We are going to Provo next month and want to snorkel. RWI has gear I guess, but I thought it would be nice to get our own which we can use when we go to Hawaii etc. I want to make sure the stuff is comfortable and fits right. Not sure how much to spend for decent snorkeling gear though. We have some local dive shops I can check out.

I bought my first snorkel kit at a bona fide dive shop, tried everything on in the store to assure a good fit, and paid about US $60 for a good mask and snorkel.

However, what felt fine in the store eventually made my nose and mouth VERY sore after more than an hour or so of snorkeling. I have a small mouth, but my nose is in the large side, so that, combined with the mask and mouthpiece led to a tenderness that lingered for quite a while--it seemed that only a couple of rum punches cleared it up entirely!

I have since bought a couple of cheap (under US $15) snorkel kits, one at Target and the other at CVS. Both have "dry' snorkels and both of them feel better after an extended period in the water than my first kit. The masks feel better, but they are definitely less sturdy than my more expensive one and they don't have as wide a range of visibility as my original mask. However, their comfort will probably keep me reaching for these rather than the more expensive ones.

Costco sometimes carries a very nice set. I believe we paid about $30. per set. We bought them to take to Hawaii and we all fit pretty nicely in the mask and snorkel gear.
If you are a serious snorkeler, I would recommend going to a special store. If you are more of a recreational, once or twice a year snorkeler, give Costco a try.

We are going to St. John and were debating renting or purchasing our own snorkel equipment. I have a problem with using something so personal that someone else has used. We will probably rent the vests, though. Does the equipment take up a lot of space in the suitcase?

My son and I have narrow, hard-to-fit faces, so we own our own masks and snorkels. It took a lot of time at the local scuba shop to find masks that fit well enough to keep out water, and probably cost $50 each. My husband and daughter have no trouble finding rentals that fit, so they rent. I also have fins, but those are more easy to come by and they take up a lot of room in the luggage, so I often leave them at home.

MSS - The mask & snorkel don't take up much room. It's the fins that take up space, especially if you have big feet! LOL. There are shorter travel fins you can buy though. My suggestion is to buy the mask & snorkel, then rent the fins and vest.

If you don't snorkel much, a dive shop might not be the best option...it's expensive. We bought our gear from Sports Authority and were quite happy with it. Earlier this year, we decided to splurge and did buy new gear at a dive shop. After my husband and I picked out what we wanted, we went to pay for the items and saw the bill and went "oh" . On a serious note, we do love the new gear but I don't think it's worth it if you don't snorkel much. But that's for you to decide.

We actually bought our snorkeling vests online and the type we bought doesn't take any space at all. We bought the 1st vest on the following site.
http://www.joediveramerica.com/page/...GY/snorkelvest

I agree with Mymoosie that only the fins take space.

I looked up our bill for the gear bought at the dive shop (in NJ). $273 for 2 masks, 2 snorkels, 1 pair of fins.

Add a bag to hold all the snorkeling gear to that total. However, I can't remember how much the bag itself cost.

Great idea - we are going to take our own equipment and rent the fins.
caribtraveler - thanks a lot for the link for the vests! I am going to purchase 2 of them since they take up little space! Now, if I lived near the ocean, I would invest in something expensive, but for a few times a year, we are going to look for inexpensive. We don't have a Costco near us, but have some reasonable sports shops.

My hubby bought one of those vests and wears it (he's a weak swimmer) and it works great! =)

Are vests necessary? I will be a first-time snorkeler; my husband has snorkeled before in Hawaii & didn't use a vest. If it's less expensive to buy gear at home & take it with us vs. renting on the island, that will be our plan!

I don't think a vest in necessary, but I am a very strong swimmer and like to surface dive down to about 30'... I could not do that with a vest.
I never snorkle with a vest, but like I said, I am a strong swimmer.

MSS: You're welcome. We really like our vests.

Gechter: It all depends on the type of swimmer you are. We've gone to places where the reef was a bit of swim away (from shore) and we tend to stay in the water a long time. We are okay swimmers and just feel more comfortable with the vests on.

I am a strong swimmer & my husband is an average swimmer. Maybe we'll try snorkeling without vests & we could always rent them there if we decide that's how we'd be more comfortable. We're going to St. John - about how much should we expect to pay if we rent fins or vests?

You get what you pay for....period. If you buy a generic set for 30-40 bucks, then you are simply getting beginner equipement.

If you want quality, go to a dive shop and get fitted properly. Comfort is key out there in the water. The last thing you want is crappy equipement.

A good mask might run $50-80 bucks(or more). I highly suggest getting a "dry" snorkel for choppy water.

For snorkellers who need glasses/contacts, think about getting a prescription mask from a dive shop. There are masks with "drop in" lenses so you can pick the closest diopter(right word?) for each eye. You don't actually need to take your prescription with you. Just know that you are a 3.0 L/4.5 R (or whatever) I can't see at all with out my glasses so would be very uncomfortable in the water without lenses. I also bought swimming goggles with prescription lenses - which made swimming much more enjoyable for me.

Well I ended up getting "cheapy" $40.00 pairs from GI Joes, made by US Divers. I want to see how much we enjoy snorkeling before I go for the spendy stuff. I will bring fins as we don't need much clothing for tropical area, should be plenty of room in luggage.

Regarding vests: I have an inflatable one with a blow-up valve, so I can leave it deflated for diving, and inflate it only if needed due to fatigue.

One benefit is that it is sort of a fluorescent green and makes me more visible to boaters.

I almost never inflate it, but I'm glad to have it because I often snorkel alone and you never know - might get a killer cramp someday.

I always take my own equipment now - including a prescription mask, which I take in my carry-on. I pack the fins on the bottom of my suitcase and they really don't consume too much space.

I would never buy a mask that I didn't try on first.

Be careful with the bright florescent colors... they can attract a lot more attention from barracudas (and sharks, too). Ditto for shiny watches and jewelry.