USVI-On-Line

Hello All, we are planning on buying new snorkel gear for our next trip to STJ in Feb. I know it would be cheaper to buy online before we go but was wondering if anyone has bought gear on the island.
This past Feb we rented gear from Cruz Bay Watersports and they were very nice to deal with but we didn't really look around to see what they had for sale.
Looking forward to hearing your recommendations.

thanks
john

A mask is something you should purchase in person, whether on the mainland or on STJ. It's the only way you will get one that fits properly and is comfortable.

Low Key has a decent selection and is priced fairly IMO.

Hi John, we just bought new snorkel gear from a local dive shop. I'm so glad we went in to have the masks fitted. You really can't tell if it's going to be right without trying them on. It took some time to get everything fitted, etc., so it might be nice to have all that taken care of before you get to the island – but that's just my humble opinion. I did receive lots of valuable advice from forum members (thank you very much!).

I agree with tjwgrr. That is where I bought my current mask and fins.

JIM

I definately recommend buying the mask in person. It's kind of like shoes, you want the fit to be comfortable. I bought all of our gear at Hurricane Hole at Mongoose. Once back on mainland I discovered the prices were right in line. I was expecting to pay way more, but didn't.

Both my husband and I purchased everything from a local dive shop. We were glad we did as we had to exchange both our masks once we tried them under water in the bathtub, at their suggestion. In hindsight, we felt this saved us vacation time.

You might luck out the first time around - that would be great!

We will also be in STJ this summer with our family of four. We have two kids 13 and 9 do you suggest they get fitted too or is it different for kids? Will they outgrow their mask since they are still growing? Not sure how this works since we have never snorkeled.

Everyone, kids and adults, should get fitted for their masks. There is nothing worse than dealing with a slow leak because the mask doesn't fit properly.

I've purchased masks at Crabbys a couple of times. They have a decent selection of sizes, and the quality is good. I have a hard to fit face, and I've always found something there.