Snorkle Poll

Amy and I are trying to decide which option of the ones below to choose. Please vote in the poll so that we can see what most of you would do.

Since we often don't book excursions through the cruiselines any more, we decided to invest in our own snorkel gear. It paid for itself in 2 cruises and I like that I'm the only one who spit in my mask!

you can purchase relatively good equipment inexpensively...i think it pays to know that no one else has had their mouth on your snorkel!!! its also nice to have a mask that you know fits and doesnt leak...fins arent such a big deal if you dont want to purchase them yet...

I concur, sharing equipment is gross. eek: I can't imagine them cleaning anything that well. We invested in equipment last year and it has paid off.

I bought snorkle equipment some years back. I don't use the fins anymore as they aren't that comfortable. I stick with aqua shoes. I invested in a couple vests off ebay a few years ago too for a reasonable price.

On a previous cruise (in 2000), we used the equipment (mask, snorkel and fins) from the catamaran tour we took... Will never do that again ! The mask didn't fit my face very well so water fill it in no time... the fins were too soft so I didn't have the impression of pushing when I moved my legs...

We bought our own equipment and on our last cruise this past Jan, we used them on another catamaran tour. Wow ! What a difference !

Don't hesitate ro buy your own equipment. It doesn't have to be very expensive (unless you want to do some serious diving). We bought our equipment at Costco and we are very please with it...

Alain R.

I agree with the above posters. If snorkeling is something you are going do once a year or so, it definitely pays to buy your own equipment!!! It's cleaner and you know it fits you!!! Also invest in a bag to carry it all in - that makes it sooo much easier!!

At the very least you should invest in your own snorkel. You never know how well the tour operators clean them (if at all) and would you ever share a tootbrush with a stranger??? Bleech!!

I'm a diver, and also love snorkelling, so I've had my own snorkel, mask, and fins for years. I always bring them, but don't always use them. Since I can't see worth a ding-dong, and can't wear contacts, I have a prescription mask. My mask fits, and I can see out of it. My fins fit. I don't have to adjust anything, and - to my knowledge - my mouth is the only mouth that's ever been on my snorkel!

I'm a diver too, but I don't care for snorkeling when I could be diving. Still, I take all my own gear, including my seldom used snorkel, which I leave in the gear bag on the boat when I dive.

Do you share a tooth brush at home? I don't care to share anything that goes in my mouth.

I hear ya, bruce-r! I always bring my regulator, too....just in case! I seldom dive while on a cruise...save that for my land-based vacations. brude-r - have you ever done a liveaboard dive trip? I'm thinking about that, but they are SOOO $$$$!

We bring snorkle/mask and rent fins.

If you are blessed with a larger-than-average nose (as I am) it is worth the time and money to invest in a properly fitted face mask. The adult size sold at Costco was fine for my petite wife but would leak unless I tightened the straps so much that I got permanent mask-face.

So you can rent fins alone? DO you do that on the boat, or at the beach?:confused:

If you go on a tour (with the cruise ship or on your own) they always include snorkel gear. You can wear your own mask and use their fins, since it's included in the price anyway. We just bought our second set of snorkel gear at Sam's Club. It was Body Glove brand and included everything including a carrying bag for $40. It's very nice.

I too have always brought my own equiptment since the first time I snorkeled in Hawaii and was uncontrollably hooked!!!! I have watched too many snorkel trips where they "clean" the equiptment by putting it in a bucket of water. Gross!!!

I am a fairly light packer and snorkel equitment does not take up that much room. I usually have one rolling suitcase and a backpack - I put my snorkel and mask (in its carrying case of course) in my backpack and fins at the bottom of my rolling suitcase with the shoes and then layer everything else on top.

For this trip, I have bought a specialty backpack where I can carry my fins in the backpack as well as other stuff. Makes a great daypack for the islands.

they don't include equipment on most of the Tahitian princess trips. You can buy acceptable equipment for fairly cheap, it doesn't weigh much, and you know who has been using it!

I hear ya, bruce-r! I always bring my regulator, too....just in case! I seldom dive while on a cruise...save that for my land-based vacations. brude-r - have you ever done a liveaboard dive trip? I'm thinking about that, but they are SOOO $$$$!

As a matter of fact, yes I have and it was a really good time, but I doubt you would be interested in doing it. You see, the water temperature never got above 46f. It was aboard the Nautilus Explorer to Barclay Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Trip report and photosfrom the trip. The highlight for me was interacting with a pair of wolf eels.

The swimming scallops were pretty cool too. You can download the movie Here. Please save it to disc before playing it. (I think Windows people can just right click on it to do this.)

Do I want to go on another liveaboard? You bet, in a heart beat. I'm thinking I'll get to go next summer out of Florida, probably on either the

Nekton or the Sea Fever . As for cost, I think they compare favorably with the price of a cruise by the time you add in the cost of the diving on the cruise. The big plus is that there is WAY more diving and it is much more convenient than on a cruise.

BTW, I have the Sea-cure mouth piece for my reg. I recommend it for the comfort and the secure fit.

are fins required??????????

I have all my own equipment & bag to put it all that even has rollers, or converts to a backpack. The friend who usually goes with me has her equipment too. Both of us have wet suits & dive skins as well as vests. I have my own underwater housing for my digital camera, so all I need is water & fish & coral to photograph! Gosh I want to go NOW!!!!!

I have seen the bucket on too many excursions that they throw the snorkels back into...NO Thanks! Plus, I would not be without my dry snorkel anyway. Well worth the extra dollars!

Thanks, bruce-r! I've gone out on a private boat in the San Juans a few time to see the Orcas, but no diving. Did a dive in Monterrey, CA...played with a few otters and got caught in kelp...brrr! Wet suits just slow me down, and cold water isn't my best thing! I've done a few dives off of Kauai, but can't say they were too great. My best diving ever was in Fiji, from a land resort. (CHEAP! $40.00 US for a 2-tank dive) We did a wall dive, (Coral Coast) and saw HUGE sunfish, black-tipped reef sharks, royal blue starfish towards the surface, giant clams, and critters I can't remember the names of. There's supposed to be a couple of really good liveaboards out of Hawaii (Something I and II). Have you dived the Palancar Reef? I've only done it once, and it was another wall dive - very good diving. I did a dive off of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, but the water was so rough and choppy, that we had to quit early. If you do a liveaboard out of FL, where will you dive? I did the "Wreck of the Rhone" off of Salt Cay in the BVI - it's about 90' down, and worth seeing. I don't have anything special for my reg. - just really particular about my mask, but I'll look into the Sea-cure thing. Thanks so much, bruce-r, and I'll be looking at your pics!

Just looked at your wolf eel pics - amazing! Those things are really big!! Do they always travel in the male/female pairs?

For most of the snorkelling excursions I've taken, I've brought along my own mask, snorkel and fins. However, flying down for my Golden cruise last month, I had decided to check two smaller bags vs. one large, so I decided to leave the snorkel gear at home (I usually put my snorkel gear and my beach bag stuff in a duffel bag and check it as my second bag).

We only went on one snorkelling excursion this time (a great one on Aruba) and used their equipment. Unlike some of the nasty, worn out equipment I'd seen others using in the past, this cat had good stuff and they not only gave you mask, snorkel and fins but also a snorkel vest. I was impressed and found the quality of their equipment quite good. They also seemed to be good about maintaining the equipment.

As a result of this good experience, I would not be as reticent in the future about not taking my own snorkel equipment and using what's on the boat.

We've found that packing fins takes up way too much room. On our last cruise, we snorkeled in 3 ports and each time, we used the catamaran's fins. We only used them for a very short time each trip and we're so glad we didn't bother to buy them and pack them. Spend more $ on the mask & a good snorkel. We got ours at http://www.sportchalet.com

A snorkle could be used as a straw if you bite off the end. :D

Steveo

We bring mask & snorkels w/us. We used to bring everything but the darn fins took up so much room in the suitcases that we decided to use the ones provided on the tour.

Debbie

We will not be doing a whole lot of snorkling with tours, but mostly on our own. Does anyone, as mentioned by MaryPoppinz, rent fins separately? If so, where and how much?

JON