Thinking of buying a diveskin or .5mm wetsuit, mostly because I like to snorkel for about an hour at a time, and the body gets a little chilly after about 40 mins or so. Do they provide any buoyancy? I use an inflatable vest so I don't have to think about movement if I'm focusing on a critter to photograph, so it would be great if they help with flotation as well.

Many thanks

Carl

A .5 should float you like a cork in sea water. Particularly if you need as many yards of material as I need

My husband and I just began snorkeling on our vacation last year when visiting Aruba. My husband can not dive due to ear problems. We have really enjoyed snorkeling and want to make it a regular activity on our vacations. This will be our first time to Bonaire and we plan to do a lot of snorkeling.

We have not invested in any gear yet (rented in the past). Being new at this I need help understanding about suits and fins and other items we should invest in. From reading the posts on this site it appears we should purchase items before coming to Bonaire.

Any help you experienced snorkelers can provide would be great.

Thanks.

You can buy all the equipment you will need at your local dive shop. Most of the equipment is the same as needed for diving. By going to a local dive shop you will be able to try on skins, masks, fins, etc to get the right fit. For Bonaire I would also suggest that you get/wear hard sole booties. There are not a lot of beaches and the areas are covered in broken coral, also the area close in is covered in coral and it can be sharp. Hope this helps some.
Andy

Many of the dive shops on Bonaire actually offer lower prices than on the mainland. Also, the quality of rental gear on the island is superb, way above what you can expect at other resort destinations.

Most modern dive gear is quite good and although you will hear passionate arguments for and against this or that item ... its all quite good and ultimately its personal preference. That said, here are some thoughts of my own. (I taught diving for many years) With the mask though ... its the one that fits your face which is the very best. Can you suck in through your nose and have it stay? That's the one for you. If you are snorkeling, a mask with an opaque skirt will have less glare and you might prefer that one. The clear skirts may seem less confining. I like the Scuba pro "Shotgun" snorkels, they are easy to clear.

If you just intend to paddle along snorkeling, any fins are fine and cheaper ones are OK. The fins intended to fit over "Booties" have the advantage that you can take them off and you have some protection for your feet during that tenderfooted entry across coral rubble. These are more expensive though.

For snorkeling some coverage is a must. The tropical sun can fry your skin in minutes. A dive skin is really fine, less expensive and generally adequate for water that is quite warm. You could over heat in a suit while snorkeling for a long time. That said, I know snorkelers who like wet suits.

Good advice is to rent and try out all the different sorts of fins and snorkels, see what you like.

Judy,

We are snorkelers and have some gear we really like.

We don't like inhaling water so we use Ocean Master dry snorkels. They are awesome and cost about $30 if ordered online. We have tried other dry snorkels and went right back to the Ocean Master.

Bruce Bowker of Carib Inn has a great discussion of masks here http://www.caribinn.com/maskfitting.html

We use Tusa Xpert Zoom fins over hard-soled booties. These are not inexpensive fins but are totally awesome - we snorkel once a year and with these fins we have spent 1.5 - 2 hours in the water with no leg fatigue or cramping. We used to use Scuba Pro split fins - they were not as good for us.

We also wear lycra dive skins when snorkeling between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for sun protection. I ordered them online for about $50 each.

Because the top of my head sunburns at my part, I wear a beanie. I have a Henderson Gold Core beanie which is very lightweight and comfortable.

If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask.

There is lots of gear out there - this is just the stuff that works for us.

Belinda

Geoffery

"Many of the dive shops on Bonaire actually offer lower prices than on the mainland" - Have the States assumed rights to Bonaire? Or
is this another quirk of our joint language?

This is partly tongue in cheek.

Geoffrey's bang-on about the sun..I did a little between-dives snorkel and luckily only got a little fried...Carl, if you get fixated on a moray eel or all the other wonderful underwater life, time will fly...before you know it you'll be burned...a licra skin or 3 mm will work fine.

Of course you could cuddle up to a couple of grannies, eh Brian?

Brian .. no its not tongue in cheek at all. I have seen lower prices in bonaire than on the mainland. I always check. It is not always true but it is often true. I've seen good deals on regulators and on dive computers at the Carib Inn. Bruce has also told me that if one contacts him ahead of time, he can try to stock what you like.

I think that with the Depression of the dollar, this might not be so true anymore, that is possible.

I want to thank everyone for the great feedback. We will definitely check out the dive shops around here and come to Bonaire prepared.

I am so excited about the trip and can hardly concentrate at work anymore, I still have 5 months to go.

Judy a baseball cap works well for me when we snorkel,because I also burn some on my head(due to thin hair from chemotherapy). I just turn the bill to the back of my head and put my mask strap over the cap. The bill then also protects my neck to some degree.
Andy

Geoffrey

For Bonaire the mainland (homeland) is the Netherlands not the US. Unless I have missed a major shift in international law - being a regular visitor does not constitute territorial rights. I would agree that prices on Bonaire are reasonable although if something was critical for my holiday; I would buy it in advance.

Brian
Rewease Roderwick!!!...No wait...Rewease Woger....no wait.....rewease Bwian!!! See, I can't get off the Monty Python thing now....Hells' Grannies indeed

Cam

I am thinking of writing a Granny care manual.

Oh No please - Not the comfy chair!!

When do you get to Bonaire in September/October?

Brian...we arrive the evening of Sept 30th...stay until the 15th...
"NOBODY expects the Spanish inquisition...our weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise are TWO weapons...are surprise and fear and ruthless efficiency are THREE, THREE weapons are fear...surprise...ruthless efficiency and a fanatical devotion to the Pope are FOUR...FOUR weap......I'll come in again"

Cardinal Biggles!!!! Cardinal Fang!!!

Cam

Great that Bright should still be on then. Have you met Stanley at Habitat - I think he is a Noweigan Blue - although he does move around a lot.

Beautiful pluuuumage, that Norweigan Blue....

THE PLUMAGE DOESN'T ENTER INTO IT...It's a dead parrot!