Often, choosing snorkeling gear is an afterthought, and people will make do with what they have at hand. Sadly, that can lead to a suboptimal snorkeling experience. Choosing the right snorkeling gear and understanding how it works together can revolutionize your experience. From tiring a coughing and spluttering experience in a leaky foggy mask, your snorkeling is transferred into a relaxing adventure admiring the coral reef and its inhabitants!
Snorkeling Gear: Masks
Not all masks are created equally when it comes to snorkeling. The first and most important thing to remember is that the perfect snorkeling mask fits you well, is comfortable, and does not leak. Everything else is ancillary to that. Whether you opt for a mask with a single lens or a double lens mask will ultimately depend on your own preference and what you are most comfortable with. Remember that if you need a prescription lens in your mask, you will have to opt for a dual-lens mask.
When it comes to the color of your mask skirt, you are almost always better served going for a transparent skirt instead of a black one. Snorkeling, you want to have the largest field of vision possible and be able to allow as much light as possible into your mask. A transparent skirt gives a slightly better peripheral vision, letting you zero in quickly on that turtle or eagle ray.
As mentioned earlier, a great mask fits comfortably and does not leak. An excellent bonus is one that does not fog, giving you a clear view and letting you focus on the coral and wildlife.
Snorkeling Gear: Snorkels
When it comes to choosing the right snorkel for you, you have a couple of options: wet or dry. While the differences and nuances between both types are many, it boils down to one main difference. Wet snorkels are open at the top so waves can enter the tube. Therefore, if you dive underwater, the tube will flood, and you will need to clear it before breathing from your snorkel. On the other hand, dry snorkels have a mechanical device on the top of the tube that will close and prevent water from entering the tube when it is submerged.
This mechanism on dry snorkels makes it very difficult to use them to dive down and explore under the water. This mechanism traps air in the tube, which makes it positively buoyant, and it pulls on your mask, making diving underwater uncomfortable.
Wet snorkels, however, will flood, and you can effortlessly dive down and explore. Also, clearing them is not too tricky, which is why many freedivers and snorkelers prefer to use them. Choosing the right snorkel for you will depend on how you snorkel. A wet snorkel is ideal if you like diving and swimming while snorkeling.
However, if, on the other hand, you love nothing more than spending your time on the surface, then a dry snorkel fits the bill. You don’t have to worry about your snorkel flooding if it is overlapped with waves, and you can focus on the pretty side of snorkeling.
One thing worth mentioning is if you are very comfortable in the water, you can “hack” a dry snorkel and dive underwater when using it. All you need to do is spit out the mouthpiece; the snorkel will flood from the bottom up, and you will have no issue with it pulling on your mask. However, remember that you will have to fully surface and take your head out of the water to drain your snorkel at the end of your breath-hold dive.
Snorkeling Gear: Fins
If you take your snorkeling seriously, you will need to invest in a good pair of snorkeling fins. However, fins come in many shapes and sizes, and choosing the right ones is critical to a fun snorkeling experience. The first thing to consider when you select a snorkeling fin is weight. It would be best to have a lightweight fin that is easy to use. Heavy fins are great for diving, but they are not that good for snorkeling. They drag and tend to sink a little, meaning you have to work harder to kick them since you have to lift them out of their submerged position.
Lightweight fins, on the other hand, are much easier to use. They tend to stay on the surface of the water. This, combined with their light weight, makes them easy to use and does not require much effort.
Blade Length
Another point to consider when selecting the right snorkeling fin is the blade length. Long-bladed fins are great for generating enormous amounts of power because they move high volumes of water. However, snorkeling is not about that; it's more about exploring and going slow on the surface. What you are looking for is a fin with a relatively short blade.
These strike the perfect balance between giving your mechanical advantage to swimming while not requiring much energy or effort.
Closed Vs. Open Heel Fins
When it comes to snorkeling, closed-heel fins are the way to go in almost every case if you are in warm tropical waters. In warm waters, they fit snuggly and act like an extension to your foot, giving you maximum control, power, and comfort.
However, if you are snorkeling in colder waters, you may want to consider using booties and open-heel fins. The boots will keep your feet warm in the colder waters; however, if you opt for boots, then you have to use open-heel fins. As a bonus, the neoprene boots are buoyant and will help counteract the weight of the bulkier open-water fins. So, in conclusion, use closed-heel fins in warm waters and boots and open-heel fins in colder waters.
Thermal and UV Protection
When it comes to snorkeling, the first thing you usually think of is a mask, fins, and a snorkel. However, you also have to consider thermal and UV protection if you will be spending a lot of time in the water.
Thermal Protection
If you are opting to snorkel in colder waters, then just like surfing, you will have to wear a wetsuit to stay warm. The thickness of the suit will ultimately depend on the water temperature. You will likely be looking at a 3mm or 5mm suit.
One thing to consider when using a wetsuit is how you usually snorkel. If you opt to wear a wetsuit, you will become positively buoyant. This means you will be unable to dive easily, and you will be “trapped” on the water's surface. If you like to skin dive while snorkeling, you will have to use a weight belt to compensate for the positive buoyant effect of the wetsuit.
A weight belt with 1/2kg~/2/4lbs should be sufficient to counteract the effects of your suit, allowing you to snorkel on the surface and dive down to explore the reef below you. On the plus side, if you use a wetsuit, you will not need to worry about any UV protection since you are covered. That is why investing in the correct wetsuit is a must if you are a serious cold-water snorkeler.
UV Protection
Typically, you associate snorkeling with tropical locations, with warm water, white beaches, and stunning coral reefs. You do not need to wear a wet suit in these conditions. Grabbing your snorkeling kit and jumping in the sea in your swimwear is tempting. However, you are at risk of a serious sunburn in sunny conditions. While snorkeling, you don’t feel the effects of the sun since you are cold. However, on the surface, you are essentially lying on a sun lounger covered in a tiny film of water.
This can result in a severe sunburn if you don’t take appropriate measures to protect yourself from UV rays. At this point, you have several options that you can use individually or in combination. Your first choice is to use reef-friendly sunscreen to help prevent sunburn. The second option is to use a rash guard with UV protection to protect the upper half of your body. As a bonus, if you opt to invest in a rash guard, you will also be able to use scuba diving, either alone or under a wetsuit.
Alternatively, if you want to protect your whole body, you can use a whole-body dive skin. These are made from the same material as rash guards and offer UV protection. Unlike wetsuits, they do not increase your buoyancy.
One thing to note is that whatever you use, you will invariably have to use some form of reef-friendly sunscreen to cover exposed areas of your skin, like the back of your neck.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right combination of snorkeling gear that fits your needs is critical to having a fun and safe time in the water. It is almost impossible to find a one-type-fits-all set of gear. And while you can use the same gear in multiple scenarios, it will not be ideal for every single situation.
Many serious snorkelers will have a wide range of snorkeling equipment that will suit their particular needs. For instance, they may have a cold water set for snorkeling locally and a lightweight set ideal for traveling to the tropics.
Ultimately, which gear you invest in will depend on your needs, how you plan to snorkel, and the types of waters you intend to snorkel in. Fortunately, more often than not, some of your snorkeling gear can double up its service and be used for scuba diving if you are passionate about exploring the underwater world.
