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Mask
This is the most important piece of equipment you'll own. Comfort and style are important, and with a snug, watertight seal, your mask should not leak.
Snorkel
A good snorkel has a soft mouthpiece and lets you breath normally. Look for a contoured fit to reduce drag. A purge valve will allow you to clear water easily. Some snorkels have a second valve or splash guard which keeps water from waves breaking around you from entering the snorkel.
Fins
The right fins are also important. A comfortable fit along with a design matched to your physical size and level of physical fitness, will ensure hours of effortless cruising. You'll need to decide between full-foot or strap fins with boots.
Additional Equipment
Snorkel Vest
A snorkeling vest offers floatation and, in some cases, extra warmth and sunburn protection. We believe vests should be mandatory equipment, especially for children.
Mesh Bag
Provides a convenient way to tote and store your equipment. The mesh makes it even easier to flush your gear with fresh water when you've finished snorkeling for the day.
Accessories & Training
Exposure Suit
Some types of exposure suits are a great way to hide exposed skin from the hot sun and provide additional warmth in cooler water temperatures. These suits are available for adults and children and are easy to wear.
Sunscreen Lotion
Be sure your sunscreen is waterproof and at least 20 SPF is essential; we recommend 30 SPF or higher especially in the summer months. And don't forget to reapply it several times a day.
Fish Identification Card
It always helps to know what type of fish and marine life you're looking at. A waterproof fish identification card can provide information in the water. After your snorkel, check out a fish identification book and learn more about the creatures you saw in the water.
Underwater Camera
If you want great souvenirs of your snorkeling adventure, take along a waterproof camera. But remember to let the fish come to you don't chase them.
Kids & Snorkeling
Snorkeling for Kids
Snorkeling is a great way to get kids and parents involved in the same activity. Any child who can put a mask on his/her face can enjoy the underwater world. Of course, swimming ability comes into play as well. But a child in water wings or a Jelly Belly, with a mask on his face, can still 'snorkel' beside a parent in shallow water and get a taste for what's down there.
Snorkeling has an added benefit as well. We've found with children that having a mask on not only makes them feel like 'one of the big kids', but it's easier, and more fun, to put their face in the water too. What the kids don't know is that when they put their face down in the water, their feet come up to the surface and swimming becomes much easier.
Well-fitting snorkeling equipment is essential if you want your kids to enjoy the activity. While an adult may understand that a leaking mask is likely because of the quality of equipment, kids can't make the distinction. To them, a leaking mask is just 'yucky' and increases the chances of turning them off snorkeling for good. The same theory holds true for snorkeling vests. No matter how well a child swims, everyone (child and parents alike) will feel more secure if the child is wearing a vest. And if that vest fits well and is comfortable and easy to use, your child won't even fight the concept!
When to Start
That depends on the child, but at the very least, the child should be comfortable in the water and interested in wearing a mask. Don t worry about using the snorkel and fins at the beginning. Start with just the mask in the bathtub then progress from there at a child's pace.
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