OT snorkeling equipment questions

jaco wrote:
> My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
> sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come in
> a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top others
> have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain types of masks
> less susceptible to fogging up?
>
> What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
> Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
> snorkels and fins?
>
> thanks in advance
>

you need to learn to breathe properly. NO snorkel (to my knowledge)
will keep water out of your mouth if you breathe underwater.

All masks are susceptible to fogging. Fog on the lens is do to drops of
water appearing on the lens because the lens is dirty the lens has
something that the water can adhere(????) to. Keep the lens clean - no
fogging. Most divers just spit on it and rinse - works great!

"jaco" wrote

> My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
> sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come
> in a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top
> others have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain types
> of masks less susceptible to fogging up?
>
> What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
> Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
> snorkels and fins?

Opinions on all of this differ and, because you asked in a primarily scuba
focused group, our preferences may be a bit tainted. Having said that, here
are my opinions:

I like full foot fins. They are more efficient than strap fins, a lot less
expensive and, because you don't have to wear booties with them, easier to
pack. I do like lycra dive socks when I'm going to do a lot of snorkeling.
I particularly like Mares full foot Plana Avante and TRE fins. Both use
channel technology and both seek to work quite well for diving or
snorkeling. You can find them for about $50 at discount dive stories like
http://www.diversdirect.com/ . I often use Mares Power Plana fins, their
longer, wider full foot fin, but they don't work well for snorkeling. If
you snorkel where you have to walk over sharp rocks, you may prefer a strap
fin with booties that will protect your feet when on the rocks without
making you try to figure out what to do with them while you are diving.

If you're swallowing a lot of water through your snorkel, it's probably your
technique that is at fault. More snorkeling will help you learn to snorkel
more comfortably. I like large bore (most snorkels are large bore these
days) snorkels with flex on the bottom, but no purge valve. The problem
with a purge valve is that it divides the air you puff out to clear the
snorkel. Unless you blow forcefully, part goes up and part goes down,
leaving water in the snorkel. I've been snorkeling for more than 50 years
and I still have trouble clearing a purge valve snorkel consistently. I
will not pay a dime and, in fact, won't accept any of the fancy "dry"
snorkel features. The only design I've seen that I like is one of the
simplest. It's a couple of slots and baffles at the top of the snorkel. It
does not make the snorkel any larger around at the top, but it does tend to
divert some water that splashes in, out of the snorkel before it gets to
your mouth. US Divers makes one of these snorkels for a very reasonable
price.

Tempered glass masks made out of silicon, clear or black is up to you, are
the way to go. Plastic lens masks fog more than glass lens ones, but all of
them will fog under the right conditions. Most people who fog their masks
do so because they are breathing out through their nose during the dive.
It's a common problem and can be hard to fix. Most simply clean the mask
well (toothpaste) and use a commercial anti fog product. Sea Drops work
well for me. Your mask should be carefully chosen, in person. Once you
pick one that works well for you, buy it anywhere you like. I have good
luck with the Tusa Liberator masks and, lucky for me, Divers Direct, which
is a local shop for me, sells them together with a decent snorkel for a very
reasonable price. I think I paid $30 for my backup set a couple of months
ago.

Lee

Thanks for the tips, it should get me started properly.
I should have mentioned in the original post that the water in the mouth was
coming from splashing waves, I am able to dive and resurface and 'blow out'
the snorkel with out swallowing water. Its just those occasional splashes
that are causing problems when I use a straight, non-covered tube.

thanks
again
jaco
"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:xcrQe.3471$9i4.643@newsread2.news.atl.earthli nk.net...
> "jaco" wrote
>
>> My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
>> sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come
>> in a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top
>> others have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain
>> types of masks less susceptible to fogging up?
>>
>> What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
>> Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
>> snorkels and fins?
>
> Opinions on all of this differ and, because you asked in a primarily scuba
> focused group, our preferences may be a bit tainted. Having said that,
> here are my opinions:
>
> I like full foot fins. They are more efficient than strap fins, a lot
> less expensive and, because you don't have to wear booties with them,
> easier to pack. I do like lycra dive socks when I'm going to do a lot of
> snorkeling. I particularly like Mares full foot Plana Avante and TRE fins.
> Both use channel technology and both seek to work quite well for diving or
> snorkeling. You can find them for about $50 at discount dive stories like
> http://www.diversdirect.com/ . I often use Mares Power Plana fins, their
> longer, wider full foot fin, but they don't work well for snorkeling. If
> you snorkel where you have to walk over sharp rocks, you may prefer a
> strap fin with booties that will protect your feet when on the rocks
> without making you try to figure out what to do with them while you are
> diving.
>
> If you're swallowing a lot of water through your snorkel, it's probably
> your technique that is at fault. More snorkeling will help you learn to
> snorkel more comfortably. I like large bore (most snorkels are large bore
> these days) snorkels with flex on the bottom, but no purge valve. The
> problem with a purge valve is that it divides the air you puff out to
> clear the snorkel. Unless you blow forcefully, part goes up and part goes
> down, leaving water in the snorkel. I've been snorkeling for more than 50
> years and I still have trouble clearing a purge valve snorkel
> consistently. I will not pay a dime and, in fact, won't accept any of the
> fancy "dry" snorkel features. The only design I've seen that I like is
> one of the simplest. It's a couple of slots and baffles at the top of the
> snorkel. It does not make the snorkel any larger around at the top, but
> it does tend to divert some water that splashes in, out of the snorkel
> before it gets to your mouth. US Divers makes one of these snorkels for a
> very reasonable price.
>
> Tempered glass masks made out of silicon, clear or black is up to you, are
> the way to go. Plastic lens masks fog more than glass lens ones, but all
> of them will fog under the right conditions. Most people who fog their
> masks do so because they are breathing out through their nose during the
> dive. It's a common problem and can be hard to fix. Most simply clean the
> mask well (toothpaste) and use a commercial anti fog product. Sea Drops
> work well for me. Your mask should be carefully chosen, in person. Once
> you pick one that works well for you, buy it anywhere you like. I have
> good luck with the Tusa Liberator masks and, lucky for me, Divers Direct,
> which is a local shop for me, sells them together with a decent snorkel
> for a very reasonable price. I think I paid $30 for my backup set a
> couple of months ago.
>
> Lee
>

My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come in
a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top others
have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain types of masks
less susceptible to fogging up?

What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
snorkels and fins?

thanks in advance

jaco wrote:
> My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
> sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come in
> a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top others
> have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain types of masks
> less susceptible to fogging up?
>
> What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
> Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
> snorkels and fins?
>
> thanks in advance
>

you need to learn to breathe properly. NO snorkel (to my knowledge)
will keep water out of your mouth if you breathe underwater.

All masks are susceptible to fogging. Fog on the lens is do to drops of
water appearing on the lens because the lens is dirty the lens has
something that the water can adhere(????) to. Keep the lens clean - no
fogging. Most divers just spit on it and rinse - works great!

"jaco" wrote

> My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
> sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come
> in a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top
> others have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain types
> of masks less susceptible to fogging up?
>
> What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
> Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
> snorkels and fins?

Opinions on all of this differ and, because you asked in a primarily scuba
focused group, our preferences may be a bit tainted. Having said that, here
are my opinions:

I like full foot fins. They are more efficient than strap fins, a lot less
expensive and, because you don't have to wear booties with them, easier to
pack. I do like lycra dive socks when I'm going to do a lot of snorkeling.
I particularly like Mares full foot Plana Avante and TRE fins. Both use
channel technology and both seek to work quite well for diving or
snorkeling. You can find them for about $50 at discount dive stories like
http://www.diversdirect.com/ . I often use Mares Power Plana fins, their
longer, wider full foot fin, but they don't work well for snorkeling. If
you snorkel where you have to walk over sharp rocks, you may prefer a strap
fin with booties that will protect your feet when on the rocks without
making you try to figure out what to do with them while you are diving.

If you're swallowing a lot of water through your snorkel, it's probably your
technique that is at fault. More snorkeling will help you learn to snorkel
more comfortably. I like large bore (most snorkels are large bore these
days) snorkels with flex on the bottom, but no purge valve. The problem
with a purge valve is that it divides the air you puff out to clear the
snorkel. Unless you blow forcefully, part goes up and part goes down,
leaving water in the snorkel. I've been snorkeling for more than 50 years
and I still have trouble clearing a purge valve snorkel consistently. I
will not pay a dime and, in fact, won't accept any of the fancy "dry"
snorkel features. The only design I've seen that I like is one of the
simplest. It's a couple of slots and baffles at the top of the snorkel. It
does not make the snorkel any larger around at the top, but it does tend to
divert some water that splashes in, out of the snorkel before it gets to
your mouth. US Divers makes one of these snorkels for a very reasonable
price.

Tempered glass masks made out of silicon, clear or black is up to you, are
the way to go. Plastic lens masks fog more than glass lens ones, but all of
them will fog under the right conditions. Most people who fog their masks
do so because they are breathing out through their nose during the dive.
It's a common problem and can be hard to fix. Most simply clean the mask
well (toothpaste) and use a commercial anti fog product. Sea Drops work
well for me. Your mask should be carefully chosen, in person. Once you
pick one that works well for you, buy it anywhere you like. I have good
luck with the Tusa Liberator masks and, lucky for me, Divers Direct, which
is a local shop for me, sells them together with a decent snorkel for a very
reasonable price. I think I paid $30 for my backup set a couple of months
ago.

Lee

Thanks for the tips, it should get me started properly.
I should have mentioned in the original post that the water in the mouth was
coming from splashing waves, I am able to dive and resurface and 'blow out'
the snorkel with out swallowing water. Its just those occasional splashes
that are causing problems when I use a straight, non-covered tube.

thanks
again
jaco
"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:xcrQe.3471$9i4.643@newsread2.news.atl.earthli nk.net...
> "jaco" wrote
>
>> My wife and I have enjoyed snorkeling yet are tired of sore feet, and
>> sucking in water while using rental equipment. I know that snorkels come
>> in a wide variety of styles, some have a 'float' type device on the top
>> others have a 'valve' of some type near the mouth piece. Are certain
>> types of masks less susceptible to fogging up?
>>
>> What types of features should we look for in masks, snorkels and fins?
>> Without breaking the bank can anyone suggest brands of quality masks,
>> snorkels and fins?
>
> Opinions on all of this differ and, because you asked in a primarily scuba
> focused group, our preferences may be a bit tainted. Having said that,
> here are my opinions:
>
> I like full foot fins. They are more efficient than strap fins, a lot
> less expensive and, because you don't have to wear booties with them,
> easier to pack. I do like lycra dive socks when I'm going to do a lot of
> snorkeling. I particularly like Mares full foot Plana Avante and TRE fins.
> Both use channel technology and both seek to work quite well for diving or
> snorkeling. You can find them for about $50 at discount dive stories like
> http://www.diversdirect.com/ . I often use Mares Power Plana fins, their
> longer, wider full foot fin, but they don't work well for snorkeling. If
> you snorkel where you have to walk over sharp rocks, you may prefer a
> strap fin with booties that will protect your feet when on the rocks
> without making you try to figure out what to do with them while you are
> diving.
>
> If you're swallowing a lot of water through your snorkel, it's probably
> your technique that is at fault. More snorkeling will help you learn to
> snorkel more comfortably. I like large bore (most snorkels are large bore
> these days) snorkels with flex on the bottom, but no purge valve. The
> problem with a purge valve is that it divides the air you puff out to
> clear the snorkel. Unless you blow forcefully, part goes up and part goes
> down, leaving water in the snorkel. I've been snorkeling for more than 50
> years and I still have trouble clearing a purge valve snorkel
> consistently. I will not pay a dime and, in fact, won't accept any of the
> fancy "dry" snorkel features. The only design I've seen that I like is
> one of the simplest. It's a couple of slots and baffles at the top of the
> snorkel. It does not make the snorkel any larger around at the top, but
> it does tend to divert some water that splashes in, out of the snorkel
> before it gets to your mouth. US Divers makes one of these snorkels for a
> very reasonable price.
>
> Tempered glass masks made out of silicon, clear or black is up to you, are
> the way to go. Plastic lens masks fog more than glass lens ones, but all
> of them will fog under the right conditions. Most people who fog their
> masks do so because they are breathing out through their nose during the
> dive. It's a common problem and can be hard to fix. Most simply clean the
> mask well (toothpaste) and use a commercial anti fog product. Sea Drops
> work well for me. Your mask should be carefully chosen, in person. Once
> you pick one that works well for you, buy it anywhere you like. I have
> good luck with the Tusa Liberator masks and, lucky for me, Divers Direct,
> which is a local shop for me, sells them together with a decent snorkel
> for a very reasonable price. I think I paid $30 for my backup set a
> couple of months ago.
>
> Lee
>