). Lastly, I found these little magnets with soft cushions on them...one magnet goes inside the mask window the other outside, with the cushions of both touching the glass. If the mask does fog, then you just move the outside magnet around and the inside one is dragged around to wipe up the fog. They are like magic!!!

Wow....sorry to write so much.

Oh, I forgot! That Promate mask set I mentioned has a dry top snorkel....that is a MUST have! It makes it sooo much easier to go underwater (to see the good stuff) and pop up to be able to take a good breath without having for blow a jet of water out the top of your head like a whale!

If it were me I would just tell the guys at the dive shop just what you told us. They have heard it before. If it is a good shop they will have entry level gear that will not break the bank but also will not leak. Buy a Mask and Snorkel.

Now depending on you ports you should do a shore dive without fins and a charter with the fins supplied.

If you let us know what ports you are hitting we can recommend a good shore dive and which island is worth a charter. Not all islands have shore dives. but most have a snorkel charter that is worth the money.

As a beginner in your 50's you deserve to pay a little to insure a great experience.

Fins make so much of a difference moving about. I wouldn't consider doing without them. Here's something to try - snorkel for 15 minutes with fins and them take them off and try to move about looking a different sights.

That's so true! I took my newest fins to the pool to test drive them (fantastic) and then too them off to swim a bit....it was like the feeling you get when you walk after being on a treadmill! Now I want a pair of training fins just for the pool.

Costco sells a pretty good set for less than $50. Included mask, dry snorkel, fins and a bag. Mask and snorkel are great, fins are so-so. But hey, the price is super. You have to catch them in the spring as they don't carry this item year round.

Fins make so much of a difference moving about. I wouldn't consider doing without them. Here's something to try - snorkel for 15 minutes with fins and them take them off and try to move about looking a different sights.

Agreed! Huge benefit for movement on the surface and below. I love swimming near/along with the big schools of fish, turtles, rays, squid, etc. and it would often not be possible for me to stay anywhere close enough to observe them for extended periods without fins.

One must-have item would be a pair of dive socks. My fins fit perfectly but after a half hour or so the tips of my toes feel really banged up. I bought thin nylon dive socks and it's smooth sailing. If your fins are a bit roomy you might go with a neoprene sock.

Thanks everyone! We just returned from our cruise last Friday. The snorkeling went great! It is something I wish I could do every single day of my life!

We just went with the excursion's snorkeling equipment and it worked out great. One thing I didn't realize is that the salt water in the ocean gives you great bouyancy, so it was very easy to swim. I had a waterproof cover for my camera and even got photos of us snorkeling and some of the fish.