Anyone else had good luck with a $25 mask fin snorkel package?

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midwest_matt

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Hello all,
I was just wondering if anyone has had good luck with a cheap mask fin snorkel package. I bought one a couple years ago and never really used it. I found the set again and took it out snorkeling for about an hour. I was amazed, the snorkel worked great....the mask didn't leak (and I have a mustache) or fog what so ever. The water was cold, about 50-55F and I did a few short freedives to 10-15 feet with no issue's.

-Matt
 
My brother-n-law bought the US Divers Jacques Cousteau set from the K-Mart on Key Largo to go skin diving while we dove when the family went in '98. An ow certfiication and $2K worth of dive gear later I noticed last weekend he still has that same mask in his kit bag. He swears it is the best mask he owns.
 
CD_in_Chitown:
My brother-n-law bought the US Divers Jacques Cousteau set from the K-Mart on Key Largo to go skin diving while we dove when the family went in '98. An ow certfiication and $2K worth of dive gear later I noticed last weekend he still has that same mask in his kit bag. He swears it is the best mask he owns.

I did the same thing... the snorkel I got out of the same set rocks... much better than the three "name-brand" snorkels I've been through. The mask - while a good mask, was stiff and it degraded quickly... with that said... you are right those mask/snorkel/find combos are a great deal. AND they come with a cool bag.
 
I bought a good Body Glove mask/dry snorkel set from Costco a few years back ($45 CDN). The mask is great for diving, though the snorkel is bent so it gets in the way sometimes. The mask is the same as the Scubapro ClearVu2 (my LDS told me they use the same manufacturer), but mine has a purge in the nose pocket. Best fitting mask I've ever had, never fogged once, even when I was in the pool for OW training. Only problem is the purge; it hurts my nose after a while. I'll probably replace it with the ClearVu2, thought I've been looking at the Cressi Big Eyes-type, so I can look down and actually see my guages!
 
I guess I get to be the first to say "no way in helll". Just saw a boy go through his cert dives with set like that. His mask didn't fit at all ( he was good at clearing a mask by the end though) and no matter how much he kicked we all had to slow waayyy down for him. As for the snorkel, don't know. They might be good for snorkeling but that set wasn't built for SCUBA.
 
:crafty: Didn't know you could buy cheap gear..... I always figured if I got a mask under $200.00 it was cheap or fins under 3 bills it was cheap.....

Rich
 
crpntr133:
I guess I get to be the first to say "no way in helll". Just saw a boy go through his cert dives with set like that. His mask didn't fit at all ( he was good at clearing a mask by the end though) and no matter how much he kicked we all had to slow waayyy down for him. As for the snorkel, don't know. They might be good for snorkeling but that set wasn't built for SCUBA.

opinion about the snorkel. I have been through five or six snorkels in just the past year but I always go back to the cheapie US Divers for the following reasons:

1) There is no little rubber clearing flap to go bad or not to work
2) It's angled and small enough not to get any water in when the surfs up
3) If I DO get water in it, the snorkel clears easily just by tilting up a little bit
4) It's brightly colored
5) It was maybe $2.50 so I'm not afraid of leaving it somewhere

The only down side to the snorkel is that the barrel width is a little narrow so when you are huffing it can sometimes feel like your not getting enough air throughput, but again - those expensive big air ones always get water in them

The mask is pretty good also and it fits my face like a charm.

Yes, the fins aren't as flexible but they are snorkeling fins and thus do much better when face down in the water and kicking. The stiffness works well against the water surface. Actually - except for the material they are the exact same design as their much more expensive scuba couterparts. As a matter of fact - it's almost the exact design as this one:

http://www.aqualung.com/products/sidedraft_flex.html
 
I found a really good deal on a parachute at goodwill..... does that count?
 
I run into customers all the time who have been in another dive shop to ask about classes, and they told them they could not use their gear because it was a "snorkeling" mask, and not a "dive" mask... no such thing...

There are only 3 things that really count... the glass on all of them is the same tempered glass - so the only thing we care about is

1) does it fit... No air leaks, when you give it a gentle push, it doesn't smash your nose, or poke you in the forehead.. and

2) what is the skirt made of. A lot of the cheaper sets you get, the silicone has a high PVC content which is much cheaper to produce, but will discolor and wrinkle up in the sun - doesn't handle UV very well - so if it fits now - it may not in a month or a year... depending.

And 3) do you like the vision out of it. How good can you see left and right, up and down,

But I don't care how cheap or expensive something is, if it fits, is quality materials, and you like the vision - go for it.

Of course no matter what mask you have - I'd still suggest you put on one of those comfy neoprene mask straps that has very subtle advertising for our website. :wink:
 
CUunderH2O:
I bought a good Body Glove mask/dry snorkel set from Costco a few years back ($45 CDN). The mask is great for diving, though the snorkel is bent so it gets in the way sometimes. The mask is the same as the Scubapro ClearVu2 (my LDS told me they use the same manufacturer), but mine has a purge in the nose pocket. Best fitting mask I've ever had, never fogged once, even when I was in the pool for OW training. Only problem is the purge; it hurts my nose after a while. I'll probably replace it with the ClearVu2, thought I've been looking at the Cressi Big Eyes-type, so I can look down and actually see my guages!

I use the Cressie big eye in black and have been very happy with it! Try one and if it fits good, buy it! It does improve vision as their ad material suggests. It's pretty low volume too. I have a slap strap on it as well and would suggest one be put on any mask you use, especially if used in the tropics. :wink:
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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