Masks & Snorkels

Over the years, I have had several masks. I have a mustache. I have even cut it off a few times to keep my mask from leaking around it. That didn’t work. Masks sometimes leak and, sometimes your mustache will pay the ultimate price. But I digress…

The most important considerations for a good mask are (1) a comfortable, watertight fit, (2) quality tempered glass lenses for clear vision, and (3) a wide field of view.

Rod's Recommendation: I have found that the Cressi Panoramic Wide View Diving Mask – Pano 4 is a particularly good mask. The soft silicon fits my fuzzy face nicely, and creates a snug fit. Some water might leak in around the mustache, but nothing I can’t handle.

WARNING! DON’T use a full face mask. They are dangerous and have caused drownings. Problems include carbon dioxide (CO2) buildup, which can lead to dizziness, panic, and unconsciousness. These masks also impede your ability to equalize ear pressure and can be difficult to remove in an emergency, creating a dangerous combination that has been linked to drownings. Here is a good article that explains more about full face masks.

As far as snorkels go, you should probably just use a dry snorkel. A dry snorkel is a type of snorkel with an automatic float valve at the top of the tube that seals shut when submerged, preventing water from entering the tube and allowing for easier, more comfortable snorkeling for beginners and casual snorkelers. When the snorkel resurfaces, the valve opens again, and a one-way purge valve at the bottom of the snorkel helps to clear any water that may have entered. Back in the old days, before dry snorkels, I used a "wet snorkel." It did not have a valve at the top and would fill with water when I submerged. With a wet snorkel, when surfacing, you have to blow all the water out of the tube before breathing. Even today, using a dry snorkel, I still blow out as if using a wet snorkel because a little water always seems to sneak into the tube.

Rod's Recommendation: I recommend the one that comes with the Cressi Pano 4, or you can spend a few buck more and get this Cressi snorkel.

Fins

Technically, I suppose you really don’t need fins if you go snorkeling, but if you are with me and don’t have fins on, then I am not going to wait for you. I’m a jerk that way. I wear fins to (1) get to where I want to go without taking all day to do it, (2) not wearing myself out getting there, and (3) most importantly, I like to free dive and have found that if I have no fins or flimsy fins, then by the time I work my way down to where I want to be, I have exhausted myself and I need to go right back to the top to breath. I have discovered that breathing is indeed a good thing.

The two most important characteristics of fins I look for is fit and being stiff enough to propel me through the water, but not too stiff – a balance, if you will. A poorly fitting fin will rub holes in your feet, cramp your feet, and make what should be fun miserable. A flimsy fin gets you no where fast. A bit of flimsiness is good, but there has to be enough stiffness to catch and push the water. I have seen people snorkeling with fins with perhaps a 10-inch blade that, when they kick, the blade doubles back and nearly hits the heel of their foot. That will not propel you much better than your bare feet.

But, with all that bad-mouthing of flimsy fins, it will probably come down to your size and strength. Large, strong (and handsome) people like me will likely prefer stiffer fins than less large, strong (and handsome) people. But with all kidding aside, here is a wonderful article from the folks at TropicalSnorkeling.com that will walk you through buying your next fins.

Also discussed in the same article is full-foot vs open-heel fins. Forever, I used full-foot fins. Not sure why, that was just what I landed on. And they worked just fine until we went snorkeling in Bonaire in 2024. Nearly all the snorkeling and diving in Bonaire is from shore. That is wonderful, you don’t have to go on charters to get to the best snorkeling and diving. The only drawback is that there are very few shore entry points that are soft, sandy beaches. Rather, the entries are on broken coral, rock-strewn, wave-pounding beaches. Unless your feet are heavily calloused or are not sensitive to sharp coral and rocks, then you are going to struggle to get in and out of the water if you are using full-foot fins (unless your full-foot fins are over large and you can wear booties inside them). What I am saying is that, in places like Bonaire, you need to wear booties to protect your feet.

And because of my experience in Bonaire, I made the wholesale change from full-foot to open-heel fins. And I am very glad I did. They have saved my feet multiple times. I put my booties on, then my mask and snorkel, then walk into the surf carrying my fins, crouch down in the surf and snap my fins on. Perfect!

Marg, on the other hand, still uses her full-foot fins because, “I can just wear my water shoes into the water, put my fins on, and then give the shoes to you to take back up to shore.”

Rod's Recommendation: I have been using the LUXPARD Diving Fins for over a year and they seem to work well. If I get into freediving more than I currently am, I will likely upgrade to something else. Marg, on the other hand, is quite happy with her ancient full-foot fins, as long as she has me around.

Reef-safe Sunscreen

If you are going snorkeling in our oceans, you really need to use reef-safe sunscreen. Conventional chemical sunscreens contain ingredients that harm coral reefs and other marine life. When these chemicals wash off, they can cause coral bleaching, damage coral DNA, and disrupt the reproductive cycles of fish and other marine organisms.

Common ingredients to avoid include: 

• Oxybenzone: This chemical can induce coral bleaching, damage the DNA of young corals, and cause neurological and reproductive problems in marine life. Corals and sea anemones can metabolize oxybenzone into a toxin that is activated by sunlight.
• Octinoxate: Similar to oxybenzone, this chemical contributes to coral bleaching and can disrupt the endocrine system of marine wildlife.
• Octocrylene: This ingredient can accumulate in coral tissue and harm marine life. Studies also suggest it can break down over time into benzophenone, which is a known carcinogen.
• Nanoparticles: Some mineral sunscreens use very small ("nano") zinc oxide and titanium dioxide particles that can be ingested by and harm corals. It is best to choose non-nano mineral sunscreens to prevent this. 

“Reef-safe” is not a regulated term, so you much check a product’s ingredients to ensure it is truly ocean-friendly

• Check the active ingredients: Look for sunscreens that use only non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
• Avoid harmful chemicals: Make sure the product does not contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, or other chemicals on watch lists.
• Choose lotions over sprays: Aerosol sunscreens can leave residue on the sand, and the particles are easily inhaled.
• Cover up with clothing: Protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses offer the best sun protection without any chemical runoff

Rod's Recommendation: There are several reef-safe sunscreens. We use Thrive Natural Care Reef Safe Sunscreen SPF50 and Thinksport SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen.

Rash Guard: We always wear a rash guard. A rash guard for swimming is a fitted, quick-drying shirt designed to protect the skin from sun exposure, chafing from surfboards or sand, and abrasions from water sports. If you use a rash guard, then you don’t have to use as much sunscreen. Rod's Recommendation: Marg likes the long-sleeved type and I am more of a short-sleeved. And if you have a hairy chest then wearing a rash guard doesn’t gross out the grandkids.

Mask drops

 A foggy mask is a pain in the butt! If my mask gets fogged up, then I think more about that than the stuff I am trying to see. It is just plain down frustrating. There are multiple things you can do to help:

• Spit in your mask and swirl the spit around with your fingers. Rinse just a little and put you mask back on. That can work anywhere from five seconds to five minutes. But, at least for me, it is not a permanent solution.
• Use a mild liquid dish washing detergent. Squirt a little on your mask, swirl it over the glass, wash it out well enough so that there is not enough to get into your eyes when you put your mask on. This can work, and has worked for me. But often, after several minutes, the fog comes back.
• Use a commercial lens anti-fogger like GEAR AID Sea Drops Cleaner and Anti-Fog for Dive and Snorkel Masks. And this is the solution I have landed on AND IT WORKS, but with a few caveats.

Rod's Recommendation (with the caveats, how to prep your mask): When I get a mask, or someone I am snorkeling with complains ad nauseum about her mask fogging up and if she doesn’t shut the heck up I am going to throttle her, I first reach for a lighter. Yes, a lighter with fire that comes out of it, as in “flick your Bic.” Since we are starting with fire and don’t want to make any mistakes, here is a step-by-step guide on the procedure to successfully (at least somewhat permanently) defog your mask:

1. Get yourself a Bic, or any other lighter, and set it to full flame. I prefer a lighter with an extension to get the flame right up against the glass so that it flairs out against the glass.
2. You must be super careful now. You are going to use fire to remove the oils and silicone that are on the glass of a mask. And also, be sure you have a tempered glass mask. Don’t do this on a plastic mask.
3. Also, DO NOT do this on a tented lens mask.
4. Hold the lighter very close (1/4 inch) from the mask and light it.
5. Move the flame around the inside of the mask. Don’t hold more than a few moments in one spot and don’t touch the silicon sides (they melt). To be on the very safe side, start and stop the flame from section to section in counts of three.
6. You will note how the silicon and oils burn away from the lens.
7. Keep doing this until at least the main view area is clear. If you want to do the edges, then be very careful not to burn the silicon edges of the mask.

You only need to do the burning phase once for a mask, preferably when you first get it. After doing the burning phase and before going snorkeling in the ocean:

1. At home, scrub the inside of the mask with toothpaste and a toothbrush. Clean it out well under warm water and be sure to get all the toothpaste out of the edges. That stuff can irritate your eyes.
2. At the beach, squirt in a drop or two of the Sea Drops, rub it around with your fingers, rinse in the surf, get your face wet, and put your mask on. Get a good fit and leave the mask on unless you have to make an adjustment. The fewer times you remove your mask the longer it will stay defogged.

That ought to do it. I actually carry a bottle of Sea Drops with me while snorkeling if I am out a long time and start fogging, which, if you use the approach above, nearly never happens. But if you are a half-mile from where you entered the water, you really don’t want to swim all the way back for the Sea Drops that you left on the beach. In that case, spit in your mask.

Waterproof Fanny Pack

 I have thought that I should put “purchases of the year” somewhere on this website. Some purchases need to be called out for how much they have improved our outings. And this waterproof fanny pack would be one of those purchases. Instead of worrying about where to put your cards, driver’s license, cash, and especially, your cell phone, you can put all of those in this little fanny pack. Nothing has ever gotten wet when we snorkeled with this strapped around our waists, to include the cell phone.

Rod's Recommendation: AiRunTech Waterproof Fanny Pack, Phone Pouch Dry Bag

Wetsuit

Dang it! The older I get, the colder I get, even in the tropics. Still, I don’t often use a wetsuit, but when I do, it sure is nice. In near 80° water, you are not going to need a heavy, thick one. I use a 1.5/3mm shorty on rare occasion. When we pack, we always debate whether we need to take the wetsuits or not. usually, not.

Rod's Recommendation: This one by ZCCO works great for me. And Marg uses this one by GoldFin.

Dry Bag

Our dry bag has come in handy on multiple ocassions for multiple uses. Perhaps it should be higher on the list? We use it to (1) carry our snorkeling gear, (2) as a substitute ice chest (works quite well when you throw in a couple of bottles of frozen water), (3) a marker on the beach to where you got into the water (hang it on a branch), and, oh yeah, (4) it keeps things dry. If we are swimming or kayaking a long way, say, to another island, we toss stuff like towels, phones, food, etc. into it, fold it down, velcro it up, and then snap it shut. Bingo! Stuff stays dry as a bone.

Rod's Recommendation: We use the MARCHWAY Floating Waterproof Dry Bag Backpack. It has worked well for us. There are plenty out there to choose from.

Booties

You will want booties especially if you are using open-heel fins. I use these by OMGear and others, depending on where we are headed and how rocky the shoreline might be.

Underwater Camera/Phone Housing

I like to take videos of swimming through coral valleys, with fish and other critters hanging out in the coral. Most people don’t free dive, so don’t see the things I see unless they are scuba divers. So, I like to share the cool pictures and videos so those folks can see how awesome it is under the waves, and perhaps give a sense of what coral bleaching is all about. To do that, I have to have a good underwater camera.

Over the years I have mainly used the AKASO Brave 7 4K30FPS 20MP WiFi Action Camera, because I was too cheap to get a GoPro. Now, if I was to get an underwater camera, I would get the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. Here is a very good review of the DJI from our friends at TropicalSnorkeling.com. But before I buy the DJI, I have one more trick up my sleeve – an underwater housing for my Samsung S25 Ultra, and use my AKASO as a backup.

I was all set to buy the DIVEOLK SeaTouch 4 MAX PLUS Underwater Housing, for a price of about $240.00. But then I thought, what if I don’t like using the housing? What if it doesn’t work the way I expect? I’m out $240. So, I looked around for a similar product that didn’t cost as much. Bingo, I found this for less than $40. It gets good reviews and doesn’t leak. I tested in a bucket of water overnight with no issues.

Rod's Recommendation: If you want a straight up underwater camera, get the DJI and buy a waterproof case for it. Or, you might want to try an underwater housing for your phone.

Weight Belt

Yes, a weight belt, as in helps you sink into the water. If you are like Marg and tend to stay on the top of the water and dive only occasionally, you don’t need a weight belt. But if you are like me and like to free dive (sometimes 30 feet or so) to get a good look at something cool, then a weight belt really helps.

You really need to be careful and know what you are doing when using a weight belt. Read this very helpful article from our friends at TropicalSnorkeling.com: Snorkeling Weight Belt – How to Choose and Use Safely. I read this article before getting my weight belt and if you plan on getting one, so should you. One of the most important things to have with a good weight belt is a quick release buckle in case you need to get it off your body fast and float to the top.

I am over 6’1” and weigh just under 200 lbs. Frankly, for an old fart, I am pretty solid – I pump iron, you know. My body fat is pretty low. Still, when in the ocean, I float like a cork. If I don’t use a weight belt to help me stay under, I tend to use all my energy and oxygen fighting just to stay beneath the surface. Enter the weight belt.

I have found that if I put 6 to 8 lbs. of lead in a weight belt (you can also use a belt with pouches and put sand in zip-lock pouches), it helps me find a good neutral buoyancy at about 15 feet. That means, I won’t rise to the surface without kicking at that depth. Most of my free dives are 15 feet or less, so that works out about right.

There are many factors to consider with a weight belt: wearing a wetsuit or not, you weight and BMI, how deep do you want to go, etc. I am still learning about weight belts and free diving, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I plan on taking a course soon, so will get back to you as I learn more.

Rod's Recommendation: I use this MOOCY 4-pocket weight belt. I have two 3-pound lead bags. If I need more weight, I use sand or rent/borrow lead weights from a dive shop.

Again, be very careful when using a weight belt. Know what you are doing and don’t be like me – that is, take a class before you use a weight belt.

No, you should generally not back into the water with fins on when snorkeling, as it is inefficient and can be dangerous due to the awkwardness of walking backward and potentially damaging the fins. Instead, carry the fins to where the water is deep enough for you to sit or kneel, put them on, and then enter the water by walking or shuffling backward into the waves, or by sitting on the edge of a boat and sliding in. Also, you really look goofy when you do it.

We have learned the hard way that the sun is not discriminating. It was a good enough (or bad enough, depending on how you look at it) lesseon to warrant a special comment on our website. The sun will burn any exposed part of your body. I forgot to put sunscreen on my bald spot only once - that was enough. Marg forgot to put sunscreen on the backs of her legs only once - that was enough. Remember, you are belly down when snorkeling...usually.

Standing on coral can cause devastating damage to these fragile, living ecosystems, resulting in broken structures, disease, and a cascade of negative effects throughout the reef. This harm is particularly significant because coral colonies grow at an extremely slow rate, meaning that damage can take decades or centuries to heal, if it recovers at all.

It is not okay to snorkel or freedive alone because you are vulnerable to various hazards like strong currents, muscle cramps, or equipment malfunctions. The buddy system, where you stay close to a partner who can provide assistance in an emergency, is the most important snorkeling safety rule and significantly reduces the risk of injury or drowning.

Full face masks are dangerous and have caused drownings. Problems include carbon dioxide (CO2) buildup, which can lead to dizziness, panic, and unconsciousness. These masks also impede your ability to equalize ear pressure and can be difficult to remove in an emergency, creating a dangerous combination that has been linked to drownings. Here is a good article that explains more about full face masks.

🌊 What Is Coral Bleaching?

Coral bleaching happens when corals get stressed — usually by heat — and expel the colorful algae (called zooxanthellae) that live inside them. These algae give corals their color and most of their food.

• Without the algae, corals turn white (bleached) and may die if the stress lasts too long.

• Think of it as the coral losing its partner in a survival team.

🔗 National Geographic - Coral Bleaching

🔥 Main Causes of Coral Bleaching

1. Hot ocean water – even 1–2°C above normal can cause bleaching.

2. Pollution – dirty water, sewage, or fertilizers can weaken corals.

3. Too much sunlight – especially during heat waves.

4. Ocean acidification – CO₂ makes it harder for corals to build skeletons.

5. Overfishing & damage – breaks reef balance and adds stress.

🔗 Barrier Reef Foundation - Coral Bleaching

⚠️ Why It Matters

• Coral reefs support 25% of marine life.

• They protect coastlines from storms and erosion.

• Many people rely on reef fish for food and income.

• Coral tourism is worth billions of dollars globally.

✅ Can We Fix It?

Some bleaching can be reversed if the water cools down quickly. But long-term solutions require:

• Clean up pollution.

• Protect reef areas (no fishing, no anchoring).

• Plant new corals (coral farming).

• Reduce carbon emissions to slow climate change.

• Limit warming of oceans.

🔗 NOAA - Coral Restoration

🔍 Dig Deeper

To learn more, go here.