Snorkeling - do I bring the gear or rent it?

Newbie Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

Can someone please discuss the pros/cons of buying and then bringing your own snorkeling gear to the Caymans versus renting while we're there? We are expecting to snorkel a lot - possibly daily.

TIA

Steve

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:09 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forum sluzzi Smile

,

If you think that you may be doing a lot of snorkeling, perhaps daily, then I would definitely recommend bringing your own gear. However, there is another option to buying.......check with your local dive shop and see what they would charge for renting snorkeling gear for a week.....you won't believe how resonably they rent gear for people headed out on vacations!

A lot of people prefer to buy their own snorkels, but if you're not really sure about spending the money to buy all the rest of the equipment before your trip, be sure to ask about their rental fees.

Please ask if there is anything else we can help you with!

Char

Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:15 am Post subject:

If, as Char mentions, you are planning to snorkel almost every day, definitely buy the equipment ahead of time. We packed everything in a small suitcase and checked the bag at trhe airport. Also, going out of your way to rent/return equipment is a waste of time. Your purchased set will pay for itself after what would have been a week of rentals. What's more, it will serve as a reminder, once you get home, that you need to go back and snorkel again sometime. If you look around online, you can find a mask/snorkel/fins for about $ 50-60. Seven days of rentals will likely cost more than that when on the island.

Newbie Joined: 26 May 2007 Posts: 15

Nothing ruins a snorkeling excursion more than a mask that leaks because it has not been properly fitted. Definitely buy your equipment at home from a dive shop, not a Walmart, for example, to make sure it is the right type for you. You don't need " top of the line" items but good quality and fit are very important.

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

Amen to jeanNo2's mask comments! Unless you have a John Doe face, TRY THE MASK FOR FIT before you buy it. Unfortunately, this rules out some good suppliers on the internet.... but that's life.

Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 4

I think you should buy your own mask and snorkel and bring it with you if you plan to snorkel more than one day. A good dive shop will have masks available for you to try on and help you find one that fits correctly. There is nothing more annoying than trying to snorkel with a mask that doesn't feel good to wear and leaks. If you're going to spend the money to go to one of the best places on earth to snorkel - spending a few dollars on a mask that fits well (it doesn't have to cost much to find a nice mask) is well worth it when your enjoying the underwater sights -instead of fighting with an improperly fitting mask.

Skip buying any fins though -they take up too much room in baggage and with the exception to Bigfoot, you shouldn't have trouble renting a pair that work nicely. The hotel we stayed at let us each use fins all week for free.

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:41 am Post subject:

If you plan on snorkelling daily, then it would be a good idea to buy your own equipment and take it down with you. I go with all my dive gear, and that takes up alot more room than snorkellimg stuff.

With that said, it is NEVER a good idea to go snorkelling without fins. Without them it is a lot easier to become fatiqued. You may, due to current or other causes, end up further away from where you started than you think. Not having fins will make it a lot harder to get back to "square one". They also make the whole time alot more enjoyable.

As for mask fittings... Take a mask and put it on your face and draw in air through your nose. If the mask does not stay on your face, try another one until it does. Don't buy a cheap all-in-one kit from Wal-Mart. Go to a dive shop and have them help you with fittings, etc. (I always say support your local dive shop...) You might spend a little more money, but it will be well worth it.

Then when you're comfortable snorkelling, get certified and spend your vacation UNDER the water.... Jump

Status Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 854

I agree...definitely take your own equipment. We have our own and I also don't have to worry about a proper fitting mask, and I don't worry about snorkel equipment not being properly disinfected. Palm

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:31 am Post subject:

Quote:

I don't worry about snorkel equipment not being properly disinfected.

That's a valid point. Can't tell you how many times I've peed in my wet suit..... Rolling Eyes

Status Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 854

divnpaul wrote:

Quote:

I don't worry about snorkel equipment not being properly disinfected.

That's a valid point. Can't tell you how many times I've peed in my wet suit..... Rolling Eyes

But. urine is sterile............................ Razz

Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject:

Like they say... There's 2 types of divers in this world. Those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie about it. Jump

Status Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 854

divnpaul wrote:

Like they say... There's 2 types of divers in this world. Those who pee in their wetsuit and those who lie about it. Jump

I won't comment any further..........it's like asking someone who has gone out way too far to snorkel if they ever.............well, never mind. Embarassed

I will only say that when I got into my situation with my cemetary beach snorkel, it's lucky I did not do more than that in the water. split

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:21 am Post subject:

knees wrote:

it's lucky I did not do more than that in the water. split

Hi, knees!

I wondered what that "split" emoticon was for.... now I know. Thanks for enlightening me.

Status Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 854

brakker1 wrote:

knees wrote:

it's lucky I did not do more than that in the water. split

Hi, knees!

I wondered what that "split" emoticon was for.... now I know. Thanks for enlightening me.

Frequent Flyer Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 21

Should you bring your own gear or rent it on the island?

Thanks,

Bill D.

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