How to choose and use your snorkeling gear.
You can rent snorkeling equipment from any dive shop once you arrive on the island. There is a Snorkel Bob’s on every corner and you can rent on one island and return on another. The gear is “sanitized” between uses. You may want to check on the definition of sanitized where you plan to rent. Renting is good because you don’t have to take up precious luggage space with your gear. It’s the fins that take up the most space. I chose to purchase my own snorkeling gear years ago because I’m hooked on snorkeling and will go again, and again, and again. And I’m a little germ-a- phobic. I don’t want to drink from someone else’s straw and I don’t want someone else’s snorkel in my mouth. I got my gear from a local sporting goods store “in season”. Local dive shops, if you have one in your area will be stocked year round. I prefer to pack the (glass) mask in between clothes in the middle of my luggage to prevent breakage. It has survived a lot of trips this way. The fins are the tough part. They are fairly flat but they are long and wide. You can’t pack them in a pilot’s case. Rather than packing them in my checked bag, I have carried them on the plane in a mesh snorkeling gear bag. Why not? It’s not like they will break when crammed into the overhead bin. A better solution can be found on the National Geographic Website. They sell these really cool packable travel fins! They are smaller than traditional fins but still give the same power per kick. Look for the best fit. How? Try on all of your snorkeling gear! For a mask, get all the hair away from your face, hold your breath, and then gently press the mask against your face. Let go of the mask. If it sticks, it fits. If it falls off, try a different mask. They come in all shapes and sizes so keep trying until you find the perfect fit. For fins, try them on as if you were buying shoes. Remember, you won’t be wearing socks in the water! Most are sold by shoe size. Some cover a range of shoe sizes and also have an adjustable strap to assure a good fit. Just like shoes, if you don’t get the right fit you will get blisters, so choose wisely. If you do start to develop blisters, head to a dive shop for some dive booties. Of course it’s cheaper and more convenient to shop for the correct size. What about the snorkel? They don’t come in different mouth sizes but they do come in different lengths and styles. The cheapest are a simple, short tube. When you get water in your snorkel, you blow out sharply to get most of the water out. The rest sits in the bottom of the U kind of gurgling as you breath in and out. I invested in a semi-dry snorkel that is longer than the typical snorkel. Less wave splash gets in so there is less blowing water out of your snorkel. It has a one way valve at the bottom to blow the out out rather than having to get it up and out the top. There is also a “dry” snorkel. No water gets in but according to the expert at the dive shop, less carbon dioxide gets out and therefore less oxygen gets in. This means you will fatigue more quickly but you won’t have to blow out sharply at all. If you are thinking about buying a dry snorkel, you might consider renting one first. If the dive shop guy is right, you may be too tired to enjoy the underwater view with this type of snorkel. The snorkel slips through a loop on the side of the mask to keep it handy. It fits in you mouth such that you grip the nubbies with your teeth and wrap your lips around tightly. There will be a bit of snorkel on the outside of your mouth. That whole big thing is not supposed to go inside your mouth!! The swim fins are usually sold by shoe size and simply slip on. To put on your mask, follow these simple directions. As a child, I got a mask and snorkel set at a discount department store. No matter how tight I made the mask, water leaked in. Over the many years of snorkeling since then, I learned a great deal about preventing leaks.
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