Discover snorkeling

Snorkeling is a great way to explore the sea. It is a typical summer activity where you swim a lot in the surface and like to do small dives in between.

For snorkelling, you usually use wetsuits with a zip, snorkels with a valve and short flippers, and in this article we tell you about the most important details about equipment for snorkelling.

We have a wide selection of diving masks , snorkels , flippers , wetsuits and complete equipment packages for snorkeling . We also have a wide selection of snorkelling equipment for children .

What equipment do I need to snorkel?

Wetsuit

When the sea temperature is good, there are fewer demands on the wetsuit than it does in winter. Wetsuits with zips are the most commonly used, and these are available in various thicknesses, from the thinnest "summer holiday suits" to 7mm hooded suits that can be used for a much larger part of the year.

Wetsuits with a zip have nylon on the inside and are easy to take on and off without the need for soapy water, as is the case with freediving suits. The suits in our range are of very high quality, and have solid zips, good solutions to limit water ingress as well as good cuts and a rich selection of sizes.

Other snorkel gear

BARE's Exowear range has suits, tops, shorts and other things that are great for summer snorkelling. These are light garments with a better heating effect than the usual swimming garments.

Mask and snorkel

All normal diving masks can be used for snorkelling, so it's all about finding the mask that suits you. Nevertheless, many will prefer the masks that provide the very best field of vision and preferably in slightly fresh colours.

Snorkels come with and without a valve. When you swim a lot around the surface, it feels easier to "blow out" water from a valve snorkel because the water is blown out through the valve instead of having to go out the tube itself. Having said that, snorkels without a valve can still be used for snorkelling.

Webbed feet

"Normal", short flippers with a full foot pocket or heel strap are easy to carry and easy to handle in the water. When you move a lot on the surface or have shorter dives, these are effective enough. The counterpart is long freediver fins that give more effect and require less effort, which is important on deeper dives, but many may find long fins a bit unwieldy.

If you wear wet shoes in your flippers, choose models with a heel strap, if you are barefoot we recommend ones with a full foot pocket.

Do I need a lead belt?

If you swim around in a thin wetsuit in the middle of summer, you will be able to swim underwater without any special effort. If you choose a thicker suit, e.g. 5mm or 7mm, the neoprene in the suit will create buoyancy and make it difficult to get down in the water. If you lie on the surface, it doesn't matter, but if you want to explore life under water, you need lead. You can read more about this in this article.

Do you snorkel with children?

Snorkeling is a great activity to do with the children, here too we have a wide selection of equipment. We recommend that children do not use snorkels until they are 7-8 years old, and then under supervision. It is important that they learn to take deep breaths in and out so that all the air in the snorkel is replaced. Children's snorkels (volume of 1-1.2dl) should be used until the child weighs approximately 50kg, then you can switch to adult snorkels (volume around 2dl).