Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me first start off by saying I was a manager at a Scuba Shop in NYC for over 6 years not too long ago. One of my most common tasks each day was to sell basic equipment to our new students, being Mask, Snorkel, Fins and Boots. I must have sold thousands of sets, with experience of well over 100 different masks during that time. When they say this is a premium set, it is true. I was honestly surprised at the quality. I got this for a friends son to go in the pool and I wasn't expecting much for the price. This set easily is as good as the equipment I sold at my Scuba Shop, at about 1/3 the price. You'll find that most snorkeling gear is lower quality than Scuba gear because Scuba is inherently more dangerous. Having your mask leak/break at 100 feet is a bigger problem than on the surface or close to it. Plus because snorkeling deals with little to no pressure (on surface), the mask doesn't need to seal as well. So I thought I was getting a budget snorkeling mask/snorkel set but was pleasantly surprised this set is a very good quality Scuba Mask and Snorkel. Mask: You want quality Silicone that is flexible so it may seal better between you and your face. You will find cheap masks have much stiffer skirts (part that seals to you face) as well as made of basic plastic. The silicone on this Premium set is exceptional for the price. The glass is tempered, which is not a deal breaker if it's not but it's telling you the manufacturer is not trying to skimp on quality. They come with an anti-fog coating on the inside, again shows the manufacturer is not trying to skimp. However this does wear out with time and you can buy an extra spray on Anti Fog solution if you need it. I'll tell you a little secret, all the Pros just use spit, yea you heard me right. It's one less thing you need to carry and buy. Spit inside each lens, spread thoroughly and let it dry. If you don't let it dry, it will just wash off and be useless. It works better than most anti fog sprays on the market. Mask sizing: Most people when trying on a mask, slap it on their face, crank the strap tight and inhale through their nose. It sucks into their face so they assume it fits well, this is a terrible way to measure. Doing so will give you a good chance of owning a mask that leaks. What you did there is FORCE the soft silicone to your face, so it seals. A good fitting masks should stay to your face without the strap and silicone should naturally without force meet with your face countours. 1. Take the strap and flip it in front of the mask, you won't be using it. 2. Point your face straight up. 3. Take mask and gently (NO FORCE) lay it on your face. 4. Let it go and inhale through your nose (creating suction, if the mask doesn't suck on, you already know the skirt doesn't fit your face well). 5. While inhaled there should be no leaking and a good suction achieved. You should be able to look down/left/right without the mask falling off (remember you're not touching mask with your hands at this point). With food quality silicone and the skirt being of a good match to your face, you should not lose suction until you stop inhaling through your nose. I have a really hard time with masks (and eye-wear in general) because the bridge of my nose is fairly large/high. I expected this set to be for kids (I bought it for a friends kid) but this mask fits me perfectly. I might just buy another backup set for myself, at this price I'll be saving a lot of money! Snorkel: Honestly, as a Scuba Diver you hardly ever use your snorkel. With that said, this snorkel is made of the same quality silicone. If you will be doing snorkeling, a DRY snorkel is a must. It makes your Snorkeling a much more pleasant experience. I don't have experience with this exact "dry" mechanism in this snorkel but after investigating its function, it is very well made and effective. This snorkel also has a one way water went on the bottom. In case water does get inside, you blow and the water is expelled through the bottom. Cheap snorkels don't have this vent, so when you blow to clear it, the water has to travel ALL the way up to exit (basically you can never remove 100% of the water). Also the mask clip on the snorkel is a new design I haven't seen yet, with a quick release. It actually is much better than the snorkels I have experience with. I will try to make a video review of this set soon, as I believe it will be more helpful with many of the things discussed here. I received this product at a discount in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I do not skew my opinion because the item is promotional. I give reviews as I see them because your honest reviews help ME purchase things too.