Help a noob : buying my first snorkel gear set - What are the "good" brands?

Hi all,

Like the title states, I'm a noob but I fell in love with snorkeling lately and I'm looking for a good set for occasional snorkeling (1-2 times a year). Budget is not clearly set but I already have the snorkels and am only looking for mask and fins.

Saw Promate (Force, Wave, Pace) which seem cheaper... but are they good for the price?

Please advise on anything I need to know or any other brand you would suggest (keeping in mind I don't want a high-end gear)!

Thanks!
2JZGTE

PS : forgot to mention I'm in Montreal so probably buying online...

You can pick-up a decent Aqualung set from Sports Chalet.

Love the username... I will have a Supra one day!

Thanks mfox007... I'm from Montreal, so shopping online. I'll check ebay/amazon.

How does Aqualung compare to Promate?

And yeah, the Supra is my dream car too

I'm kind of a noob, so I cant really comment on the Promate. The little research I have done shows Aqualung to be one of the top brands. I will be picking up a Aqualung BCD and reg here in the near future.

I recently took a weekend trip to San Diego, and forgot my gear at home. Went and picked-up a Aqualung snorkel set at a local shop to due some light snorkeling out in Mission Beach. Worked perfect for me.

Thanks. I appreciate your input!
Any other opinions?

Auqua Lung and Promate are fine for sets. I prefer open stock items since Cressi masks fit me great, Tusa Hyperdry snorkels and Mares fins have treated me well.

My mask, fins, and snorkel are Cressi (I primarily scuba), but I love them for snorkeling as well. I second the person above about the great fits on a Cressi mask!

My advice after a half-century of snorkelling is to forget about brands altogether and to focus on fit. Snorkellers have differently dimensioned faces and feet and it follows that no single model of fins or mask is going to suit everybody.

In the case of fins concentrate on finding a pair that fits YOUR feet (nobody else's!) both in terms of length, width and arch height. That means trying them on, in the water if possible, with fin socks or booties if you intend wearing them for warmth. A snug fit is what is desirable, neither too loose (the fins will rub or fall off during use), nor too tight (cuts the circulation). If your fin foot pockets are slightly too big, try using fin grips, three-way straps that fit over your heel, ankle and instep. As for choosing a fin design, I recall seeing snorkellers in bodyboarding-type strap fins, scuba-style adjustable open-heel fins, swim-training-type closed-heel fins and freediving-style fins with extended blades when I snorkelled at La Jolla Cove in Southern California; in other words, there are many kinds of snorkelling fins and it's part of the fun to find out, by personal experimentation, which kind suits you.

As for masks, don't let anybody impose a particular model on you. The mask you use must fit your face and that again means trying different models on to check how well the mask skirt seals against your face. Don't limit yourself to masks from one manufacturer, try many different brands until you find one that seals correctly and keeps water out.

Personally, I prefer snorkelling with traditional, ungimmicky, full-foot fins and an oval high-volume mask, pieces of gear that have suited my gentle style of snorkelling for over fifty years. But the gear used by me (or anybody else for that matter) is neither here nor there when it comes to you choosing your own mask and fins. Be aware, though, that the only advantage of a "snorkelling set" is its cheapness and colour coordination. Make fit your highest priority and you will enjoy your snorkelling all the more.

David Wilson:

. . . forget about brands altogether and to focus on fit. Snorkellers have differently dimensioned faces and feet and it follows that no single model of fins or mask is going to suit everybody.
. . .
In the case of fins concentrate on finding a pair that fits YOUR feet (nobody else's!) both in terms of length, width and arch height. That means trying them on, in the water if possible, with fin socks or booties if you intend wearing them for warmth. A snug fit is what is desirable, neither too loose (the fins will rub or fall off during use), nor too tight (cuts the circulation).
. . .
As for masks, don't let anybody impose a particular model on you. The mask you use must fit your face and that again means trying different models on to check how well the mask skirt seals against your face. Don't limit yourself to masks from one manufacturer, try many different brands until you find one that seals correctly and keeps water out.
. . .
Make fit your highest priority and you will enjoy your snorkelling all the more.

Click to expand...

What he said!

I like the snorkles made by IST. They are flexible rubber, just a plain "J" snorkel.

As for a good mask, any one that fits.