mrx900

We are Maui bound and have been only snorkeling once (Redang, Malaysia)...
but wanted to know if its better to rent or just buy the snorkel gear in the mainland and take it with us to Maui. My wife is not too pleased about renting 'used snorkeling' gear and thinks its gross....so hence, she wants to buy her own set. (figure we can use it in St Maarten later too)...

I found this one, but wanted to know what y'all think about it?
LINKY POO

dia1

Take your own mask and snorkel and rent/borrow fins.

It's important that the mask fits your face. If you go to a dive shop, they'll show you how to check that (but it's easy: put against face, breathe in through nose, see if mask stays on on its own with the small vacuum created).

Fins take a lot of room and weight. You can rent them at a lot of shops on Maui, where you can try them on to be sure they fit.

Paint Horse

Mrs Paint Horse does not like the large fins provided by most places. So I bought two sets of snorkel equipment made by US Divers that have smaller fins. It comes packed in a blue bag. We have hauled it all over the Caribbean and recently to the Red Sea.

mrx900

How much you pay for those paint horse?

BStrauss3

Concur.

(1) There are different types of snorkels, some of the newer ones make it all but impossible to get water down the tube. It wasn't until I used one of them that I realized part of my nerviousness before was because of being afraid I would get the tube under the waterline.

(2) For a modest $ you can get a mask with lenses ground to your Rx. Imagine actually SEEING the fish instead of a pretty colored blur.

CPRich

Given the large amount of luggage we already have with two kids, we chose to just rent when we were in Maui this summer - they had prescription lenses (out to -10) for something like $7-9/day with dry snorkels and fins. Unless you snorkel at home, or go to snorkeling destinations ofter and have extra room in your bag, renting is just easier, IMHO.

I'd certainly trust Snorkel Bob, who has been doing rentals for at least the 5 years I've been going to Maui. The one time we had a fit problem, it was a 5 minute stop to make a swap. That $9/day, $35/week rental gear is $200+ to buy. You can imagine how it compares to something for $20 on ebay,

estnet

Don't know if this would be useful but Costco frequently (but may be out of season) has mask, snorkel, fins (snorkeling NOT scuba which means much less weight!) for about $35 - this is good quality and would cost at least double if not triple.

In any case I strongly agree about at least getting your own mask and snorkel - make sure it fits and snorkel mouthpiece is comfortable

Paint Horse

It has been a while. About 50-60 each I think.

msv

I've been snorkeling many times and have always brought my own mask and snorkel (usually the fins too). Even when my kids were tagging along we all had a complete set. I used to buy the dive shop masks for all but the US Divers stuff you can get at places like Sports Authority very inexpensively works really well and the clear silicone is sure better than the old rubber masks! You do need to try the mask on for fit because if it leaks you'll be miserable.

chanp

I got a few sets last month at the Costco, they are now 47 IIRC.

goalie

agreed. i always take my own mask and snorkel as i bough tit to fit "my punim" and fins take up too much space and can always be rented (and to digress, as diver, i also take my own regulator as i know that a) it is mine and b) it works properly)

PTravel

Bad choice:

1. Don't use a snorkel that has any kind of obstruction on the top. Instead, get a proper snorkel, preferably one with a purge valve in the bottom. Also don't get a snorkel that has a flex-tube -- it increases the length and means you'll be breathing even more carbon dioxide. Get one that's hard molded.

2. That mask is a poor choice because it isolates the nose from the eyepieces, making it difficult to clear the mask by blowing into. Any mask should also be made of tempered safety glass.

Though I'm a certified scuba diver, it's been many years since I've been diving. I'm sure another diver here can help you with specific recommendations for snorkeling gear.

KebaNYC

I'm a diver but the dive fins are too bulky to bring for snorkeling. I looked for a snorkel set at Costco but they were out of season and we ended up purchaing a more expensive/lower quality set at Walmart. I wish I thought of buying them at the Costco in HI because they were fully stocked as I would imagine they are all year. Either way it was significantly less expensive than renting at the hotel.

Keba

sbm12

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Dianne47

Good advice above and I will not add to that mix, other than to say you always want to have your own mask and snorkel. What I will throw in is a recommendation that you invest in a snorkeling vest. They are sold in dive shops and other sporting goods stores, the "Sports Chalet" near my house has them.

I scoffed at using a snorkeling vest until "forced" to do so on a cruise. I found the vest to be really helpful, and a safety plus. After I bought my own I went on another cruise and got severely stung by a jellyfish off the beach at Roatan (Honduras). I was so thankful for the vest and really don't know how I would've come out of that situation without it. I had to be towed back to shore by my friends and totally had to rely on the flotation vest. I would never snorkel without a vest now.