Just How Important are Snorkeling Rentals and Lessons?

If you’ve never experienced the joy of snorkeling before, you might feel intimidated by the prospect of buying gear and lessons. While snorkeling gear is essential, and knowing how to snorkel is certainly beneficial, there are ways to work around purchasing equipment and training. Check out the rest of this article to learn just how important snorkeling rentals and lessons are!

Snorkeling Requires Equipment

Something we should make crystal clear, like the waters of Hawaii, is that you need snorkeling equipment if you want to snorkel. You simply cannot snorkel without gear.

There are several reasons why this is the case, but here are the most important ones:

• Underwater Breathing – A critical factor to snorkeling is being able to breathe for extended periods underwater. Last time we checked, humans still don’t have a way to develop gills, so you’ll need to rely on external methods to breathe underwater. Snorkeling equipment fulfills this need perfectly, allowing you to stay face down in the water while breathing through a tube that sticks above the surface.
• Visibility – Another important part of snorkeling is the ability to actually see underwater. The entire purpose of snorkeling is to see all the vibrant, beautiful fish hiding under the water! If you can’t see, what even is the purpose of trying to snorkel? Fortunately, a snorkel mask completes this requirement easily offering you a watertight screen to view through!
• Snorkel (Equipment) – Have you ever wondered how snorkeling got its name? Believe it or not, one piece of snorkeling equipment you’ll need is, in fact, called a snorkel. This is the curved tube that connects from your mouthpiece to the water’s surface, actually enabling you to breath! If you don’t have a snorkel, you won’t be able to stay underwater looking at all the cool fishies! Also, have you ever seen someone butter their toast without butter? The same concept applies to snorkeling, you can’t snorkel without a snorkel!

Rent or Bring Your Own?

Now that you know that you do need snorkeling equipment, the biggest question is whether to rent or purchase. The answer to this ultimately depends on your own personal lifestyle and how often you plan to snorkel, but a safe bet is always to rent before deciding to own. If you’ve never gone snorkeling before, then you don’t even yet know that you enjoy it (although you’re almost guaranteed to have a blast)!

Here are the two most important things to consider when deciding between renting or buying snorkeling equipment:

• Future Snorkeling – If you have the flexibility to plan a vacation for snorkeling, then the likelihood of future snorkeling is the biggest factor in deciding whether you should rent or own. If you have snorkeled before and know that you love it, it is probably a good idea for you to own your own set of equipment if you plan on several future snorkeling trips. You’ll be able to find gear that fits perfectly and you’ll have a sense of comfort every time you get suited up. If you don’t anticipate much snorkeling, rent first so you can get an idea of whether it might be worth it to buy for next time.
• Cost – Cost is always an important factor, but it is less influential when it comes to snorkeling gear. Whenever you want to rent snorkeling gear, you’ll have to pay to rent them. Alternatively, if you buy snorkeling gear, you’ll only pay when you buy them, making it free each time you go snorkeling. On the other hand, it is a larger upfront expense. Consider the price of snorkeling rentals against the price of buying equipment outright. How many times would you need to rent to match the cost of buying gear? Would you snorkel that many times?

Do You Need Lessons?

Another aspect of snorkeling preparation is deciding whether you need lessons. Unlike scuba diving, you don’t need any special certification or training to snorkel. That doesn’t mean that you won’t benefit from snorkeling lessons, but they aren’t a requirement.

Here are two things to keep in mind regarding snorkeling lessons:

• Why are you taking them? – This is a very important question to ask yourself. It is always important to understand the reason why you do things, but you should have some actual motive for purchasing lessons considering that they aren’t a requirement. Are you taking them because you thought you had to? Or maybe you want to learn how better to see fish? There are certainly good reasons for taking lessons, but make sure you do have a reason for doing so.
• Do you actually benefit? – Another crucial question. Anytime you pay money for something, you should be receiving a benefit. When it comes to snorkeling lessons, what is it you are looking to gain from taking lessons? Perhaps if you are a weak swimmer and have never snorkeled before, you can definitely benefit. If you’re an experienced snorkeler and have no issue swimming, you might feel like the lesson is a waste of money.

A Comprehensive Snorkeling Solution!

When it comes to preparing for a snorkeling trip, two things that might intimidate you include snorkeling equipment and snorkeling lessons! Proper snorkeling gear is absolutely necessary, but snorkeling lessons are not.

Another element of snorkeling equipment is whether you should opt to purchase your own or seek out rentals. The safest advice for this is to rent first, purchase later. One of the biggest issues with snorkeling equipment is finding gear that is comfortable and functional. Purchasing gear is committing to whatever you select, while also making an investment in planning on future snorkeling trips. Opting to rent allows you the flexibility to try things first.

While snorkeling lessons aren’t required to snorkel, you can still benefit from them if you’re new to snorkeling and not a very strong swimmer! More experienced snorkelers may not see the same benefit from lessons.

It can be difficult to think of everything when making plans for a snorkeling trip. There are many things you need and others that seem important, but are actually trivial. To make matters simple and convenient, you can book a tour with Kai Kanani, who will take care of everything for you! You’ll be provided with all the snorkeling equipment you’ll need, transportation to the best snorkeling spots in the region, and expert advice if you need help figuring out how to snorkel! When it comes to snorkeling in south Maui, there isn’t a more comprehensive and effective snorkeling tour solution available!