Snorkel Gear

we buy our coffer from walmart.com much cheaper there.

Depends if you want to bring your own here. I have had many guests that do.
You can usually buy something at K-mart and sometimes Cost u Less, if you go on any excusions, they provide the snorkel gear.
You can rent from many beach resports and dive shops as well as purchase from dive shops higher priced gear.

Are you moving here or just vacationing?

I usually tell my guests to bring coffee if they have a brand they really like plus if just vacationing how much coffee are you going to drink. Just put some in a ziplock.
Have fun!

On STX, you can find Starbucks coffee in bags at Food Town, but I think it's more expensive (I don't buy coffee, I don't know!). There are also a lot of other specialty coffees there, and at some of the other markets. And we have some delicious local coffee shops too, all over the island - the new Mocha Jumbies is great!

Like Alana said, on excursions they give you the gear to use most places, but if you want your own you can buy it here. SCUBA (St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures) is one place that has a large selection, and this month (September) everything is on sale, up to 50%! And they're really awesome people too. https://www.facebook.com/pages/ScuBoutique/167450123271463 There are others, of course. 🙂

Have fun!

I would buy on island. Get a good set, if you're like me you will use it daily 😀 amazing snorkling!

Coffee is readily available from when we were on our PMV. I highly suggest getting the honey that's sold by a sweet lady on Wednesdays I think on the side of the road, east end. We used it to flavor/sweeten our coffee and who knew it would be so delish!!! I miss STX SO BAD! Ugh our move can't come SOON ENOUGH!

I highly suggest getting the honey that's sold by a sweet lady on Wednesdays I think on the side of the road, east end. We used it to flavor/sweeten our coffee and who knew it would be so delish!!!!

That would be my good friend Toni, she's an amazing beekeeper - there are several on STX. She's also there on Saturdays (Southgate corner). I'll tell her Wednesday how much you like her honey! 🙂 She also makes homemade honey soaps and beeswax products.

On line selection will be better. But, trying the gear on has its advantages, too.

I only get to visit STX every couple of years. And, it's the only time I get to snorkel. I don't like to take a chance that I'll spend half of my snorkel time trying to figure out how to make the snorkel gear comfortable and watertight. So, I have my own gear. It's not high quality. But, I take it to the pool the week before my trip and practice, and check the fit, and check that it all works.

My wife is too embarrassed to be at the local pool with snorkel gear. Of course, on our last trip, just as she got in the water, she discovered that she neglected to bring the strap that holds the snorkel tube to the mask. I could have told her "I told you so", but instead I just laughed at her, and swam away. KIDDING... I let her have my strap and discovered that I did fine by holding the tube by hand.

It's always been easy to pack the gear in a normal sized suitcase. We buy beach towels, once on island... donate them to the hotel maids when we leave (they're too big to fit in the suitcase).

I would say it also DEPENDS on WHERE you were staying.

Many of the hotels HAVE gear for rent.

If they do, ....bring your own mask, rent the fins. Mask fit is important.

Holding it by hand?:S Why didn't you tuck it under the head band strap???8-)

lulu Two reaseons for bringing your own gear:
1) $$ a few days rentals will equal the cost of decent set-up.
2) Time. Who wants waste vaulable vaction time renting / returning gear?
Buy your gear at home. And take it for test drive in your local pool (as someone smartly suggested). If you are new to snorkeling, the pool is good idea too. Your do NOT need expensive equipment to snorkle. The fit is more important than the price. When packing, Wrap the mask and snorkel in your clothing, it won't take much room. Personally, I like the fins that have a "shoe-like" back (vs. strap back). Most of the "sets" come with strap back. Again fit is key with fins. We keep several pair of old school black fiins for friends. If you do purchase strap back, you may want booties too. To me, this is too much equipment to worry about.

If you loose your snorkel mask hooker-upper thingy. Try using hair two hair elastics looped together. Have fun.

Btw I found SEVERAL masks under water by the seagrass beds at Chenay. I gave them to some kids and then showed them around the bay picking up the big red starfish giving them a "lesson" on the suction feet lol. Was fun. So I guess what I'm saying is keep your eye out for sunken gear lol. One of the masks was pretty decent. Weird.

lulu Two reaseons for bringing your own gear:
1) $$ a few days rentals will equal the cost of decent set-up.
2) Time. Who wants waste vaulable vaction time renting / returning gear?
Buy your gear at home. And take it for test drive in your local pool (as someone smartly suggested). If you are new to snorkeling, the pool is good idea too. Your do NOT need expensive equipment to snorkle. The fit is more important than the price. When packing, Wrap the mask and snorkel in your clothing, it won't take much room. Personally, I like the fins that have a "shoe-like" back (vs. strap back). Most of the "sets" come with strap back. Again fit is key with fins. We keep several pair of old school black fiins for friends. If you do purchase strap back, you may want booties too. To me, this is too much equipment to worry about.

If you loose your snorkel mask hooker-upper thingy. Try using hair two hair elastics looped together. Have fun.

Try tucking the snorkel between the strap and the preferred side of your head.
Works quite well and you don't get your hair tangled.