Buying Scuba Diving Equipment, Mask and Snorkel
Most people start off buying a mask and snorkel then either a wet suit or fins. After this they will usually buy their regulators or perhaps a computer. Then again, if you have the financial wherewithal, you might consider buying a complete dive kit. Most dive centers promote dive packages that will suit a diver’s skills and future diving needs based on a thorough knowledge of you, from your association with the dive center. This can be a great way to go as they will put together dive sets with proven gear, and they purchase them in bulk and pass some of the saving on, so you get a better price than if you bought the dive gear ala carte.
Masks come in many styles and colors and what is important is that the mask fits you correctly; there is nothing more annoying on a dive trip than to have a mask that is leaking for the whole dive. Something you must ask is if the skirt of the mask is silicone, preferably surgical grade silicone? If you buy a mask that is plastic rather than silicone the mask will deform in time, usually in 2 years or less, once the mask deforms it is useless, as it will never seal again properly, so if you plan to dive for a long time, spending the extra money for a silicone mask is money well spent.
Snorkels are a important piece of dive gear which can save your life. When highly trained divers jump out of helicopters to rescue people on the ocean, they all ways have a snorkel. Thunderstorms generally travel pretty fast, if you are enjoying a sunny day in less than an hour you can have a thunderstorm overhead and winds whipping up the seas. I have seen it go from flat water to 2 meter seas in less than 20 min!