Rent, buy or excursion?

[jordan8201]

We are cruising to Nassau and Perfect Day at Coco Cay mid December. We want to do some snorkeling 1 or both days. I would like some advice on whether we would be better off purchasing snorkeling equipment before we leave and taking it to both places and finding our own places to snorkel, renting it there, or just choosing an excursion at one of the places. Any thoughts for those of you with experience? Thanks!

[Team Stag]

Personally - a leaky mask ruins the snorkeling experience.  So bringing my own that I know fits my face and works as well as a snorkel that I know that only my mouth has been on - is worth the trouble of hauling it on the boat & taking it on the excursions with me. 

 

Also note - we live in Florida so we don't have to pack it on an airplane taking up space in our luggage.  I've never snorkeled in Nassau so I can't comment about how good it is there.

[ROUS]

We bring our own snorkeling gear.  That means dealing with an extra suitcase, but it's worth it to us.

[mitsugirly]

Just my thoughts...

 

When you have your own equipment you get a better fit and you don't have to worry how a vendors equipment will fit once you get there.

 

The number one reason I can think of is that the snorkel that vendors use are just the "tube" and it allows water to come in easily. Nothing like a mouth of saltwater. When you buy your own make sure to get the dry snorkel. It has a piece on the top that will keep the water out while you snorkel. It can make or break an experience. 

 

Yes, you will take up extra room in the luggage, but IMO so worth it. I bought the smaller fins, which take up less room, back in 2010 and they have been working great ever since and we vacation 4x a year. 

 

The ONLY reason I can think of to not buy your own is you never plan on doing this activity again...like ever. 😉 

[gmerick]

Please buy your own and pack it with you.  Just think how many people have used the snorkel before you, and decide if you are really "kissing cousins" with all of them.  Also I'll second the mask fit comments above.  To make the best of your excursion, visit a dive shop (NOTE: not the local sporting goods store, and absolutely not WalMart), and the dive pro will ensure you get good fitting equipment.  I recommend a dive shop, because you can select a pure silicone mask seal instead of the vinyl mixture in almost all "sport" or "toy" grade masks.  The vinyl makes for a very poor seal, and when packed in a suitcase develops creases that cause leaks.  Yes, I know the dive shop equipment will run several times the cost of WalMart toys, but stacked up against the excursion and trip cost, it's worth it for what may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Further, the professional grade equipment will give you years of satisfying enjoyment when you bring them on future cruises.

[mac66]

We used cheap "toy grade" snorkel gear for 30 years. We cruise 2 or 3 times a year. Always worked for us.

 

My wife switched to a full face mask about 5 years ago. Made a big difference in her enjoyment level. She could never bite down on the snorkel very well and it hurt her mouth.

 

The only reason I don't use a full face mask is because I scuba and freedive.

 

So a pair of cheap travel fins and a good full face mask is what I recommend. 

 

My wife's mask is a Tribord easy breath, our snorkel fins are the short U.S. Divers Trek fins

Edited December 7, 2022 by mac66

[ROUS]

We pack similar fins--the ScubaPro Go travel fins.  They pack nicely.

[mac66]

4 hours ago, mac66 said:

We used cheap "toy grade" snorkel gear for 30 years. We cruise 2 or 3 times a year. Always worked for us.

 

My wife switched to a full face mask about 5 years ago. Made a big difference in her enjoyment level. She could never bite down on the snorkel very well and it hurt her mouth.

 

The only reason I don't use a full face mask is because I scuba and freedive.

 

So a pair of cheap travel fins and a good full face mask is what I recommend. 

 

My wife's mask is a Tribord easy breath, our snorkel fins are the short U.S. Divers Trek fins

I also recommend open back fins so you can wear socks or booties with the fins for getting in/,out of the water from shore .

[Wspinelli]

Your own mask, fit is the most important thing if it isn't right, you're not having fun. Snorkel, it's going in my mouth only, not mine and the people who did the trip before me and rinsed in the same bucket as the 30 people who were on the boat with the person who had the snorkel in their mouth. Fins I don't mind using the ones on the boat, for the most part the saltwater keeps the athlete's foot at bay.

[jbrinkm]

On 11/15/2022 at 10:30 AM, Team Stag said:

Also note - we live in Florida so we don't have to pack it on an airplane taking up space in our luggage.  I've never snorkeled in Nassau so I can't comment about how good it is there.

 

I was going to say this as well. I would not pay for an extra suitcase to bring my own gear for a few hours here and there on a cruise. I've had fine experiences using the gear provided in different places. In fact, I've had better luck with the professional gear that some places use than I've had with my own. I'm just not experienced enough to know how to prep the glass right or something... I used the gear on a tour in Roatan and loved it so much more than what I had at home - I wrote to them afterwards to find out what brand they used so if I ever buy another set for myself, I could get that type. 

[jbrinkm]

P.S. be careful about full face masks... some allow CO2 to build up potentially causing a health issue. There are some brands that perform better than others in safety tests.

[mac66]

15 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

P.S. be careful about full face masks... some allow CO2 to build up potentially causing a health issue. There are some brands that perform better than others in safety tests.

 The CO2 build up in a full face mask is largely a myth but I no longer argue the point. The Tribord Easy Breath is the best full face mask from a leak, fit standpoint.

[ninjacat123]

I just snorkeled off St. John and the mask kept leaking and the snorkel was allowing water in.  Not fun.  I'm going to a dive shop and get one fitted.  Does the dive shop have you put your face with the mask on in water?  When I was on the catamaran in St. John, I did the test of having the mask "suck" to my face and thought it was great.  Once in the water it wasn't.  Thanks for any input!

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

16 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

I just snorkeled off St. John and the mask kept leaking and the snorkel was allowing water in.  Not fun.  I'm going to a dive shop and get one fitted.  Does the dive shop have you put your face with the mask on in water?  When I was on the catamaran in St. John, I did the test of having the mask "suck" to my face and thought it was great.  Once in the water it wasn't.  Thanks for any input!

The best way to test for fit is indeed to "suck" the mask to your face. If it stays on without the strap, then it's likely a good fit for your face.

 

For me -- and so much of this stuff is very much personal -- I have a mask fit routine every time before I enter the water. I ensure the skirt is flat against my skin. I ensure the strap is secure and properly positioned near the top of the back of my head, and not too tight (a too-tight strap is often the cause of leaks). I then do a little "suck" to pull the mask closer to my face and tighten the seal at the surface. 

 

That last step is, I believe, what prevents leaks for me. I've found, through trial and error, that when I forget that last step, I have to deal with leaks throughout the dive.

 

All that said, if snorkeling/diving is something you plan on pursuing... get your own. Rental gear is never the best choice.

[Team Stag]

On 1/26/2023 at 4:37 PM, ninjacat123 said:

I just snorkeled off St. John and the mask kept leaking and the snorkel was allowing water in.  Not fun.  I'm going to a dive shop and get one fitted.  Does the dive shop have you put your face with the mask on in water?  When I was on the catamaran in St. John, I did the test of having the mask "suck" to my face and thought it was great.  Once in the water it wasn't.  Thanks for any input!

Some of it is technique as well.  You have to get use to using your mouth to inhale and exhale.  If you exhale via your nose - you fill the mask cavity with air and it has to go somewhere (typically breaking the seal and escaping).  You also have to focus on not "smiling" too much.  This also breaks the seal allowing water to enter.  This one can be tough especially seeing all the cool stuff down there.

 

Dive shops will have much higher quality especially on the silicone rubber.  This softness allows it to flex some and fit faces better.  If you do go the dive shop route, please make sure they instruct you how to remove the inner layer to avoid fogging.

[cementhands]

On 11/15/2022 at 9:13 AM, jordan8201 said:

We are cruising to Nassau and Perfect Day at Coco Cay mid December. We want to do some snorkeling 1 or both days. I would like some advice on whether we would be better off purchasing snorkeling equipment before we leave and taking it to both places and finding our own places to snorkel, renting it there, or just choosing an excursion at one of the places. Any thoughts for those of you with experience? Thanks!

Still using the same snorkel gear bought 25 years ago! Sometimes bringing flippers other not because of packing. Recently on NCL getaway we enjoyed snorkeling at the boatyard in barbados with sea turtles and a shipwreck, in st Thomas on a catamaran sailboat to buck island, at st kitts at Carambola beach club snorkeling from shore over reef right there off shore. Tripadvisor and cruise critic and google search for snorkeling from shore. In Aruba we take the local bus to Arrachi beach and excellent snorkeling from shore. Save your money and use your own stuff and then you can do more cruises.