Bringing your own or go with what's provided?

[AppleValleyCruisers]

Howdy,

 

We are sailing in August to the Western Carribean. This is probably a stupid question, but should I purchase a high quality snorkeling set for my wife and I, or is the equipment provided by tour operators sufficient? I suspect masks (with cases) and fins take up a lot of luggage space, but we also don't want to be snorkeling with equipment that was top of the line when my grandfather was a child, especially at some of the world's best snorkeling/dive sites.

 

Thanks!

[10X]

We bought our own equipment right after I had a bad fit of some rental fins. The fins wore off the skin on the tops of both feet, so walking, snorkeling, and even wearing shoes were problems for the rest of the cruise.

 

We bought our equipment from a local scuba diving shop. They have professionals there who know how to make sure the equipment fits properly and is of good quality. Plus, the variety of choices is much better than places like Costco. It might cost a little more, but it's worth it. The last thing you need is to buy a generic mask, only to find that it doesn't fit right and leaks everytime you jump in the water.

 

Ask them for a package discount, if you buy everything from them right then. It worked for us and I'm sure it will work for you. I now scuba dive and I always ask for a package discount when buying multiple items and it's always worked then too.

 

Splurge for a waterless snorkel. It helps keep the salt water out of your mouth. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better, by far, than an open snorkel.

 

Dive shops can also arrange to have prescription lenses put in your mask, if you need them. Both my wife and I use some sort of corrective lenses in our masks. She uses full lenses that are bifocals, while I just use a small lens so I can read my underwater camera screen, i.e. reading glasses.

[sea-jay]

I agree with 10X. I dive while I am teaching my DW to snorkle and bought all the gear at my local dive shop. I would never trust a mouthpiece on a cruise snorkle. You never know how well it has been sterialized (if at all) and no way would I allow my wife to put something like that in her mouth.

 

As for the mask. There is nothing more annoying than to have a mask that leaks and you have to keep clearing it.

 

If you buy your own set, make sure you take some tooth paste and scrub the inside of the mask lenses. They have a film on them left over from manufacturing which will cause the mask to be blurry and not be able to be fog free. Take some Johnson Baby Shampoo and place a drop in each lense, rub it in and briefly rinse it out. This will prevent fogging while swimming. You can also use a more expensive de-fogger from the dive shop, just make sure the label doesn't say "keep away from eyes".:D

 

Happy bubbles.

[bruce-r]

Buy your own mask and snorkel. Do you share your toothbrush with other people? Then why would you want to share a snorkel with a stranger? As for a mask, fit is very important. Nothing ruins the underwater experience like a leaky mask.

 

10X also gave excellent advice. I agree, your local dive shop is the best place to get a mask. Be sure to prepare the mask before you go too. This means that you polish the inside of the lense with toothpaste (not gel). All you have to do is put a little bit on the glass and rub it in for a couple of minutes then rinse. This removes the silicone from the glass and helps reduce fogging.

[AppleValleyCruisers]

Thanks!

 

We did not bring our own on a trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando, and we didn't suffer too much. However, based on your responses, I am now sure we will go with our own. (The one thing I assumed is that they provide you with an new, albeit cheap, snorkel which you keep, but that was in Orlando and not in Belize, Mexico or the GC's....

[bruce-r]

No, they "rinse" the gear after each use.

[blackwing]

And by "rinsing", they mean they dunk it in a vat of salt water before the next group comes on board the boat. The snorkels many tour operators provide are the simple open tube type. You put the tube under the water and breathe in, you get a mouth full of water. A family friend of ours drowned that way while on vacation. :(

 

Go buy your own, you don't even need expensive ones. The BodyGlove Recreational set you can get from any big sporting goods chain costs only $19.99 and you get a mask and snorkel. This one has some kind of flap that if your tube top goes under the water, the flap closes and prevents water from getting in.

[Hilary]

Ditto on buy your own. You can also check out Costco, they have a US Diver's set for sale right now that's very reasonable (around $30).

[AppleValleyCruisers]

I appreciate all the input, especially the "just rinse mouthpiece" info. No good.

 

 

I am taking the long-suffering missus to the dive shop this weekend. Heck, I can even use the equipment when we are camping to find out where the walleye's are hanging out (sort of a poor man's fish locator, with the added benefit of exercise). I also eventually plan on getting dive certified, so top of the line gear it is.

[Sweetdreams]

Just saw your post & agree with all the others about taking your own equipment. We just came back from S. Caribbean & had purchased the US Dive sets which come in their own backpack style carry bags. Used our own equipment whenever we wanted for as long as we wanted & had a excellent fit. Took it on our catamaran excursion & along to beaches at three of six ports-best thing we purchased for our trip. Have fun!

[w&k]

If you're short on room - just get a mask and snorkel. If you are planning on doing some diving, go to a dive shop and get good stuff from the outset. Just remember that fit is the important part, not the $. Get a hard plastic case, and keep the mask in it unless it is actually on your face.

 

Good masks can last quite well - I have to retire my old faithful because it started leaking badly in Cozumel last month. I think I had my $85 out of it with ~13 years of >300 dives, + classes + chasing students + flopping in + snorkeling + working.

 

The fins on the boats are 'full foot' and meant to be worn over your bare feet. I get laughed at because I wear old socks in full foot fins and look like a total dork. However, as I deposit the sox in the trashcan, I get to return the giggles at folks rubbing blisters.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Wendy

[Tarkus]

good advice in this thread. only thing i'll add is an anecdotal view of "gear rinsing". i've heard it described as not unlike borrowing a stranger's toothbrush - even if they go out of their way to clean it, would you still want to stick somebody else's toothbrush in your mouth?

 

that thought alone was enough to get me to buy my own snorkeling gear - from a dive shop - many years ago... and it was very useful when i later went for my basic open water scuba certification. you never know how much the bug will bite you!

 

enjoy yourself. btw, love your screen name... one of my good friends, who was just down this past weekend for some golf, lives in apple valley (mn).

[Gonedownlately?]

If anyone in the family is less than confident in their ability to swim and/or stay afloat in open water you might consider purchasing one of those yellow/green inflatable vests.

 

My wife is deathly afraid of water, and cheap equipment made the situation even worse. But she wanted badly to snorkle, so we went to the local dive shop I trade with and had her fitted with a mask that fit her head properly, fins that fit her feet and made it easier for her to kick, and one of these vests. Now she is fearless in the water! Nothing leaks, chaffes, or scratches, and she stays afloat effortlessly. The equipment has dramatically increased her enjoyment of the activity. She has gone from chicken of the sea to barracuda overnight!