Snorkel Equipment
A Buyer's Guide
One of the great joys of snorkeling is that your snorkel equipment needs are so simple, cheap and easy to buy. And once you have a good set of equipment, it will last you for years with minimal care. We have taken ours all over the world.
It is always best to get your own snorkel equipment, (even if you are just going once or have never snorkeled.) Good quality, well fitting snorkel equipment will make the difference between a great experience or a miserable one. Good equipment gets out of your way, out of your mind, enabling you to relax and focus on the great stuff underwater. If you are having to focus on a leaky mask, a snorkel that floods easily, or flippers that blister you or fall off when kicking, you won't enjoy yourself, and you may decide snorkeling is not fun. And while some companies take good care of their rental equipment, it is rarely very good equipment, and it will never be a sure fit.
Below we will cover the different types of snorkel equipment, what we recommend, what is essential, and what is nice to have but not essential.
So let's jump into it.
Snorkel Equipment Essentials
There are just three pieces of snorkel equipment that you have to have.
Snorkel Mask
There are a variety of types, made out of different materials, and some are much better than others. The main thing is to get one of good quality that fits correctly.
Learn more click here for our detailed mask guide, and then after reading that go here for our mask fitting guide.
Snorkel
As with masks, there is a nice variety of snorkels, from dry, to semi-dry, and more. There are differences between a diver's snorkel and a snorkeler's snorkel also.
Click here to learn about the different styles of snorkels.
Snorkeling Fins
Depending on your skill level, strength and if you like to freedive or not, your choice of snorkeling fins is pretty broad. We like to keep it simple.
Click here to learn about all the styles available and our recommendations.
You can save a lot of money buying all of your equipment in a snorkel set.
Non-Essential Snorkel Equipment - But Essential
Sun Protection
Unless you are going out for a very short period, you have to protect yourself from the sun. That is why this is really an essential item for most situations. Snorkeling sunburns are the worst and happen quickly. And you can bet that with a bad sunburn you are not going to get back in the water the next day. A sunburn has ruined many snorkel trips for people.
There are two different ways to protect yourself from the sun: sunscreen and rash guards.
Sunscreen
We have used sunscreen while snorkeling for years. It is essential unless you are covering up in another way. The chemicals used in sunscreens may be affecting the reefs, so please read these pages for more information.
The best snorkeling sunscreen - the winner of our reef-friendly sunscreen tests.
The reef-friendly sunscreen test - and the results.
Learn about reef-friendly sunscreens that you may be required to use - and our application tips.
Rash Guards
Using sunscreen is good, but when we go in and out of the water several times in a day, it becomes a pain to re-apply every time. So we wear long sleeve rash guard shirts when we snorkel. This reduces the area we need to sunscreen by a bunch. And the rash guard provides a small amount of insulating warmth. If you want extra warmth, we recommend a thin 1 mm long sleeve wetsuit top.
Click here to read more about using a rash guard or wetsuit top.
Snorkeling Vest
A snorkeling vest is basically an inflatable life preserver. It is non-essential if you are a confident swimmer. It is essential if you are at all unsure about your swimming skills, or if you are snorkeling with small children a snorkeling vest is essential. We don't use them. But many snorkel tour companies make you wear them. If you feel like you would like one it is better to own your own than to trust theirs. More often that not the ones provided for you by rental/boat companies will have leaks. I have gotten out of the water with them full of water more than once - kind of pointless and maybe even a bit dangerous.
Non-Essential Snorkel Gear - But Fun To Have
Snorkel Bags
It is not essential, but a nice snorkel bag to hold your snorkeling gear is really handy. There are a variety of types and we have tried most of them.
Click here to learn more about our favorite snorkel bags.
Swim Cap For Snorkeling
A snorkeling swim cap can be a very useful piece of equipment especially if your hair is long enough to interfere with your mask sealing or straps. It has the added benefit of protecting your scalp and ears from the sun. Read more on the snorkeling swim cap page.
Defogger - Defog - Anti-Fog
If there is any moisture trapped inside your face mask it will tend to fog up inside. Keeping your mask very clean inside helps prevent this, but spraying the inside of the mask with a defogger before you get in the water is a good idea.
Some people use spit. It works. A mixture of baby soap and water works better (that is what we do, although Nicole still uses spit). But you can also buy some anti-fog products that have proprietary blends that claim to work better. It may be worth buying these just for the little bottle they come in, and then refill it later with baby soap and water.
Water Shoes - Neoporene Boots/Aqua Socks
You may enjoy to keep your feet safer walking in and out of the water by wearing water shoes. If you do want to wear these make sure and buy snorkel fins that are open foot and are adjustable.
Waterproof Box or Bag
What about your car keys and wallet when you are snorkeling from a public beach? On all of our trips we use a waterproof box for keys, ipods, cell phones and wallets to keep them from getting stolen. It works great. Nicole just straps it around her waist.
Click here for more of our tips for getting a waterproof box or bag.
Communication Noisemaker - Signal Device
There are some underwater noise makers that are used to signal your snorkel partner. This is useful for signaling them to see something interesting, and to warn them of a danger. Most of these are just little plastic containers with ball bearings inside that works like a rattle.
Mask Strap Cover
Particularly for folks with long hair, having a mask strap cover can be very nice. These are neoporene covers that go over your face mask straps. It keeps long hair from getting caught up in the sticky rubber straps, and spreads the pressure from the straps over a wider area. It makes taking your face mask on and off easier. Nice to have.
Face Mask & Camera Protective Bags
You can buy these nice little neoprene bags to store your face mask in when traveling. They are much better than the hard platic ones you may get with your mask when traveling. These same cases also work great for protecting your underwater camera (if it is pretty small).
Underwater Camera
For us this is an essential. We each carry one. But it is not essential, and in fact it can be a distraction from looking at what is in front of you.
I cover your underwater camera choices in detail here.
Towels
Don't forget to throw a towel or two into your gear bag, for hanging out on the beach and wiping yourself down after your snorkel. We have found that an MSR Packtowl is a great, lighweight, quick-drying towel to travel with.
Where To Buy Snorkel Equipment
The ideal place to find the best fitting snorkel equipment is at your local dive shop (because you can try things on). But the prices at dive shops are often kind of crazy high compared to some popular online retailers. I have fitted a mask at a local shop, and then checked online and bought the same mask for about half the cost (and yes I felt guilty doing it, but kind of good at the same time).If you want a rash guard or wetsuit top, you can get Free Shipping on All US Orders (no minimums, no coupons!) from WetsuitWearhouse.com! Coupon Code: SHIPONUS . They have a great selection for the whole family and this is all they do. We buy some of our snorkeling equipment online at Amazon.com. Many of the biggest snorkeling equipment stores sell through Amazon, and they seem to compete to have the lowest prices there. We almost always get free shipping at Amazon by buying a number of things we want for our trip at the same time, like sunscreen, travel guide books, camera batteries, luggage, etc..
That is it. I like to try and keep my snorkel gear to a minimum, to keep my life simple. Plus that stuff starts to weigh a lot.
Share your favorite snorkeling equipment and tips here.
Learn more about snorkel masks
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