Rental snorkeling equipment

We are going on the sunshine in April. We have booked thee excursions and one says they give you mask and snorkel to keep in Atlantis. Our concern is just how bad is the loaner equipment on these excursions. There is a dive shop near us should we just buy our own for about 80 bucks and bring it or use what someone else put there mouth on?

We are going on the sunshine in April. We have booked thee excursions and one says they give you mask and snorkel to keep in Atlantis. Our concern is just how bad is the loaner equipment on these excursions. There is a dive shop near us should we just buy our own for about 80 bucks and bring it or use what someone else put there mouth on?

We bring so we assure no leaks, no germs and good times on our $5,000 vacation.

No way do we EVER use the equipment, can't guarantee its been cleaned. That's just me..

No way do we EVER use the equipment, can't guarantee its been cleaned. That's just me..

We pack our own snorkel and mask, leave behind our flippers and use theirs.

We carry our own masks and snorkels.

We bought inexpensive snorkel & mask at Walmart - we (like others) don't worry about the fins, but yuck on the snorkle & mask!

We just use the equipment provided on the excursion. We have masks, snorkels & fins, but never have taken them with us on a cruise. I will say that I have considered at least taking my snorkel, as it has a valve so I don't get water down it it. We have always used the regulators provided by the company when we scuba, as we don't have our own. It's my understanding that the dunk tank has some sort of cleaning solution in it. We've not gotten sick after diving or snorkeling. Maybe the salt water kills the germs, much like gargling with salt water helps with pharyngitis.

We just use the equipment provided on the excursion. We have masks, snorkels & fins, but never have taken them with us on a cruise. I will say that I have considered at least taking my snorkel, as it has a valve so I don't get water down it it. We have always used the regulators provided by the company when we scuba, as we don't have our own. It's my understanding that the dunk tank has some sort of cleaning solution in it. We've not gotten sick after diving or snorkeling. Maybe the salt water kills the germs, much like gargling with salt water helps with pharyngitis.

Ewwww. Not even close. I helped to develop the sanitizing protocols for dive equipment in an aquarium. There are MANY nasty things that can be transmitted by sharing equipment. We were all healthy as we had to have physicals and such, however, no way would we take that chance.

We were allowed to bring our own equipment for all except one tank because the risk of cross contamination was too great for the type of sea life that was in there. I can assure you the equipment was throughly sanitized and it involved much more than a dunk in the container!

No way would I ever use any type of gear being a mask, snorkel, or regulator that wasn't my own unless I was 100% positive of the sanitation techniques used. Salt water doesn't kill anything and either does a quick dunk in any type of solution that isn't harmful to dive equipment.

I'm the kind of person that eats raw cookie dough, believes in the 5-second rule and uses spit to wash my kids' faces. Using rental snorkel gear doesn't faze me at all.

I can't count the number of times over many, many years that I have snorkeled and I have almost always used the rental equipment because I don't want to bother packing snorkel gear. I have never gotten the least bit sick.

I'm the kind of person that eats raw cookie dough, believes in the 5-second rule and uses spit to wash my kids' faces. Using rental snorkel gear doesn't faze me at all.

 

 

 

I can't count the number of times over many, many years that I have snorkeled and I have almost always used the rental equipment because I don't want to bother packing snorkel gear. I have never gotten the least bit sick.

I for the most part am the same way. However, there are many nasty things that can be transmitted by that stuff. Would you go up and french kiss a stranger or eat off a fork they used without washing it?! Because if it's not properly washed, that's essentially what you're doing.

I am no germaphobe by any means but I pick and choose what I'm willing to take risks with. Pathogens that are transmitted via oral mucous membranes of strangers with questionable heath/hygiene habits aren't one of them!

We use our own snorkel and mask.

Costco has US Divers brand snorkel sets that have everything for $40. Kids sets were less, but I don't remember the kids set price.

http://www.costcoweekender.com/2015/03/us-divers-adult-snorkeling-set-costco-907491.html

I bought an inexpensive snorkel and mask set at Target to take. I got a terrible sinus infection the first time I snorkeled. I used the company's equipment. Ever since then I've at least used my own snorkel.

Costco has US Divers brand snorkel sets that have everything for $40. Kids sets were less, but I don't remember the kids set price.

http://www.costcoweekender.com/2015/03/us-divers-adult-snorkeling-set-costco-907491.html

Funny I was just going to send a link to those snorkel kits at Costco, we just picked up a set for me and another for my wife for our April bahamas cruise. We bought those ahead of time, we will break even on what would be our 2nd rental.

Highly recommended the us diver mask from costco, they are approx $80-100 online for comparable set. And if you are in an area where google shopping express delivers, they bring it to your doorstep like they did for us!

I bought these two sets for a family vacation for the five of us both sets worked great with no issues. Different types of sets, but they both work great (better mask on US Diver) and each for under $40 shipped if you have amazon prime. These are nice lightweight sets that pack and travel easy.

U.S. Divers Adult Cozumel Mask/Seabreeze II Snorkel/Proflex Fins/Gearbag

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005XYI7FS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Seavenger Diving Snorkel Set- Dry Top Snorkel / Trek Fin / 2-windows Tempered Glass Mask / Gear bag- Blue/Red/Yellow/Black/BS

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H4FG418/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We are going on the sunshine in April. We have booked thee excursions and one says they give you mask and snorkel to keep in Atlantis. Our concern is just how bad is the loaner equipment on these excursions. There is a dive shop near us should we just buy our own for about 80 bucks and bring it or use what someone else put there mouth on?

A few cruises ago I watched the "loaner equipment" it was in a big plastic trash can filled with ocean water. After you were done, you put the used equipment back in the same trash can filled with water.

If you think you will cruise even once a year it is worth getting your own stuff. Plus their stuff is super basic, get a snorkel with a dry top so you don't get waves drowning you

We pack our own snorkel and mask, leave behind our flippers and use theirs.

Ditto, renting snorkels is like kissing a public bathroom door knob. Would you do that. Ekkk.

Ditto, renting snorkels is like kissing a public bathroom door knob. Would you do that. Ekkk.

I know a lot of people who kiss their pets on the mouth ... and most of them clean their butts with their tongue ... pets I mean .....

if you really want to save money ... why not bring a small package of those wet wipes with bleach and wipe off the parts that concern you?

If you buy the $40 sets from Costco, E-Bay et al .... you are getting the same quality of gear the excursion would loan you.

If you are going to keep snorkeling for a while it IS worth investing in a properly fitting mask and a comfortable snorkel ... that means going some place to try on / be fitted .... not COSTCO or E-Bay/Amazon

Costco has US Divers brand snorkel sets that have everything for $40. Kids sets were less, but I don't remember the kids set price.

http://www.costcoweekender.com/2015/03/us-divers-adult-snorkeling-set-costco-907491.html

Is this the set for kids that you were referring to?

http://www.costcoweekender.com/2015/04/us-divers-youth-snorkel-set-costco-907495.html

Just a suggestion, find a dive shop with a pool that will let you try before you buy. Not surprisingly human faces run a wide range of sizes and shapes and the "one size fits all" generic packaging doesn't always work. My wife didn't listen to me and bought a set at a local sporting goods store. The mask had been in the packaging so long that it had a permanent crease that leaked like the Titanic. It wouldn't fit her face without being tightened down so hard that she thought her head was about to pop. The fins didn't fit her feet and she ended up with a large sore where the edge rubbed her foot raw. We won't talk about the fit of the snorkel. The rest of the cruise she used my spare mask snorkel and full foot fins.

When we got back, she tried to get the store to take the snorkel gear back, but they wouldn't. We went out to a dive shop, found her a new set and she has been quite happy since then. Price difference between the sets, $11.

It you do buy the "bargain" sets, go spend some pool time to make sure you can adjust it and it fits. If you don't, you may be surprised and end up kissing the doorknob anyway.

ken

We purchased our own snorkeling equipment after our first cruise because we loved snorkeling so much on that cruise we knew we wanted to do it again (this was 2010). We still have the same snorkeling "kits" and they have held up well.

We purchased ours online and got the US Divers kits that come with the smaller travel fins and they work terrific and take up less room. Everything is held in a little carry bag.

The one thing I'm not sure if anyone mentioned (other than the bad sanitation habits of the "rentals") is that I have noticed a lot of the places that have the rental equipment don't have the snorkel that is covered at the top...which keeps water from getting in it even if you dive under. (It's called a dry snorkel). There is also a valve at the bottom and if you were to get water in the snorkel, just blow and it will come out.

Since getting our own equipment, I have managed to add a pair of snorkel socks, which work awesome and keep the fins from rubbing the tops of my feet and they are also pretty awesome to just walk around in especially getting in and out of the water if it's a little rocky. :) We also added the snorkel vest as well.