The right gear matters
Most SCUBA divers end up owning all their own gear eventually. The most important gear you will own is your snorkeling gear. It's hard to enjoy SCUBA diving or snorkeling if your mask is always full of water or your fins hurt your feet.
At Scubaland we're all divers and/or dive instructors so we understand the importance of snorkeling gear that fits you the way it's supposed to. In fact, we're serious enough about this to give you a fit guarantee. If you are having a problem with any piece of your snorkeling gear during class bring it back to us for an immediate exchange. We will do this as many times as we need to in order to get it right!
We guarantee that you will be happy with your snorkeling gear
and that it will fit you properly!
Some of the items you will need...
Masks
Most students will invest between $200 and $300 in a good set of basic snorkeling gear. All of the gear we sell is backed by both a shop and a manufacturer warranty and will last many years with the proper care.
If you want to see anything underwater, you need a good mask! With masks, it's all about fit. Does it seal properly? Can you exhale through your nose so you can equalize your mask? Is it comfortable on the bridge of your nose or does it pinch? Our equipment counselors are very good at finding you mask options that fit properly. However, we won't know for sure until you actually get in the water. This is why masks are the item that we exchange the most!
Masks come a staggering number of models, colors, and sizes. Some have one window, some have two or three. Some masks have replaceable lenses for vision correction (like readers). Other masks we can get lenses created with your exact vision prescription. If you are interested in getting vision correction for your mask, let us know and we'll find you a mask that makes it possible!
Masks by...
-
City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Fashion Magazine
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Blurred Lines
Photo by: John Doe
Button
-
-
-
Fins
SCUBA fins are not the same thing as snorkeling or swimming fins. A SCUBA diver straps on close to 40 pounds of gear and is shaped more like a truck than sports car when we're underwater. In other words, you need an engine that's going to give you the power you need to get where you're going.
A good set of SCUBA fins is open-heeled so you can wear a dive boot. They are stiff enough to give you the propulsion you need without being so stiff that they wear your legs out when you use them. Scubaland carries both standard paddle fins and the more advanced and more comfortable split fin designs. We'll find you a couple models of fins that fit you properly and then you can choose the most comfortable combination of fins, boot, and feet!
Fins by...
-
City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Fashion Magazine
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Blurred Lines
Photo by: John Doe
Button
-
-
-
Snorkels
All of the snorkels that we carry will work just as well for snorkeling as they will for diving. They all have purge valves on the bottom so that they will clear water easily. The big difference between snorkels is what's on the top. Some snorkels are open ended (just the tube), while some have splash guards that direct water away from the top of the snorkel.
Probably the most comfortable snorkel to use is a dry valve snorkel. This type of snorkel has a valve at the top that closes when water gets too close to the top of the snorkel. This prevents the snorkel from filling up with water and you inadvertently inhaling water when you were expecting air!
Snorkels by...
-
City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Birthday Sparks
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
Fashion Magazine
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
-
Dive Boots
Dive boots are kind of like tennis shoes. They come in high tops and low tops. A good set of dive boots fits your foot snugly but doesn't cramp your toes. Dive boots come in a variety of shapes and sizes just like feet do. We usually will find you a couple of good options for your dive boots so that you can find the boot that creates the best combination of boot, fin, and foot.
Dive boots have a variety of different soles. Some are thinner and feel more like wearing a soft shoe and other are thicker and feel more like wearing a tennis shoe. Thicker soles are better for areas where you might have rocky shore lines for shore dives. Lake Travis and Bonaire are two good examples.
Dive boots by...
-
City skyline
Photo By: John Doe
Button
-
-
-
-
Fashion Magazine
Photo By: John Doe
Button
Snorkeling Gear
Snorkeling gear is available for rent for Open Water Diver certification courses for $150. However, we do not recommend this as an option because we cannot guarantee you a proper fit with rental gear. If improperly fitting gear prevents you from completing your certification course there will be a rescheduling fee to complete your certification.