Snorkeling Equipment

[kat]

For very inexperienced first time snorkelers. We want to experience snorkeling while in the Caribbean. Question is. Do we take our own equipment? Not real comfortable with the idea of renting, someone else's mouth piece. If we take our own how cheap can we get by with, buying our own. Just a mask and a mouth piece and maybe flippers. This is a one time thing and will probally never do it again.Don't want to spend a huge amount of money. Can you snorkel l if you don't swim well or at all. Thanks Kat

 

[Tiptoeonthewaves]

We bought our make, snorkel and fins as a set from KMart for about $20. on sale last year. We rented the life vest because my daughter is a very poor swimmer. Kept us afloat. I feel as you do about the mouthpiece. I thought it would be a one time thing but this year we decided to go again so it will get more use. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[BurBunny]

If you don't think you'll snorkel again, then I'd recommend just getting the mask and snorkel and renting the fins. The fins are the worst to pack and carry, and easiest to rent.

 

[ginny]

If you don't think you'll ever snorkle again (this is totally unbelievable to me as I think this is a wonderful experience) you should just buy a snorkle and use the mask and fins provided on the tour. I agree, I sure wouldn't want to use a community snorkle. Having said that, we snorkle many times a year and quality gear is very important to the enjoyment of the experience. Not all mask shapes fit all faces and in order to insure a good fit they must be tried on for fit. We bring all our own gear on every trip. Some of the stuff i've seen tour operators use is junk.

 

[SHANNON & CATHY]

I would at least buy the mask and snorkel, some of the masks you rent have seen better days and are hard to see thru....and the snorkels, well it's like Mom used to say "Don't put that in your mouth...you don't know where it's been"

If you are going later in the year you can get the equipment dirt cheap. as summer winds down Wal-Mart and K-Mart put all the snorkel stuff on clearence sales...we picked up mask/snorkel combos for around $6-8ea (K-mart) and fins (Wal-Mart) for $10ea, basically we got the stuff for half-price.

You'll float very easily in the salt water of the Caribbean, but for saftey I'd use a vest...prob. best to rent one if you're not gonna make a hoby of it. If you want your own you can get them from a dive shop or I've seen them on e-bay. ($20-40).

Don't forget the disposable underwater cameras (much less expensive to buy and take with you)...save a few shots, we always get excited and use up all our film...THEN we see the cool stuff (I've got about a zillion pictures of a little yellow fish for every one of a ray, nurse shark, or octopus)

You'll love snorkeling...It gets addictive!!!! Have fun!
Shannon

 

[sweetpea]

My boyfriend and I were first time snorkelers at our western caribbean cruise last month. We purchased the Body Glove mask and snorkel set from Costco ($50 CDN, that is probably $1 in US ), it is a great set. There is a purge valve that prevents water to come in when you are underwater. Check it out, it is a great investment after seeing the type of snorkels they rent out and how they "clean" it after use.

Have fun
Rufina

 

[bluefish]

I have to agree with the good buy at costco

It is worth it to have your own. And better quality makes the activity much more enjoyable. If you do, you might be surprised how much you will use it, but if you have to rent it each time, you will get discouraged and miss out on the beauty underwater.

<img src=http://www.cruisemates.com/animated/Sunwht.gif>

You didn't ask, but I will express an opinion:
Snorkling is like shopping, but you have to stay outside of the store and can only look in through the windows. If you do try to go into the store, you can only go in a short way before you are forced back out to the street.

Scuba or snuba is like shopping where you get to go into the store and look all around. You get plenty of time to look and you and stop at one place if you see somethig interesting. Then you leave the store when you are ready.

Try a discover scuba or a snuba excrusion and don't forget the disposable underwater camera to prove that you did it.

 

[oceanblue]

Kat - I guarantee that you will snorkel again - it's quite a unique and enjoyable experience, and one that you don't know what you're missing until you've done it. That crystal clear water, the outstanding colour, the motion of floating in the water with your head immersed, the awesome nature of the world down below...........

I, like you, take no comfort in some of the cleansing processes used at various ports. We bought our set of mask and snorkel at Canadian Tire and rented to vest and fins. They are usually able to be rented in individual pieces. Keep in mind though, that unless you can find a vest sufficiently filled with air, you'll need to blow it up yourself. We have priced these snorkel life preservers and they are quite expensive (about $99 Cdn) - we may invest as some point.

Make sure you don't get a set that is too cheap - a poor mask that allows water to leak in will ruin your adventure . With salt water stinging your eyes and the goggles fogged up, you'll not be able to see anything. I will try to look up the name of the set that I bought and will post in the next day or two. It was $80 Cdn for the two piece set.


Hope this helps. Enjoy your experience!!