For too many years I traveled to Mexico and the Caribbean with a bulky snorkel and mask. I liked having my own snorkeling equipment, but didn’t like how much room the set took up in my luggage.
Enter the Enfold Travel Combo, which is ideal for recreational snorkelers. The snorkel coils into the size of a hockey puck (see lower left in photo at right), and the mask folds in half. Together, the items are stored into a zippered sack made of quick-dry wetsuit material that measures — when stuffed with the gear — about 7 x 4 x 3 inches.
I’ll never ever travel with a bulky snorkel again. I love this Body Glove product.
On a recent trip to Belize, where I snorkeled off the coast of Ambergris Caye, I first wore the snorkel and mask set provided by the snorkel outfitting company (Extreme Adventures – great guys!). The standard-issue mask seemed to fit well enough, but about half-way into a 40-minute snorkel excursion in Hol Chan Marine Reserve, I noticed that it was cutting into my brow. Sure enough, the next day I had a painful bruise in between my eyebrows!
For our second snorkel excursion of the morning at Shark Ray Alley, I sported the flexible Body Glove product. Holy comfort, Batman! I never felt any pinching or pressure around the silicon mask skirt, and I liked the malleable snorkel mouthpiece.
That's me in the Body Glove snorkel, petting a stingray in Belize. Photo by Christine Gilbert of AlmostFearless.com.
It did take a little while to get used to viewing fish, sharks and stingrays through the tempered glass lenses. At first, it appeared as if I had double vision, and I had a hard time focusing on the marine life, but after about five minutes, everything appeared clearer (maybe I just focused harder or my eyes adjusted to the different lenses).
Another caveat: When I tried the mask on to size it (with a dry head), my hair got caught in the strap. It took some effort to break free.
If you’re a hard-core diver, this set likely isn’t for you — my guess is you’d want a better mask for crisper underwater viewing. Occasional snorkelers should absolutely consider buying the Enfold Travel Combo — at just $34.95, it’s a relative bargain if you like to travel to ocean locales at least a couple times a year. Find authorized retailers on the Body Glove site.
#1 by JohnG - November 24th, 2009 at 20:37
A little too close to the stingray for me, Kara!
#2 by Frank - April 6th, 2011 at 14:43
I think this is a great option for those that want to carry a snorkel. I would get this for my neices who love to play in the pool. We always have alot of items we bring so this would save space.