Pennekamp State Park is located in the Florida Keys. It was created in 1963 to preserve the only living coral reefs in the continental United States. The park covers 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seegrass beds, and intricate mangroves. Pennekamp contains some of the most colorful and beautiful fish throughout the entire world. Be sure not to forget your U.S. Divers neon yellow snorkeling set so you blend in with the fish. Approximately one million visitors from all around the world go to Pennekamp State Park each year to camp, swim, fish, or just enjoy a relaxing picnic.  

For this trip we recommend: U.S. Divers Neon Yellow Snorkeling Set

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Closed foot fins are a very good type of fin for children. The advantage of closed foot fins opposed to open heel fins are that you do not need to wear boots or sock with them (unless you would like to). In some cases, if you plan on snorkeling a lot, a thin pair of neoprene socks are recommended. Another great thing about closed foot fins is that they are very easy to get on and off. Putting a pair of shoe style fins on is as easy as slipping your feet into a nice pair of comfortable slippers. All you need to do is slide your foot into the soft, pliable, rubber foot pocket and secure the heel around your foot.

A shoe style fin is also normally lighter than the average open heel fin, this can be good for travel. Another difference between the open heel fin and the closed heel fin is that on an closed heel fin, there is an opening for your toes. This opening is purposely put on the fin to help prevent foot cramps. Foot cramps normally occur when your fin is on too tight. The open toe design help stop this by allowing water flow through the pocket of the foot. One downside to closed heel fins though, is that you do not have the same amount of styles to choose from.

No matter which type of fin you choose, we at Snorkel City believe that comfort is the most important feature when deciding on your new pair of fins! 

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Open heel fins are great for all-around snorkeling because of the versatility they provide for the snorkeler. With open heel fins, you can snorkel, free dive, or just swim if you would like. The way open heel fins are designed to work; you just slide your foot into the fin as if you were wearing flip flops and slide the adjustable strap onto the heel of your foot. Open heel fins provide a wide variety of designs and styles. The single and split fin designs are made with specific blade shapes that allow the channeling of water along the blade of the fin. The adjustability of open heeled fins is another major advantage of using them.

No matter what type or size of boot or sock you decide on using, there is always room for you to adjust your strap to fit them. If you are getting fins for your child or teen they are perfect because they allow your son or daughter to use them as their feet still grow (to a certain point). Also, depending on how you like to wear your fins, you can make them as snug or as loose fitting as you would like.

No matter which type of fin you choose, we at Snorkel City believe that comfort is the most important feature when deciding on your new pair of fins!

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Silicone- Yes     PVC- No

The reason we believe that a Silicone mask will continuously provide a good seal to your face is because a Silicone mask is a softer, more pure material then a PVC mask. A PVC mask is made from recycled material; this means that there are toxins within it. Also, a mask made with PVC is stiffer and less flexible then a Silicone mask. With Silicone being a softer material, it will better conform to your face, thus giving you an all around better seal. Another problem with not having a good sealing mask is that you constantly have to clear it, and that’s no fun. We at Snorkel City insist that you have a proper-fitting mask. Remember, snorkeling is a very visual sport, and if you have to constantly adjust and fix your mask, you aren’t going to have nearly as good of a time in the water.

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After it is all said and done, a Silicone mask is definitely the way to go. In just about every category imaginable, the Silicone mask blows the PVC mask out of the water. The Silicone mask will also outperform and outlast even the best PVC mask you can find. If you were to ask one of our trained professionals what they would personally snorkel with themselves, they would show no hesitation at all in saying that a silicone mask is the best choice. A Silicone mask is a more comfortable, softer, longer lasting, and by far the best choice you can make when purchasing a snorkeling mask.

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Silicone- Yes     PVC- No

The greatest thing about a Silicone mask is even ten years after you buy it, if you have taken care of your gear properly, it will be in the exact condition as the day you purchased it. With a PVC mask, after a year the skirt begins to cloud up from the sun’s rays and the material gets extremely stiff and could even start to crack. With this happening every few years, this means you have to continuously replace your old mask with a new one. By the time you go through three or four masks, you could still be enjoying your original Silicone mask.  

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Silicone- Yes     PVC- No

Since a Silicone mask is a pure material, it is softer than a mask made with PVC. A PVC mask is much stiffer as well, which means it is not as pliable (flexible) as a Silicone mask would be. Since the silicone mask is a softer material, it will be much more comfortable on your face then a PVC mask would, and also it would create less irritation as well. It is very important to have a comfortable mask that fits your face well, because having a rough mask that isn’t comfortable can completely ruin a snorkeling trip, and that is the last thing anyone wants to happen. Fit is the most important element of a high quality snorkeling mask, and we at Snorkel City want you to experience the most out of snorkeling.

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Silicone- No     PVC- Yes

What we mean by memory is; if you were to leave your mask, skirt up, and something was laying on it, the mask would retain that shape (memory). The PVC grade mask would remember it and retain that shape even after the object was removed. This “new” memory has now just redesigned the seal of your mask and possibly created some places in which it will leak. With a Silicone mask, it is so flexible and soft, that it would just return to its original shape after the object was taken off of it. The advantage of a Silicone skirt is that your mask will not have an irregular shape to it and it will retain its seal to your face. Also if the mask were to be distorted it would be very uncomfortable on your skin and cause irritation while you were in the water.     

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So now that I have become a more frequent snorkeler, I wanted to upgrade from my plain j-tube snorkel to a better, higher quality one.  I was looking between a semi-dry or a dry snorkel.  There are a few variations beetween styles and technologies of the two but they all do the same thing. 

A semi-dry snorkel has a splash guard on the top of the tube to deflect water away, but it can still get into the snorkel, and my mouth (of course).  On the other hand, a dry snorkel has a covered end to completely stop water from getting into the snorkel, thus keeping my mouth free of fish poop infested water.  Another very important characteristic that I like about the dry snorkel is that if you submerge under the water, a bobber on top closes the airway to restrict water from coming in the snorkel (If this were a semi-dry snorkel I would be gargeling the water that just came in). 

Nevertheless, I think that I'm going to stick with a dry snorkel.  I know that I'm already in the water, but I really don't feel like drinking it too.

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You might be wondering if you want a purge on your snorkeling mask.  A purge valve is a one way valve on bottom of the nose pocket of your mask that allows the snorkeler to clear their mask without having to remove it from their face or lift their head above the water.  Well there are more then a few good reasons for having a purge valve on your mask.  If you have any problems with lifting your mask off your face while underwater, a purge valve is a great way to get around it.  

Your going to be snorkeling and enjoying yourself in the water, why are you going to lift head out of the water when you don't have to?  With a purge valve; instead of lifting the skirt of your mask off your face and exhaling, you just hold your mask in place and exhale through your nose.  wal la! After that your mask is clear of all water and its as easy as 1..2..3.
 
   

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So your asking yourself, why snorkel? 

Well let's start with a better question: why NOT snorkel?  I, and many others, can think of many more reasons to snorkel then not to snorkel.  Land only makes up 29% of the earth, and thats alot of space right?  Well oceans and lakes make up 71% and thats almost two and a half times the amout of land!  There's so many different species and types of underwater creatures that you could never see them all. 

Snorkeling is one of the best ways to take a dive into their habitat and see what life is like for aquatic animals.  Not only are the animals beautiful, but just the underwater environment is mezmerizing to look at.  Now this is all fine and dandy, but is it an activity that the whole family can enjoy?  You bet ya!  Snorkeling is one of the most fun ways to get the family together.  Its not even hard to do, if you know how to float and swim in the water you're already a pro at it.  Snorkeling is meant to be fun and relaxing, take your time when your doing it, because I guarantee you will find more. 

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So your getting ready to leave for a vacation in the Florida Keys.  You've decided far, far in advance that you wanted to snorkel why you were down there...good choice.  The one thing you couldn't decide on was if you wanted to get your own mask and snorkel for the trip instead of renting one. 

Well I want you to think about this one for a second and decide.  I hope you thought buying a personal mask and snorkel was a better choice.  First off, everyone and their brother has used a rented snorkel, and you don't have the first idea where their mouths have been; and frankly, I don't want to.  Also, most of the time rented equipment is worn down and not taken care of properly. 

If you have your own personal mask and snorkel, you know exactly who has used it and where it's been.  Another major advantage of owning your own equipment is that you will have a mask that fits your face properly and has a good seal.  Now of course the first thought is:  "But it's so expensive to buy your own gear".  False...if you look at the fact that your paying to rent a mask and snorkel thats been in someone else's mouth, that cost adds up after a while and it's always reoccuring. 

When you have your own gear, you pay for it ONCE, thats it!

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