Best snorkel to buy?

Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:01 pm Post subject: Best snorkel to buy?

Hi There,

When we are on Cayman, my daughter and I would like to do a bit of snorkeling and after reading all the posts, we are going to go out next week and buy some equipment. It has been a "very" long time since I snorkeled and my daughter, never. :o I have checked with the local Y and they do not offer lessons any longer. Would you recommend the snorkel that closes automatically? By the sounds of some of the posts, it seems quite popular, but is quite a bit more money if not needed. What do you all think?

Just want to say, this forum is just great!! I have learned so much, thank you all!!

Sally

Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:06 pm Post subject:

bill5081 - I'm sure there are people who swear by them, but I have never found the need for it. Some water is going to enter the snorkel no matter what you get, so it is essential that you learn to clear the snorkel properly with a deep breath and a fast exhale. You can practice this at home in the bath tub if you do not have access to a pool. I would recommend starting out somewhere easy where you can stand up until you get the hang of it and before you know it you'll be out on the reefs. Most people become expert snorkelers in no time. Wink

Native Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 1230 Location: Ohio

If you are buying a mask - it's very important that your mask fit your face properly. We bought my daughter (who is 12) a new larger mask this year.

Diving

We always try them on before we buy. You need to press them to your face to see that you get a good suction and that the silicone around the edge is past the outer edge of your eyes.

The bathtub is where my kids learned how to snorkel first and when we arrived on island they were good to go!

:fish2: bfish

Kay

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 6:04 am Post subject:

bill5081...........we are two that do swear by our "close off" snorkel........Joe is a fish and has always been around and in and on the water and has been a divemaster since I think he could walk.

I've grown up with rivers that I won't let TOUCH me and have glasses so thick I could never SEE underwater, so my experience with being in the water was a couple lakes and swimming pools. Once we saw that turquoise, still water....full of the most wondrous fish and corral we knew we had to snorkel.

Our first stop was to get bifocal masks (talk about extra expense Rolling Eyes

) and the close off snorkel and I've never had water get in...except when I jump off a boat, and know how to expel it......for all the other times that I'm just bopping along under water, it's been worth every penny to me having that snorkel...just for that added security.......kinda like wearing the life vest, and not inflating it, when you're out in deep water...I just FEEL better knowing it's there.

I would, however, STILL defer to Joe's opinion....because of all his experience, both as a snorkeler, diver and also a teacher, and my experience as a whimp rolllaugh

Celine

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:08 am Post subject:

Bill - give some thought to perhaps purchasing the snorkel but renting the other equipment on island. Many resorts make available equipment for a nominal fee and others provide it at no charge.

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 10:07 am Post subject:

We all use the close off snorkel and love them. Have tried both types [own both types] and we always end up using the one that closes off.

If you are new to snorkeling and would like your own equipment [I like my own things...not much of a renter] I would suggest a stop by the local dive store and trying the masks on before buying. You can often get packages that contain fins, mask and snorkel that are economical. We did that when we first started coming to the island. Our son bought a package with a nice mask, snorkel [close-off type] and fins, in a mesh bag from our local dive shop for $95 two years ago.

~Hope it helps...mask fit is key to enjoying your snorkeling experience.

Karen

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 12:03 pm Post subject:

I have used a regular snorkel for many years. My wife bought me a close off "dry" snorkel as a gift and I thought it was an unnecessary extravagance. But it does work very well. You still have to exhale forcefully, but much less water gets inside and it is easlier to clear. An extravagance yes. But I like it! Bet you will too. Cheers

Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:18 am Post subject:

I've never tried a "dry" snorkel, but I imagine they work quite well, especially for more novice snorkellers or those who like to submerge. The best way to try on a mask is to put it on your face without the strap and inhale through your nose. The mask should stay on your face, without the strap, through the suction alone. Diving

Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:09 pm Post subject:

There is a lot of good information in this thread - I made it a sticky. Very Happy

Newbie Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 18 Location: PNW

Personally, I like to bring my own equipment, even the fins. I feel they also have a better fit along with the mask if you purchase them yourself as opposed to renting them or maybe I just never had good places to rent from, but now I'm much happier bringing my own gear, plus there are no daily or weekly rental fees and you get to keep your gear if you plan on traveling to other snorkeling places next year.

I don't know if this is the best advise, but the dive shops you buy gear at seem to say to put on the mask and suck the air in to check the fit.

Bye, Capri

Newbie Joined: 29 Dec 2005 Posts: 3

all of the "dry snorkel"s I have tried were much heavier at the top than the normal snorkels.

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 8:41 am Post subject:

Welcome highlandfarmwv... Those snorkels can get heavy on top. That can sometimes cause the mask strap to pull away from the side of your head and make the mask leak. You also may have to bite down on the mouthpiece too hard and that can fatigue your jaw. And they can also put a "dent" in your head and make you sore!

Newbie Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 6

hi guys...neat information on this site. We use dry snorkels in places where we know the water can be choppy (like GC). This way the water doesn't splash into your snorkel while you are already trying to deal with all of the movement. You still have to expell if you go under with the snorkel, but you don't drink seawater while skimming the top.

Native Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 1023 Location: Illinois

When we first snorkeled we used the equipment the operators offered. Then we took a vacation to Riviera Maya in October and I was lucky enough to buy our equipment at a dive shop. We have the close off snorkels and I love them. I was sucking down water all the time before. My mask fits perfectly............I need that cause I wear contact lenses to snorkel. Oh, and I'm a wimp about sucking down water too, plus I have not had years and years of experience.

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:25 am Post subject:

Breathing water is never good. Once, at the beginning of a dive, I almost misstook my snorkel for my regulator. That would not have been good...

	Cayman Activity Guide Forum Index -> Snorkeling	Goto page 1, 2 Next
Page 1 of 2