Snorkeling Guides

Often, one of the most neglected pieces of snorkel gear is the snorkeling equipment bag. You may find that your snorkeling or equipment bag has a habit of collecting a lot of non snorkeling “stuff”. How this stuff gets in there is often a mystery.

If there is one thing that is to be learned about care and maintenance of these bags it is to realize that the bag is for temporary storage transport of your snorkeling equipment. Those of you (and you know who you are) that use them for prolonged storage of equipment will often experience a wide variety of smells to stimulate the factory senses. This stimulation is usually not aethetically pleasing.
The following are simple “to do” and “not to do” recommendations for the care and maintenance of snorkeling and equipment bags.

Before using the snorkel bag make sure to inspect all seams looking for any seam separation. Do not pull any thread ends that may be sticking out. Most loose thread or thread ends may be trimmed using a pair of scissors and may even be melted back by using a butane cigarette lighter or a match. Zip and unzip any zippers checking for proper function. Zippers should move easily, with no “catching”. Check any hook and loop closures for any debris that may have attached itself to the hook side or the loop side. This is usually particles of sand, thread-like material and even bits of dried vegetation. This can be removed using a soft bristled toothbrush and a little patience. Do pay careful attention to the zippers of your snorkel and equipment bags. Lubricate the zippers using parafin wax (used in canning jellies and jams) or a manufacturer recommended zipper lubricant making sure to follow all directions and warnings for that product. A child’s crayon will work in a pinch.

It is a good idea to make a check list of the items that you will be packing into the bag for your snorkeling adventure. Check our printable snorkeling equipment check list (—>insert link to packing list <—-) and feel free to use it as a general guideline. Keep the list separate from the bag in a piece of carry on luggage if using commercial transportation. Should your bag get lost or stolen, you will have an itemized list of what was in it. If the snorkeling equipment you are packing into an equipment bag is for more than 2 people it is highly adviable to have smaller separate mesh or snorkeling bags included for each person’s set of equipment. This is especially a good idea if any of your snorkeling excursions involve boat travel. It is much easier to stow smaller equipment bags on boats than it is large and clunky ones.

Do make sure that you completely empty your equipment bag prior to storage. This includes checking every nook, pocket and cranny. Since the snorkel/equipment bag is used to transport your gear to and from your snorkeling adventure, there is a 99.9 % chance that it will come into contact with water at some point or another. It is therefore advisable to rinse the gear bag with fresh tap water to reduce the possibility of particulate matter embedding itself into the fabric as the bag dries. Do make sure that your equipment bag is completely dry prior to storing it. The snorkeling/equipment bag should not be dried directly in the sun but rather a shaded dry area. The gear bag/snorkel bag should be stored in a cool dry area.