Shivas

We (family of four) are on our last week of preparation before spending a week on St. John. As I check off item after item on the pre-trip list I came to snorkeling. We live in the fairly frigid state of Michigan and really don't have much of an opportunity or desire to snorkel in 45 degree Lake Superior. Therefore, we don't own any snorkeling equipment. The question is, should I run out to the local dive shop and outfit us all, or should/can we rent equipment once we reach St. John? You folk are the experts. Any advice?

virginia

if this is the first time for everyone - definetly not. if you find you enjoy snorkeling AND intend to vacation in snorkel location on a regular basis, then go buy. if you do decide to buy first consider getting just masks. (without the strap hold it to your face, then breath in with your nose and let go. the mask should stay on your face. try on alot-they all feel different!) this is your most important and personal piece of equip. if it does not fit properly you will see nothing. fins are pretty much all the same and all snorkels are close and work about as well as the next when you're beginning.
yes you can/will be able to rent on st. john. probably at your hotel.
and p.s. the water temp should be 79-80

cjs123

I say get your own sets. Snorkeling on St. John is wonderful and if your family members swim, they can snorkel. It would be such a blast for your entire family! (Practice first in shallow water if unsure, at first, to get used to your equipment.)

LL Bean has a very reasonable complete set in its summer catalog. I forget the price, but it's not bad. And it's made by US Divers, which is a trusted brand.

I do not like using someone else's equipment at all -- sanitary factor!!!

When we went to St. John, we were able to pack all of our clothing AND our snorkel gear into a travel sized-rolling backpack -- no suitcases. You don't need that much, clothing wise, and it's nice to have everything in one place!

Have a wonderful trip!!!

J62

I realize the OP is probably in St. John already, but I'll put in my experience for other future travellers.

Just spent a week in St. Thomas and wasn't sure I wanted to lug 4 sets of snorkeling gear with me, so I went half way.

I bought snorkels for each of us ($6 special from leisurepro.com). Hygene thing. I also bought a kids mask / snorkel set for the kids (without fins).

I was staying in a condo on St. Thomas, not an AI resort. Some resorts offer snorkel gear free to guests. The dive shop at Sapphire Beach rented snorkel gear, but it was $5 / hour. So I took a 10min drive to Kmart and bought myself a basic mask for $15 + fins for the kids for $20each. (the condo owner had fins I could use).

In the end, the basic kids mask/snorkel set worked fine for the kids. They spent hours in the water. For real snorkeling, not just playing around in the shallows, the fins were must.

The basic mask I bought for myself worked ok, but wasn't terribly comfortable. I wish I'd gone to a dive shop and paid $50 for a mask that fit me well. I think you have to really try one on to tell. Same goes for flippers. Some are very uncomfortable, but I you spend more for a good quality set you should be ok.

For those who aren't sure how much they'll be snorkeling or whether or not gear is readily available where they're going, I recommend at least to pick up a basic mask and snorkel at Walmart, Target, etc. You'll be able to get a feel for snorkeling without shelling out big $$, plus you don't have to search for gear the minute you arrive.

Leisurepro.com and other websites have a wide selection if you don't have a dive shop in your area. I think you can also call up LP and they should be able to recommend something for you. They're in NYC, so kind of hard to try on for size over the internet - one reason I still like brick & mortar shops.

It is definitely worth having your own set if you're going to St. John, as you'll want the freedom to hop from beach to beach and have your gear with you at all times.

Some people wear snorkel vests to aid floatation. We stuck with old fashioned foam noodles. (picked up at Kmart as well).

My kids also found that they got cold pretty quickly in the deeper water. (no body fat). 80 degrees sounds warm but it can get chilly quickly if you stay submerged. Some people brought short wet suits for kids - good idea - these also help protect from the sun while snorkeling.

LPOWMACBACK

Either way will be fine. I'd bought a well fitting mask & snorkel before our trip to STJ. My husband & son rented from Cruz Bay Water Sports for the week. They'd also purchased (not rented) the mouth piece so they weren't putting their mouths on a rental (I'm sure they steralize them properly - but they felt better about it). The rental equipment is usually a very good quality - better than a lot of stuff you could buy from a sporting goods store!

Don't sweat it! One word of advice, if you don't have or rent fins (which we don't), definitly use water shoes, as you will likely be going over some rocky-sea-urchin/coral areas.
Lisa

xcluesiv1

I prefer to buy my own equipment. I guess it depends on your frequency of diving. I also agree with the mouthpieces being bought. eewwwhhh someone elses salava is never good. I bought from www.scubablast.com
I've aslo been to liesurepro also.