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Hello - Could recommend the best place to rent quality snorkel gear on St John. We are debating purchasing our own gear and bringing it with us...but would rather rent. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.
Sara
Sara,
You could rent from Cruz Bay Watersports or from a shop in Mongoose Junction called Hurricane Alley.
http://www.hurricanestjohn.com/
I am sure there are others and it will depend where you are staying, where it will be most convenient to rent. I had to purchase some new goggles, my others cracked, and I found a nice pair in town at Hurricane Alley.
If you plan on yearly snorkel vacations, then I would purchase your own. Always best to try on face mask to make sure it fits your face correctly. My wife and I bought ours several years ago and we go every year. You could spend $300 for a nice set or you could rent for about $30-$40 per week.
Good luck in your decision.
Tim
If you plan on snorkeling once each year it is worth buying your own. In 2002 we bought a set with case at the local sports store. We payed less then $100. They were better than any you would rent and worked well until this year when one started to leak around the mask. I went to Dick's sporting goods and bought a new set for $75. We used them every day on our weeks vacation. Many times the ones you rent do not have leak proof tubes.
After the first and only time we rented snorkel equipment, we went to a local dive shop to purchase our own masks and snorkels. A good fitting mask that does not leak makes the experience much more fun. And using a rental snorkel is like using someone else's toothbrush, even if it is clean and maintained. Buy a "dry snorkel" that has a one way valve at the top. It lets in air, but not water, so if you submerge the top, you don't get a mouthful. You can buy a decent snorkel and mask for under $100, and it will last for years. If you are really limited on space, at least buy a snorkel. A decent one can be had for under $35. As for fins, they can be heavy and bulky to pack, so you may want to rent them. We have our own because hubby has big feet and rental fins that fit him are hard to find, but if you have average/small feet, renting fins should be fine.
Thanks everyone for your speedy replies. This is very helpful feedback! I think we are going to buy our own gear to be sure we have a good experience - and I have a suspicion that this will not be our only trip to St. John so we might as well get our own...just three weeks to go!!!!!
thanks again.
Sara
