What's a good snorkeling mask for beginners?Is there anything materials or quality-wise I should look out for when browsing masks/snorkels/fins, or are the generic ones from Amazon good enough?
>>2790226Masks are for pussies just open your eyes it only stings at first.
Assuming you’ll be snorkeling in the ocean, get a snorkel with a valve; wave guards are nice too
>>2790226Far from being an expert but I was seeking the same and the usual recommendation is the Alien model mask from Omer. I got the Zoom snorkel as well, tried neither yet myself. Silicon is always superior to plastic, lenses must be tempered glass. It seems you have to remove the factory lens coating or they'll fog, you should search for a Youtube tutorial.
>>2790228thats rediculous
>>2790226>What's a good snorkeling mask for beginners?The one that fits your face best.
>>2790226I got a TUSA Freedom Ceos for scuba diving because it fit my face well and my local dive shop was able to order me corrective lenses to fit my prescription. You can probably cheap out on fins, but don't get a cheap mask.
NO clear skirts. Diving and snorkeling with a clear skirt is so annoying as light comes in through the side and reflects off the window. Choose a black skirt.
Fin quality doesn't matter but do yourself a favor and get some snorkeling booties to wear inside your fins. You'll double the amount of time you can spend in the water, not having to deal with chafing and blisters.
snergerling
>>2790228>I threw away my mask because masks are for pussies>hmmm that’s a strange looking brown shape
>>2790226>browsing masksDepends on budget, any scuba mask made by Oceanic, Deep6, Zeagle, Cressi, ScubaPro, Hollis, AquaLung, Mares, really any large scuba mask maker will work but those will run you 60 bucks or more. Some of the kits are okay, make sure they use silicone and tempered glass and have some decent reviews, won't say much about the fit though. If you want a really good fit to minimize the risk of leaks, go to a dive shop, figure out a budget to buy one and try a few on, fit is most important. If you do buy one make sure to wash the mask out with blue dawn or plain non-abrasive tooth paste a couple times, they apply a release agent to the tempered glass that will inhibit fog suppressants, also buy an antifog gel, it's cheap and will make sure you don't have fog buildup inside the mask that blocks your vision while snorkeling. >snorkelsIf you're just snorkeling dry tubes are better IMO. You could also look for a semi-dry tube, they work fine. It's a plastic tube, whatever you pick here should be okay, pick one in the 15-25 bucks range and it will be decent quality.>finsLess powerful when you're stuck on the surface so less critical. Unless you know you're going to get into Scuba buy something cheap. You could look at used Scuba fins on eBay either way, sometimes they have deals on used sets that will be miles beyond what you need.
>>2790925> being scared of brown rocksNothing to worry about!
>>2790226>maskGet one with only one continuous piece of glass. I always keep a little bit of water in the mask and shake my head to get the fogging off. Works perfectly. I even have swimming glasses with a continuous piece to do the same. >snorkelDisregard retards like >>2790233 or >>2790442, don't get a valve or ones with ripples. Water will get caught there and you'll always get that mouth full of salt water every time you surface. As simple as possible. Though I do recommend silicone tubes, hard plastic ones are reliable enough to last until you want new ones. >finsYou can't really go wrong with fins. Booties like >>2790817 aren't really necessary, but if you do get some choose the smallest ones that you can fit into. Any larger and they will fill up with each kick. Mine are a decent fit outside of the water but bulge up when I'm swimming. The organization I'm part of also has neoprene socks + solid boots + fins that are clipped around the foot (boots included) instead of worn like normal ones. Pretty useful if you go in at points where you have to either wade through ankle-deep water with fins on or put them on under wavy conditions.
>>2793585Valveanon here, I don’t know wtf you’re talking about. Enjoy drinking whitecaps through a straw, yummy.
>>2793723>I don’t know wtf you’re talking aboutValved snorkels never worked for me. A bit of water will get caught when you blow out most of it. It's the same with the ribs or ripples with those "bendy" snorkels. And that bit of water will get sucked right into your throat as little droplets when you sharply inhale. It's easier to blow out a filled snorkel when it's just a continuous tube with smooth walls. No valve, no "bendy straw" part.