Should You Bring Your Own Snorkeling Gear While Traveling? Here's What Rick Steves Says

Snorkeling is one of the best parts of a beach or lake vacation. But when preparing for some underwater fun, there's one big question: Should you bring your own snorkel gear when traveling? If you're travel expert Rick Steves, the answer is no. On his website, Steves says, "Ask yourself, 'Will I really use my snorkel and fins enough to justify carrying them around all summer?' Not 'Will I use them?' but 'Will I use them enough to feel good about hauling them over the Swiss Alps?' Frugal as I may be, I'd buy a set in Greece and give them away before I'd carry that extra weight for weeks."

Steves also has a rule that he never checks a bag. He says, "With only a carry-on, I can be nimble at the airport. It's not a hardship to always have my bag with me — it's peace of mind." There are often fees for checked baggage, and you have the added worry that they won't make it to your destination, especially if you have any transfers or delays. The stress just isn't worth the space you'll have to give up. But that's not the only reason you'd be better off buying or renting them at your destination. 

If you follow Rick Steves' rule about carry-on bags only, you'll also know that he uses this rule for his tours, as well. He says that his company takes " ... tens of thousands of people of all ages and styles on tours through Europe. We allow only one carry-on bag, plus a small day pack." That doesn't really leave room for extras.

Regular fins can be up to around 25 inches long, and even travel fins are often between 15 and 23 inches.  That's a lot of suitcase space taken up with the foot gear alone, without factoring in a mask and breathing tube. If you're also bringing a flotation vest, or even a full wetsuit (depending on where you're snorkeling), you'll end up only having room for, say, pajamas and a bathing suit. No judgment, Beach Bunny, but if you'd like to wear more than that, Steves's advice can help. 

While many airlines don't have weight restrictions for carry-on bags, your fins alone could weigh between 2 and 4 pounds — and you're still going to have to lift your bag into the overhead bin. Another thing to take into consideration is that, if you're hitting more than one destination, you're going to be putting salty, sandy equipment that takes up most of the space in your luggage in with your clean clothing and maybe electronic equipment. 

As Rick Steves says, you can purchase a set of gear at your destination and pass it on to someone else. He also explains, "Remember that you can rent the gear you need for all kinds of outdoor activities — or look for lightly used goods at secondhand stores, which are as popular in Europe as they are in the US." Doing a little snorkel shopping on vacation might take you to places you might not have had the occasion to see otherwise. 

If you have concerns about used or rented equipment because of germs, you can either bring your own alcohol pads to disinfect things, or you can choose to bring your own mask and breathing tube and just rent the fins/vest/wetsuit. It's understandable since these parts are going on your face and in your mouth. Plus, they take up much less room than fins do. (The salt and sand caveat still applies, though.)