Snorkeling Equipment Overview

There is some essential snorkeling equipment that every snorkeler needs. These essentials include fins, a snorkel, a mask and a vest. If you want to buy your own equipment, the following section will give you some helpful pointers on picking out the best equipment for your needs.

There are all kinds of different fins. When you shop for your own pair, pay attention to things like fit, stiffness, and design. If you have high arches, wide feet or growing children, you might want to go with adjustable strap fins. Your fins should be snug, but not tight because pressure on the top of your arches, it will add strain to several leg muscles as well.

Stiffer fins propel you farther with every kick than flexible ones, but they also require stronger leg muscles. Consequently, novices should probably opt for more flexible fins. If you find the right fin, it should be easy to make wide, straight-leg kicks.

As far as design goes, you can choose everything from solid or split to long and short. Split fins, which were designed after whale and dolphin tails, have actually become a very popular product. When used with a short fluttery kick they can be 40 percent more efficient than older style fins.

Short, travel ready fins are also becoming more popular. As light-weight, smaller products they require less space in carry-on luggage. As a result, they are becoming more popular on business and pleasure trips in the ocean and hotel pools.

As your window to the underwater world, your mask is one of the most important pieces of snorkeling equipment. Like your fins, it should be snug rather than tight because pressure can cause headaches and imprints on your skin. It should also have the lenses, skirt and strap that you prefer.

The mask skirt is usually made of silicone or black rubber. Rubber skirts are more prone to dry rot (cracking and stretching) but silicone is more expensive. An added bonus of silicone is that it lets in more light though. If you feel claustrophobic under water, the lighter silicone material would probably be worth the investment. Lenses can be thick, thin, pressure resistant, and more. For example, if you wear glasses rather than contacts, it is possible to fuse prescription lenses into a mask. Or, if you want maximum visibility, you can also find masks with side-panel lenses.

Head straps don't need to be fancy, just functional. It might be wise to buy a replacement strap for emergencies though. After all, there's nothing as frustrating as holding your mask in place when you're trying to snorkel. I found this great video on how to put all this snorkeling stuff on and use it safely.

The most important thing to consider when you buy a snorkel is size. If the barrel isn't big enough it will be hard to draw enough fresh air through the snorkel and if the barrel is too big, it will be hard to get rid of the bad air that you exhale.

The second thing to think about is the material. Black rubber snorkels are more affordable, but they are not as durable as silicone snorkels. If you want to spend a little more money, you can get snorkels with a purge valve or total-dry features. That way, you won't end up gargling salt water if the snorkel falls below the water line.

Snorkeling vests usually consist of a bladder for air, an adjustable waist band, and a mouth piece for manually inflating the vest. In addition to providing safety, a snorkeling vest should help snorkeling be more enjoyable than tiring. For example, with a life vest keeping you up, you will be able to keep your body in a streamline form with your hands behind your back. It will also make it easier for you to focus on the beauty of the ocean rather than the need to stay afloat.

• Always snorkel with a buddy
• Use sun screen
• Bring plenty of drinking water
• Always use a vest
• Stay clear of jelly fish and sharks
• Always learn about currents in the area
• Use a wetsuit in chilly to avoid hypothermia

I found this nice little right on the basics of snorkeling.