Snorkel, fin design - which is best for beginner

We are leaving for Hawaii soon! Decided to buy gear (probably there vs here). I%26#39;ve been trying to learn about the equipment a little. Still unsure about which features would be best for me.

Fins -

short vs long - leaning towards short for ease of walking and less tiring on legs

vents or split fins - split fins also seem to be less tiring on legs. But do you get enough propulsion

open vs closed heel - open heel can cinch down around heel, but not protection for heel?

Snorkel -

mainly wondering about the variety of gadgets at the top designed to prevent water from entering. My b/f has one that sometimes blocks airflow instead of water. Is it really necessary to have the gadget on the end. I looked at a Body Glove set that didn%26#39;t have the gadget, just some simple slits designed to drain splashed in water but not large amounts when diving. I%26#39;m a beginner, not sure how much diving I will be doing. When I surface can I just take snorkel out of mouth to clear water.

Mask - nose purge valve. Is this necesary? I was warned the hard plastic in the valve can bump against your nose

side windows on mask - is this a must have feature for peripheral vision?

I%26#39;m considering buying the package at Costco. Does anyone know what their package gear%26#39;s features are?

Thanks for any tips!

NW

Snorkel, fin design - which is best for beginner

Well, I have to say you are way more detail oriented than I am ... I have used snorkel sets from rental places and tour companies, the cheapies from wal mart and the more decent sets from wal mart ... and haven%26#39;t found one to be that much better than the other.

As for fins -- the short ones can be more easy to maneuver ... the long ones will propel you further. You shouldn%26#39;t be walking in them. I generally put mine on in the water. I prefer the closed heel kind -- they feel more sturdy and as you said they protect your heel.

I do like the dry snorkels. I have one and it doesn%26#39;t seem to affect the air getting in.

I%26#39;ve never had a purge valve in the mask, or side windows. If you get a good seal on your mask, and if you%26#39;re not staying out for hours at a time, I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll need the purge valve. Side windows -- who knows? Maybe I%26#39;m really missing out but I can%26#39;t imagine it would make too much difference.

Good luck!

Snorkel, fin design - which is best for beginner

What you ask depends on if you plan on using it ever again. The wife and I rented gear our first trip and vowed to get our own after that. We ended up spending almost $600 for our gear but we got what was the most comfortable and fit the best. If you are not sure if you will be using them again I would recommend going to Costco or WalMart and getting a set.

If you are looking for good gear here is what we feel on equipment.

Fins-Open heel is a must. So much easier to put on in the water. I recommend getting booties with soles so you can walk to your snorkel spot and go in without changing shoes. You have to get fins big enough to fit over them. We bought Scubapro Twin Jets which are split fins with vents and love them. So much nicer than standard fin. But at a dive shop those will probably set you back $200 a pair. I would definitely look for split fins, flexible but not wimpy.

Snorkel-Get a ';dry'; snorkel. Good ones like Ocean Master will run you around $45 at a dive shop. A dry snorkel will have some kind of float system on top that will close off when water hits it. But even dry%26#39;s will get some water in them. But they will have a purge system to clear them without taking them out of your mouth.

Mask-First order with these is a silicone skirt. Try them before buying and make sure they stick to your face without the use of the strap. The shop will show you how to do this. Side windows are a personal preference. I have very good peripheral vision and standard masks drive me nuts. My wife does fine with a single lens. You can also go with low volume mask which puts the lenses closer to your eyes and side windows aren%26#39;t really needed not that theres enough room for them. I have never heard anything good about purge valves on masks. They are notorious for leaking. Once you learn to clear your mask it%26#39;s pretty easy to do and believe it or not it%26#39;s easier to clear them underwater than above. Mask prices are all over the place for good silicone skirted ones from $25-$150. Much of the time fit dictates what you are going to spend.

I use www.leisurepro.com for most of our equipment. We saved literally hundreds on our equipment through them. I would go to a dive shop though to get a mask fitted. But leisurepro will even save you $10-$20 bucks on a mask if you find one you like at a dive shop.

Another thing I always recommend which others have laughed at, if you will, is a shorty wetsuit. Even though the water there can be as high as 82 degrees that is still below body temp and it will seep into you if you stay out long periods like we do. And I have heard some areas around Kauai can get down around 78 degrees. It also helps with buoyancy. Both of these benefits greatly cut fatigue and extend the time you can stay out and enjoy the fish. Another great feature is they cut down the amount of sunscreen you need to use dramatically which is very important because sunscreen is very bad for coral reefs.

You NEED to go to a DIVE SHOP.....and get professional assistance. Whether on the mainland, or on island.

As a certified diver, and having experience snorkeling throughout most of the caribbean, catalina, most of the hawaiian islands, tahiti , tonga, and australia......from what you wrote, you need to talk to someone who is a pro.

Good on ya, for your research, but you need more than that.

You also need to get some tips on snorkeling, and using the equipment. Or have a PADI certified diver friend, or instructor, show you about snorkeling, mask clearing, how to handle mask squeeze, how to properly use your legs, like moving from the hips in a scissor motion, not spashing and kicking and roaring thru the water.

You DO NOT WALK ACROSS THE SAND in your FINs, worrying about your legs getting tired. You carry your fins into the calm water, about chest high, mask on, snorkel on the left side in your mouth, then calmly look down into the water and put your fins on.

Then fin slowly, and easily, not letting the fins break the water.

Also, if the water is rough, you can put your fins on and back in, looking over your shoulder. At this point, you do not belong in rough water.Chose calmer snorkely sites...OK ?

If you are only going to snorkel once every few years on a vacation, keep it simple, but not costco simple.

Go to dive shop, talk their porfessionals, and make sure the mask and the mouth piece to your snorkel fit YOU properly. Normal size fins are just fine, you not need atomics with the open heel, and booties. You can rent fins cheap.

We traveled light when going on sailing or land vacations, and planned to snorkel. Took our own mask and snorkels and rented basic closed heel fins. Also suggest dive gloves.

We now have open heel high quality split fins....and booties since we SCUBA dive. they are great, but mighty long, and need to be packed in a large dive bag that holds all of our dive gear.

Not necessary if you are not going to pursue diving, or loads of snorkel trips. Keep it simple, but correct for you.

Another tip.....if you purchase a mask, one with a purge or where you need to use a procedure to clear the mask yourself....learn how to do this...practice in a pool first. A normal mask will work fine....just gain some knowledge from knowledgeable people.

Also , when traveling, place your new mask in the strong plastic container that it came in. The mask will be protected from piles of baggage in the hold of the airliner crushing it, and possibly working the lenses loose, and then the mask will be leaking. an ill fitting or leaky mask will wipe out your snorkeling fun.

Just keep it simple, but a mask that gives some extra periphreal vision is a good idea. Main thing is that it fits correctly , comfortably, and will not leak. The dive shop will show you how to do a simple test.

You can clear your snorkel, with it in your mouth, if it is a quality snorkel. Very gently take in a slow breath of air, then forcefully exhale out very hard....any water in your snorkel will shoot out. It might take more than one try, but works great. Trick is slow and easy on the breath in.

90% of the people that I see snorkeling off our kauai beaches do not have a clue one. Sure, they survive, but not always without having problems. The main one is not knowing how or where to enter or leave the water. And wind up being cut up on the rocks.

Or rolling around in the surf when trying to put on or take off fins.

And , that is just for a start. Another is the snorkel at a forward angle pointed into the oncoming waves, and water entering the snorkel.

Please take the time to learn and do it right, and follow what the pro has shown you. More fun, easier time, and a whole lot less chance of getting bounced across the rocks, since you will recognize the sandy entry, and take a bearing on land, and use land marks to return to the same point for your exit.

While at the dive shop, pick up a fish I.D. card, and then recall the fish you saw during your snorkel.....share on who saw what with your snorkel buddy......never snorkel alone...stay together. And it is neat to hole hands as you slowly fin around the coral bommies.

Have fun, stay safe.

Denny

Thank you all for the info!! I am definitely leaning towards buying equipment at Maui Dive Shop (we are going to Maui 1st). And we may take a trip. B/F has some snorkeling experience though and he%26#39;s cheap...lol. Not sure if I could coax him into purchasing a guided trip or lession.

Thank thank you though for all the recs!

NW

by the way, we both have been PADI certified in the past and we are somewhat young and fit. (and careful)

We have been to the Maui Dive shop in Whalers Village many times and they have always been great. We have priced equipment there in the past and they had some stuff cheaper than our local shop here on the mainland.

Nwest

I guess I am a litle confused. You live in the north west, and are PADI Certified, and do not know about snorkeling, or scuba gear ?

Did you get certified thru a dive shop, or a quckie resort course ?

Where do you dive in the NW.....pehaps you have done lake or quarry diving ? And do not have ocean experience.

In order to become PADI Open Water CERTIFIED thru a PADI dive school, we had to read and highlight the entire book, take the quizes through out the gook, turn in the questions and answers after each chapter, and then take a final written exam.

Prior to our four open water certifications dives, We had four pool sessions, learning and assembling the equipment, buoyancy control, mask clearing, removing and replacing mask, regulators, and bcd%26#39;s underwater, reading the SPG, emergencies, getting out of and back into the scuba gear on the surface, equalizing , hand signals, using the low pressure inflater, and much more.

We have to know dive tables, surface intervals, safety stops, decompression problems, and on and on.

then four certification dives in the ocean, and being tested on our skills, navigation, and buoyancy control, shore entry and exit, dive boat procedrues, ocean emergency procedures, mask flooding and clearing, buddy breathing using ther alternate air source. regulator

recovery, and on and on and on......

I do not understand, if you are PADI certified why you have questions about snorkeling ?

You have stumped the band.

Denny

This has been helpful for me too. I am going to the FL Keys for the Christmas break and will snorkel there, plus Hawaii next May, so I may end up getting gear here. I did go to the dive shop near where I live and had a long chat about stuff, including shortie wetsuits. I am writing a long letter to Santa and have started a mad money jar.

The only interesting thing to deal with is that I wear soft bifocal contacts. The mask lens may be an issue. When I use an ordinary underwater mask for swimming laps (I got panda eyes from years of those blasted goggles and the wrinkles are set in stone now), without glasses or contacts I can see fine. My contacts may distort things. Soooo...it might be a case of wearing glasses (ugh, just so bothersome, plus you have to change to prescription dark ones too, not push %26#39;em up on your head when you go inside) on snorkel days and change after.

I got resort certified in Tahiti donkey%26#39;s years ago, but it was a quickie course and you could only dive at the resort with the resort%26#39;s diving instructor and team. Sometimes I think about doing a PADI course. Maybe this will be the incentive I need....manta rays are calling me (though I am in the big island on a full moon night, so that may be a miss).

You have stumped the band.

Denny

';and the ';beat'; goes on';

Denny I also came up with same questions but maybe she is just trying for suggestions. I am not normal snorkeler as I go with scuba fins, open back, so I can wear water shoes as well. Heavier not good for long steady but I swim in bursts chasing fish. longer fins with closed back easier for snorkeling-flexible, split have advantages. Take look at fins for the people that go for unassisted (air) depth dives. snorkel mine is old open top as when kid we had ones on mask with ping pong balls that blocked when you went under. wife has one with wave protected drain while kids have blocked ones.e -my sole requirement is straighter flexible angle (not the ancient j curve) with a curve in top to wrap around head. purge valves on snorkel not mask. if go with one clean under purge as small sand will keep open. Mask dad had tri lense old big clunky style and loved it great views but when fogged --- newer ones have downsized to nice size.My kids had and loved but now back to more traditional. I went from hard contacts under mask to glasses to now lenses in mask. Have bad stigmatism but only use shop lenses. Rent and try, some shops even have own pools. I have mostly dive shop stuff but for back up have from local sporting goods store- Galyans/Dicks (with pre cut lenses). Use to dive but now alot more snorkeling as easier to pack.