usvi-on-line
Snorkel equipment for first timers
Snorkel equipment for first timers
Hi everyone - Today I went and purchased two masks and snorkels. I bought my daughters and will test hers out tonight. Right now I am second guessing myself as on my daughters I bought the dry snorkel but on mine the dive shop lady said was semi -dry. I still have to buy my husbands and son so need to go back anyway but should I keep the one I have or go for the more expensive dry snorkel. I really think I will not dive under water but not totally sure. For my son I will probably get the dry snorkel - he is 13 and loves to swim as does our 10 year old daughter. Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks!
r
Maybe it's because I'm very comfortable in the water (and cheap!), but I've never felt the need for a dry or semi-dry snorkel.
Those features that limit water coming in can also limit air flow, and they're not 100% fool proof all of the time.
If you learn to purge (clear) a regular snorkel, then you'll never have to worry about getting some water in it.
I dive down to take pictures and to get a closer look at things, and rarely even lift my head out of the water when surfacing.
That being said, being in the water is out of a lot of folk's comfort zone to begin with, and if having a snorkel that can somewhat limit the water coming in helps them to be calmer in the water, then more power to them!
Those features that limit water coming in can also limit air flow, and they're not 100% fool proof all of the time.
If you learn to purge (clear) a regular snorkel, then you'll never have to worry about getting some water in it.
I dive down to take pictures and to get a closer look at things, and rarely even lift my head out of the water when surfacing.
That being said, being in the water is out of a lot of folk's comfort zone to begin with, and if having a snorkel that can somewhat limit the water coming in helps them to be calmer in the water, then more power to them!
Come see us!
We replaced our old snorkel gear a couple years ago. I know a lot of peeps like the dry snorkel but not one of the four of us do. We actually went to one of our local dive shops, hopped in the pool, and tried out several models of masks and snorkels. If you're going to be using this equipment for years to come, it might be worth a shot going to the dive shop. They custom fit our masks and let us try whatever we wanted before purchasing. Not even my 10 year old (at the time) liked the dry snorkel. Myself, I find them too restrictive and prefer to purge. Just my .2
hmmmm guess i am outvoted--i should add that i don't use a dry snorkel--but when my kids started they did they were pretty little though (about 3) when each of them started snorkeling--so i didn't think they'd get the purge thing----good advice to try out both types--
< leaving on the 22nd of march...but too lame to figure out the ticker thing again!>
Actually, keeping the water out of the snorkel tube with a Dry-Snorkel when you dive down is only a part of what they do. The other part, one nobody has mentioned, when you are tooling along looking at the bottom or looking at fish or whatever, the waves can sometimes wash over your snorkel and go down the tube. If you like to constanly purge (like Augie) then it would be no problem, but for me I like to take a breath when I need it, not have to blow water out of the tube before I breath in.
If you do dive down to get that great close up of the fish, and you stay down until you can't take it anymore, then a dry snorkel will allow you to come up and take a breath right away, without purging first, if you have enough breath to do that.
Anyway, botoom line, we;ve been using a dry snorkel for a number of years, and wouldn't use anything else! I guess it's whatever you get used to that counts.
-Bert
If you do dive down to get that great close up of the fish, and you stay down until you can't take it anymore, then a dry snorkel will allow you to come up and take a breath right away, without purging first, if you have enough breath to do that.
Anyway, botoom line, we;ve been using a dry snorkel for a number of years, and wouldn't use anything else! I guess it's whatever you get used to that counts.
-Bert
The liver is evil, it must be punished!
I had a dry snorkel for this trip and hated it. I felt like I couldn't get enough air and it gurgled. It felt like it had a ping pong ball in it and I was only getting a little air around that ball. I was gasping for air and it was not a comfortable feeling. I asked Crash to try it and he hated it too. I'm with Augie. Go with a regular snorkel and purge it. It's way easier.
Thanks everyone - I feel much better now and will stick with my snorkel. Our daughter should be fine with her dry snorkel. Now we just have to get the boys done hopefully this weekend.
Bev - Hope you had or are having a good vacation even with the bad weather but really it has been terrible in Doylestown so you are not missing a thing.
Bev - Hope you had or are having a good vacation even with the bad weather but really it has been terrible in Doylestown so you are not missing a thing.
r
