AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Do I need to buy snorkeling gear before trip?

Cheers to you, girl! Got the good fitting mask; now have to find the wetsuit! lol

I'm mixed up. Didn't we talk you out of a new wetsuit or was that someone else?

My best fitting mask was my first one. Pink. I bought two since that time, that I really thought were well fit. They leak a little bit. My lucky break came one day while I was whining at the dive shop. The salesperson pointed out that the company that made my pink mask were still making the same mask. It was just being marketed under a new name. I ordered one in. Now, it is my primary mask and my pink mask is my spare. Just gotta keep my fav LDS in business. Maybe you should buy a wetsuit and I'll tell ya where.

Also, I have two virtually new masks if anyone is looking for a deal . . .uh oh.

Nope. No one talked me out of a new suit. Must have been someone else.

"Maybe you should buy a wetsuit and I'll tell ya where." I'll bite!!! Where? Gotta tell ya that I'm land locked. I'm also very tiny! Have to confess that the front zip/back sip, mm size, zipper flap, full vs. shorty is very confusing.

My mask is a perfect fit. Just picked the color I liked. Held it to my face, took a breath, and it stuck like glue! Divemaster almost fell over. Said he'd never seen such a perfect fit on the first attempt.

Sheesh! A back sip.....should be back zip!

Nothing wrong with a back sip or two, as long as you've finished diving for the day.

As for the wetsuit, I see that you are too far away to buy from my fav LDS (local dive shop), so support the one near you!

ROFL.......sipping after diving allowed. Glad I hadn't sipped before Tres Cocos! You do know that I'm a snorkeler? Not worked up the courage to dive yet.

Will be checking with the dive shop shortly. The divesmaster is really good.

Is that "really good" or "really hot"?

By the way, it was a snorkel trip that got me into diving. Snorkelling just wasn't enough. You want to go down and see all the pretty fishes close up and personal, don'tcha?

If you are thinking about it, don't wait. I waited and I wasted alot of years as a non-diver that I'd sure love to have been diving.

Uh, no he wasn't "hot" but definately knew his equipment. lol

Oh, yeah, would love to see the fishes "close up and personal" but I'm quite content just bobbing on the surface. Maybe, someday......

happyiguana, I hope you'll keep posting and not let this thread drive ya away. We're a passionate, opinionated lot but as a whole have good information to share.

Cheers, everyone!!!

Wow, thanks for all the responses! I am wrapping up school year and haven't had time to plan our trip for a few weeks!

I am still not sure what to do. DH is not wild about buying the gear, so I guess we're renting this year. Hope we can find a good snorkle trip operator with good gear. Thanks again!
-Marci

I wonder what seashell looks like in pink! Being serious for a second, there's no need to buy fins if you don't want to carry them as you'll certainly find good enough to rent. Though Scubapro make some rather nice short & light ones.

As to the snorkel, maybe get your own for hygene reasons and to ensure you have a good and durable fit to your mask. Get the simplest you can - no purge valve or flexible section, just a bent tube. Works best in the long run, is cheapest, smallest and lightest.

But certainly get your own mask. I see so many people whose holiday is spoiled by a mask that doesn't fit properly and leaks. Again, the simplest the better (no purge valve), and make sure the bottom of the mask is well clear of your upper lip when you try it on.

I do sell some of this stuff in my shop in town, though not the simple snorkels that I prefer. A good quality scuba mask (which is toughened glass, not necessary for snorkelling tho' better) should cost no more than around US$50.