Planning to take the kids (6, 9, 11) to Tahoe next summer and want to get them into snorkeling. Don't want to spend a fortune on stuff they might hate. Any decent starter snorkel sets that aren't junk? And should I try it in a pool first or just go for it?
Real question: are they comfortable putting their faces in water? Because that's the actual hurdle. You can have amazing gear but if they're scared of water going up their nose it doesn't matter.
Don't spend a ton on starter sets. Get cheap masks (like $15-20 each) from Costco or Amazon, test them in your bathtub first to make sure they actually fit, then invest in ONE good snorkel for yourself. Kids'll outgrow/lose stuff anyway.
Tahoe is perfect for this. Water's cold though even in summer so get them decent wetsuits or at least rash guards if they're gonna be in for more than 20min. Nothing kills snorkeling enthusiasm like being cold and miserable.
This. My kids had cheap $25 snorkel sets from Amazon and they worked fine. The 6yo wore it for like 12 minutes then wanted to go back to the sand. Not a waste because the older kids used them, but don't expect a 6yo to be a serious snorkeler lol
We got the Cressi starter sets from Amazon for like $40-50 per kid and honestly they're solid. Not fancy but my 7yo didn't complain and actually wanted to use it again. Avoid the super cheap ones tho, masks leak like crazy
To the rental suggestion - we did this and legit saved like $150. Turns out my 6yo got water up his nose once and refused to try again lol. Happy we didn't buy the full setup
If any of them hate it that's fine but honestly the 9 and 11yo will probably be into it. The 6yo might just want to splash around though, manage expectations there.
the 6yo is gonna need help with the mask seal - kids that age struggle with it. maybe rent one time first to see if they even like it before buying?
Just get them the basics and don't overthink it. We spent $200 on 'proper' gear and the kids wanted to mess around with rocks more than actually snorkel lol
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Tahoe snorkeling is gonna be cold even in summer. Maybe grab them some cheap rash guards too? My kids got chilled fast even in July