The chief advantage of snorkeling over other water related sports such as Scuba diving is that so little equipment is actually required, and those pieces that are required have such low cost. In essence, you will need a properly fitted snorkel mask with its associated snorkel tube. Although you could select a plain snorkel tube, choosing one that has one or two valves presents an added convenience.

Snorkeling Equipment
When you are heading out to a prime snorkeling location you will want the most comfortable and useful equipment you can find. The primary equipment of mask, snorkel and fins are important to a fun and relaxing experience, but a few added pieces can make all the difference in capping off a remarkable day in the water. As you go about gathering these pieces of snorkeling equipment consider a few of these ideas.

Avoid annoying mask leaks
Your mask is the piece of snorkeling equipment that you will want to pay the most attention to. An ill-fitting mask will destroy your adventure very quickly so make sure the mask fits well. The mask and strap should fit so that the strap is comfortable when it is pulled over the crown of your head. The mask should also fit so that when you place it on your face, with the strap hanging loose, it stays on your face snuggly when you breathe air in through your nose. If the mask pulls away from your face easily, after you have breathed in through your nose, there are spaces between your face and the mask seal. This means the mask doesn’t fit correctly on your face.

Should you be nearsighted you may wear soft contacts when snorkeling. If you do not care for contacts nor do you wish to wear them, you may actually have masks created with prescription glasses added. An important note to keep in mind is that beneath the water everything appears to be magnified approximately twenty five per cent so when dealing with prescriptions you may desire to adjust it accordingly.

Don’t drink the water
There are two types of snorkel; straight end or “U” end. If you will be snorkeling in choppy water or in an area where there is surf, the “U” end snorkel may be a better choice. Otherwise the straight end snorkel is perfectly fine from any vendor.

Comfort before style
Swim fins are a comfort issue when choosing the right pair. Make sure they fit just right. Too tight and blisters will appear. Too big and cramps in the foot may occur. Try several pair before choosing the right pair for you. Be sure to get the best fit you possibly can on your fins, as they tend to make your snorkeling experience more fun and definitely safer. When selecting fins ensure they are not too tight but merely snug. When snorkeling, an important factor that you must always be on the alert for is currents. At any given times, currents may vary in both their direction and their speed. The use of fins in situations like these cannot be stressed enough as the fins will tend to make you a more powerful swimmer.

Since the prices have been dropping drastically on the strap on style split fins you should seriously consider these. The open heel fin could perhaps be your best bet since they are worn with ankle high diver booties. Another consideration are boots. Boots are best when your snorkeling location places you above rocky shores that are certain to be tough on your feet. However in the event that you currently use the full foot type of fins and you do not feel justified in making the additional expense in a pair of open heel type fins and the associated diver booties you must review your locations for diving very carefully.

Ready for a close up
Bringing home memories from a snorkeling adventure is not the technical wizardry of yesteryear. There are plenty of underwater cameras just right for the job. Prices, generally, reflect the options that come with the camera and do not fall into the pay more for options that you may not use category. Just like any digital camera more pixels is best. 6.1 pixel cameras are currently one of the higher levels on the market for approximately $500-600. Consider that there are two general lighting conditions underwater. One is at about 25ft and less and the other is at 25ft. and below. Your camera should have this option if you plan on going deep. Remember that some sea creatures are fairly shy. Consider a camera with a cable release and tripod attachment. This way you can back up and snap away when they aren’t expecting it. Don’t forget a wrist strap.

A quiet float
One of the better things about snorkeling is that you can just float on the surface and watch the goings on in the neighborhood. If you stop and stay quiet while at a favorite snorkeling spot, such as a reef, you can see the reef come to life. A small unobtrusive float vest is perfect for this activity. There are some vests that fit around your waist and others that fit around your shoulders or upper torso. Make sure that the vests are florescent so that any passersby will see you floating on the surface. A pocket or two is also a nice feature.

Pick it up
Dive bags come in all sorts of styles and sizes. The big thing to remember here is to not take a bag that is too big for your body. Having it get caught in your legs is not only dangerous but annoying. Some sort of waterproof pouch is going to be necessary for both your money and your keys. Make sure to test this pouch out before purchasing it as many that claim to be waterproof were not resulting in very soggy dollar bills.