Product reviews, including snorkeling gear, are an important part of shopping in todays world. Though SnorkelingOnline does not have a review program at this time, we still do have reviews from customers. We sell online, not only on our website, but we do have a presence on Amazon. Here is one of our top most popular snorkeling fins and a few customer reviews that have purchased the U.S. Divers Sideview Mask, Paradise Dry Snorkel, Trek Fins, Strap & Bag.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice quality snokel gear
By Catherine W. “CW” (Dayton, Ohio)
We bought these for a trip to the Caribbean so we would not have to rent equipment. Glad we did since this is very nice quality gear. Comes in travel bag that is ventilated so equipment can dry out even when stowed in the bag. Mask is nice 1-piece glass (better viewing under water), snorkel is terrific and does not let in water if you dive below water level, and fins are compact for travel, but work very well. Highly recommend purchasing this equipment rather than renting junk if you go on vacation!
Being a long time snorkeler meaning the love for snorkeling, dolphins are one of my favorite underwater mammals. We found this article and thought you would enjoy it also.
Well if that title didn’t get you to raise an eyebrow or two then I don’t know what will. This article is not about making Sushi of dolphins. It is about Dolphins being rather elaborate with regard to preparing their own meals.
I came across this article while diving the net and found it to be quite amazing. I don’t think I really ever realized that dolphins, or any animal for that matter, to be picky in what they eat (cats are an exception to the rule). When I learned about animals in school, it was contained to carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. It seems that Dolphins are pretty unique in the fact that when they eat cuttlefish, they go through some pretty elaborate preparations before they actually eat it. The article is from Reuters which I found at and is a very interesting read. It seems that Australian scientists have observed a wild female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin go through a precise and elaborate procedure in order to dine on cuttlefish. Catching and eating it is not enough. The preparations include flushing the cuttlefish out of hiding, trapping and killing it, getting rid of the ink (which is the cuttlefish’s defense), scraping it along the sandy bottom to expose and remove the cuttlefish bone which was followed by eating it. Another article which is a bit more in depth (no pun intended) states that “dolphins are well known for their complex social and foraging behaviours” but observing this behaviour under the water is rare. They did observe pods of dolphins from the surface passing the site where the under water behavior was seen. Their passage was marked by fully intact cuttlefish bones (which are buoyant) floating to the surface. This gives rise to the idea that this is a learned behavior and not just a one dolphin occurrence. Here is the complete article from Plosone.org.
Another part of our job is to go on the internet and answer snorkeling questions that we find and we will now share some with you, as you may have the same questions.
Going snorkeling and Im not the best swimmer, should I be worried? I know how to swim, float, backstroke, etc. But Im not sure how to tread water. I have been snorkeling before, but never without a flotation device. Im worried about staying afloat. Should I be or is it not even a big deal? Will I figure it out, sink, drown, etc?
One thing that is in your favor is that people are more buoyant in salt water than they are in fresh water. I would suggest using a snorkeling vest which is different than a divers’ flotation device (called a BCD). The snorkeling vest is usually worn deflated while snorkeling and is orally inflated when the snorkeler needs to rest. It can be worn partially inflated as well. There is nothing wrong with wearing the snorkeling vest as I feel, even those that swim well should wear one. It adds to a higher degree of visibility in the water because of the color and lends a hand when a hand is needed. Read, Snorkeling Vests – How to Select the Right One.
Why am i so afraid of the ocean? I like the beach and i can sit in the really shallow bits, I’m fine in pools to ???
It is quite common to have a “fear” of the ocean. It is huge and can be very intimidating. I am a snorkeler and did a lot of snorkeling in lakes and freshwater bodies of water. The first time I went to the ocean, I walked out on to the beach the first day and went “wow that’s big” (talking about the ocean not anything else LOL). You start thinking of things like how deep and what’s in there and until you actually go and do it, it can make you nervous. I have turned my fear into a healthy respect for the ocean and the more I go into it, the more respect I accrue. The night before leaving for my ocean trip, I was too excited to sleep and ended up watching JAWS and JAWS II which really isn’t advisable before leaving for your first ocean snorkeling trip. When I got into the water though I was a little disappointed at not seeing a shark. I said a little disappointed, mind you. I saw a lot of other neat critters though and am happy that I am one of those people who are able to explore the other 78% of this earth’s surface.
SNUBA… have you heard of it? If you have traveled to a warm water destination or been on a cruise ship, you have seen or maybe experienced the SNUBA program. But for those that have not, SNUBA is Snorkeling & Scuba put together. “SNUBA was created for those who enjoy the simplicity of snorkeling and would like to experience the wonders of breathing underwater”, says SNUBA.com.
SNUBA divers can breathe underwater with a 20 foot hose and the air tank is on the surface of the boat. What else do you need? Your snorkel gear that includes a mask, fins and snorkel. Though you cant purchase this unit (as you need to be certificed in SCUBA to fill the tank), you can experience SNUBA through over 50 travel destinations and over 6 cruise lines that offer this program. Click to find a SNUBA destination.
View the video that shows travelers having fun on SNUBA.
Product reviews, including snorkeling gear, are an important part of shopping in todays world. Though SnorkelingOnline does not have a review program at this time, we still do have reviews from customers. We sell online, not only on our website, but we do have a presence on Amazon. Here is our top most popular snorkeling fins and a few customer reviews that have purchased the U.S. Divers Trek Travel Fins.
5.0 out of 5 stars Best of both worlds-Fast fins that act like a shoe…
By Tim “Digital Dude” (Texas)
Ever try to walk around in swim fins, especially the long ones? It ain’t easy. The Trek’s made it a breeze for me though I probably looked like a duck because of their shape. I tried the long and thin Proflex II’s but they were so flimsy they curled with every kick of my legs creating drag which quickly tired me out. Walking in them was impossible. The Trek’s stiffness and short length propelled me through the water like I was flying using rapid stiff leg bent at the knee minikicks. They held their own advancing against the strong current of tuber’s river rapids without a problem. Also used them as shoes to brace myself standing moving limestone boulders the size of 5 gallon water jugs out of the way of the rapids. I couldn’t believe how tough these fins were. The rubber/plastic material is thicker than the Proflex II’s and they fit perfectly and comfortably. I walked on concrete without slipping and could brace myself from hitting huge underwater limestone boulders. I would say the Trek’s are the best design out of all of the US Diver line of swim fins, but I’m not a pro diver, so take that for what it’s worth. Just started this month trying out this type of equipment for recreational use and I just love how these fins work.
5.0 out of 5 stars Light and fun!
By C. Lizan (Texas)
Wow, what fun fins! Easy to pack, light to carry and perfect for the water.
5.0 out of 5 stars Travel fins
By Beverly B
I love these fins. The are wonderful to use and easy and light to pack.
As you might realize, I snorkel the internet a lot and in doing so come across some very interesting tidbits of information that apply to the underwater world. I also come across a lot of unexpected information that sort of blows me away when I read it. One such article popped up while searching for information on snorkeling gear. The item that I was searching was a Snorkel.
It caught my eye because it dealt with Martial Arts. I decided to click on the article because I wanted to know in what possible way could a snorkel relate to Martial Arts. The link that opened was to The Fight Authority which has articles on fight training, strength training, fighting techniques as well as information on the various types of martial arts.
I wandered through the site still trying to find the area the word snorkel appeared. I was stumped until I noticed that there was a video to click on. It opened up to a woman in Las Vegas reporting on Wanderlei Silva (also known as the Axe Murderer), who is a mixed martial arts fighter. It turns out that Mr. Silva uses a snorkel while training. The video shows him preparing to train which includes wearing a vest in which weights have been added to total 45 pounds. A heart monitor is added and then they totally close off his nose with tape to force him to breathe through his mouth. He then adds the snorkel into the mix.
Adding the snorkel means that his body will have to work harder in order to get the oxygen it needs. The air space in a snorkel is what the snorkeling industry calls a “Dead Air Space”. The air inside the tube is there but it is not being metabolized by the body. Snorkelers and scuba divers learn about dead air spaces in their training and know that in order to get the benefits of fresh air, they have to inhale a little bit deeper than normal. When exhaling through the snorkel, the exhalation contains carbon dioxide which is the by product of the respiratory process. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is also the gas that triggers our brains to breathe but is toxic to the human system when breathed continually or in large amounts. Inhaling deeper while using a snorkel, the user, is taking in both the carbon dioxide that is left in the snorkel as a result of the user’s exhalation and as well as fresh air that contains the oxygen that our body needs to exist. In essence the snorkeler is breathing past the dead air space.
Breathing past the dead air space in the snorkel is also the reason that snorkels are all made of a certain length. Longer snorkels would defeat the purpose. In the case of Wanderlei Silva, using the snorkel in training makes his body have to work harder to avoid hypoxia and anoxia. It should also be noted that this is not something that should be tried at home as there are trained medical personel monitoring Wanderlei during his workouts. I wouldn’t want to be an opponent of Wanderlei Silva in the ring.
If the World Bog Championship isn’t challenging enough for you, the folks of Llanwrtyd Wells also have another annual event which is the World Mountain Bike Bog Snorkeling Championship. The trench for this event is 45 yards long and 5 feet deep and contestants must ride specially modified bicycles in which the normally hollow tubing of the frame is filled with lead. The tires of the bicycle are also filled with water and the riders themselves even don scuba diving weight belts to help keep them from being too buoyant. The Bog Aqua Cyclists wear a masks and snorkels to keep from ingesting the water from the bog (I sure hope they know about dry snorkels).
For the true athlete, there is always the Bog Snorkeling Triathlon which involves a 12 mile run followed by a 2 length snorkel of the bog and finishing up with a 25 mile mountain cycle. So the next time you are feeling bogged down by life, you might want to head over to Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales and participate in one or more of the annual events, whether it is the bog snorkeling, the mountain bike bog snorkel or the bog snorkel triathlon, you are sure to have a (pun intended) Wale of a time.
Product reviews, including snorkeling gear, are an important part of shopping in todays world. Though SnorkelingOnline does not have a review program at this time, we still do have reviews from customers. We sell online, not only on our website, but we do have a presence on Amazon. Here is one of our top most popular snorkeling fins and a few customer reviews that have purchased the U.S. Divers Sideview Mask, Paradise Dry Snorkel, Trek Fins, Strap & Bag.
Product reviews, including snorkeling gear, are an important part of shopping in todays world. Though 
