AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Snorkel equipment question

I purchased our snorkel masks and fins at Costco a two years ago before we left for Belize. What a disappointment. The masks were fine, but I continued to get mouthfuls of sea water through the snorkel. Hubby's snorkel worked ok, but not great. Could have ruined the whole trip but we were able to borrow from the lodge we were staying at.

A couple of years ago we invested in snorkels that don't allow water in the top and close when you dive below the surface. It has made a word of difference for us & worth every penny spent! Be careful though, it's contagious! Once we snorkeled we HAD to get certified to SCUBA! Have fun.

Personally I'd buy my own mask and snorkel since you don't have to hassle with the fit. Because like was previously said nothing worse than it not fitting. I just recently bought one online from aquacolor and it fits me and it's made especially for snorkelers like me. It was a little pricey at 100 bucks but I plan on using it quite frequently. I'll be in Belize myself during the 1st week of March maybe I'll see you there. As far as where to snorkel I here Shark Ray Alley is awesome. If you don't own a lycra suit or diveskin as their also known as you may want to invest in one so you don't sunburn while snorkeling or you can just throw a t-shirt on over your bathing suit and put on a lot of sunscreen on the back of your legs and call it a day. Lycra suits run about 40 to 50 bucks. You can search around for dive shops in your area and I see you live in the bayarea like me and i know they're are plenty in the monterey area and a few in vacaville and a few in sacramento. Enjoy Belize as I will too.

You are going to love the snorkelling - visibility is sooo amazing! Watch out though, you will get addicted and want to learn to dive as I did. If this turns out to be the case, buy good equipment 'cause it makes all the difference. Being from a northern clime, I have the separate fins and booties, so there is never a problem with blisters, and you can walk around in the sea grass without worrying about stepping on something. Enjoy!
Mary

Hey Lorikeet & Gaelen (bayarea gals),

I live in Santa Rosa, Ca and will be down there the same time as you :-). Feb 22- Mar 9. I got my dive skin at www.divegoddess.com and have had soooo many compliments on it. It's a crazy design and lots of fun too. 11 days and counting...

~jill

hmmm. hubby's got the booties...but blistered. i wonder if he actually wore them diving? are the lycra socks special diving ones, or just regular lycra socks?

a big YES on wearing a t-shirt while snorkeling. don't forget the sunscreen too!in '93 i sunburned my butt really good just before we left. ouch. sitting on the planes home was not fun.

Definetely wear a t-shirt or wet suit when snorkeling. I got sunburned on the back of my calves, so dont' forget to "lather up" on the sunscreen. Remember. too...you can get sunburned even when it's not sunny out...the UV rays still get through, even on cloudy days.

Jane,

The lycra socks are made for wearing inside fins - got mine at a dive shop. Before getting them, I consistently wore blisters on the top of my toes - no fun

When fitting/buying a mask, lean forward press the mask firmly on the face, then inhale slightly to try to create a vacuum seal.DO NOT put the strap behind the head. Now stand up straight while holding your breath. If it creates a vacuum seal, it fits properly. There is no need to tighten a strap when placing it behind the head. A strap is only to keep gravity pulling the mask off. A tight strap creates wrinkles around the face, making channels for leaks. The water pressure alone when snorkeling will push the mask firmly to your face. The strap should also be placed on the natural bump at the back of the head. Any higher or lower, it will slip.

Hair will break a seal and create a leak. Hence remove all head hair from face when putting on a mask. I do that by putting on my mask when facing the wind. Those men and women with moustaches can create a seal by lathering it up with vaseline.

Can you buy snorkel gear on AC? Or is it just rentals? I'd rather buy my own, but thought with all the tours, that snorkel gear would be available for purchase.