Which set should I buy?

[Tim Williams]

I have been browsing a website that sells snorkeling gear, I am interested in buying a set to go freediving again. Which one do you guys recommend?

U.S. Divers or Cressi?

I appreciate the feedback

 

[Pinniped72]

Out of the two I would go Cressi................... but you would be better off in the long run getting each piece of equipment individually. You can freedive with any equipment or none but getting the right gear for the job will make things easier and more enjoyable

 

[Tim Williams]

ok thanks for the advice

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I agree, of those two Cressi probably has better selection and quality. If you are willing to look at some other brands, please take a look at my website, we (MAKO Spearguns) offer a huge selection of quality gear - at a factory direct price...

thanks
Dano

 

[TophrBR]

Tim, I would go with neither in all fairness. When you freedive, you want a low volume mask (because you'll have to equalize it with the air in your lungs), and you also don't want any of the gimmicks you get on an escape snorkel to limit any drag when diving.

As said before, the best is to buy separate gear. Some providers have full beginning gear packages with snorkels, mask and fins (including Mako actually). I would recommend going to a diving shop and trying a number of freediving (i.e. low volume) masks: simply put it to your face (without the straps), breath in a tiny bit, and see if it holds. If you have a bit of a "caveman" forehead (like me and a number of Europeans, cf. http://hugequestions.com/Eric/Neanderthals/Neanderthal-and-Cro-Magnon-comparison.gif), you'll want to check if the frame is pressing at all against your forehead (that gets very uncomfortable quickly). Concerning the snorkel, I was recommended to get a flexible one because you don't want it hitting your head when surfacing (and I'm very happy with mine). Finally, concerning the fins, the stiffness to choose from really depends on how strong your legs are. The stronger they are, the stiffer your blades can be. Blades are usually a relatively high investment compared to the rest of the gear, so I would recommend going with just plastic blades at first, and then when you get more into the sport, you can upgrade your fins to something else.

 

[SubSub]

What TophrBR said!

 

[Kiekerjan]

yes indeed TophrBR has it spot on! I would just like to add that for the fins you should make sure that they are full foot fins, not with straps like those in the sets.