Snorkeling Gear Guide Singapore: Snorkels, Masks & Fins
A complete snorkelling set is three pieces: a mask that seals on your face, a snorkel that keeps water out of your airway, and a pair of full-foot fins. From our shelf in Singapore that set costs $288 to about $480 in dive-grade gear, or $111 if calm-water snorkelling means you can skip the fins. This guide builds the honest set at each budget, decodes what dry, semi-dry and classic actually mean on a snorkel wall, and flags which pieces keep earning their place if scuba diving comes next.
One thing before the shopping list: everything below is the same stock we sell to divers. There is no separate snorkelling-grade shelf in our shop, and there should not be one anywhere; a mask that leaks at 10 metres also leaks at the surface, just with less at stake. Browse the live-stock snorkel range, diving masks and fins categories any time, or read on for the shortlist.
How much does snorkelling gear cost in Singapore?
Three honest builds from our shelf, each one mask, one snorkel, one pair of full-foot fins:
| Build | Mask | Snorkel | Fins | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Scubapro Trinidad 2 ($65) | Scubapro Escape Semi-Dry ($48) | Gull Mew ($175) | $288 |
| Most people | Scubapro Solo ($80) | Scubapro Spectra Dry ($58) | Gull Mew ($175) | $313 |
| Premium | Scubapro Crystal Vu ($120) | Gull Super Bullet ($94) | Gull Super Mew XX (from $265) | from $479 |
Only snorkelling sheltered, waist-deep water on a resort trip? Mask plus snorkel comes to $111: the Trinidad 2 with the self-sealing Oceanic Ultradry ($46). Add fins the day you meet your first current; more on that below.
Dry, semi-dry or classic: which snorkel should you buy?
The three words describe one thing: how the tube handles waves and duck dives.
Dry snorkels carry a self-sealing mechanism at the top of the tube that shuts when the snorkel goes underwater, so no water enters even when you dive down or a wave rolls over you. It is the most forgiving type for new snorkellers, because there is never a barrel full of seawater waiting on your next breath. From our wall: the Oceanic Ultradry ($46), the Scubapro Spectra Dry ($58) with its large-bore upper tube for plenty of air, and the Gull Canal Dry SP ($69), a Gull standard for both skin and scuba diving.
Semi-dry snorkels use a splash guard instead of a full seal: a barrel-top guard that keeps chop and spray out of the tube while still allowing abundant airflow. The Scubapro Escape ($48) is the entry point to the class. Duck-dive with one and some water gets in, which is where the purge valve earns its keep: a one-way valve below the mouthpiece, so one sharp exhale empties the barrel instead of a mouthful of brine. The top of this class is the Made-in-Japan Gull Super Bullet ($94): hydrodynamic shape, splash guard and two purges. The Semi-Dry Spectra ($48) adds metallic colours that match the Crystal Vu mask. And if you snorkel where the water moves, Gull builds the Canal Stable ($69) with an anchored tube design that stabilises itself against tough currents instead of rattling around your head.
Classic snorkels are the simple open tube, and they refuse to die because there is nothing on them to jam, stick or flood. Freedivers prefer them for exactly that reason. Ours is the Scubapro Apnea ($34): lightweight, non-toxic silicone, and foldable, so it disappears into a pocket between swims.
What makes a good snorkelling mask?
Exactly what makes a good diving mask, because it is the same product. The searches for “snorkeling mask” and “snorkel mask” land on the same wall as our scuba stock: tempered-glass lenses, silicone skirts, and fit as the only rule that matters. A mask that matches your face beats any mask that matches your budget, and the skirt has to touch your face everywhere before the strap is even on; the strap holds position, it does not create the seal. The full fit test, plus every prescription and optical-lens option we stock, lives in our dive mask and fins guide, so we will not repeat it here.
For snorkelling specifically, wide view earns its money more than low volume does. Shortlist from the wall: the Trinidad 2 ($65) as the budget entry, the Gull Aqua Pro ($78) with its large classic lens and stainless steel frame, the Scubapro Solo ($80) with a panoramic single lens in tempered glass, and the Crystal Vu ($120), whose patented single lens plus seamless side windows give an expansive view underwater. The Gull Coco ($140) adds the colour combinations people actually ask for at the counter.
Do you really need fins to snorkel?
In a pool or a roped-off lagoon, no. In the open sea, yes, and not for speed: for getting back. Currents that are invisible from the beach will move you along a reef faster than arms can fight, and fins are the difference between swimming home and being escorted home. Gull even engineers snorkels around this problem, which tells you how common it is.
For snorkelling, buy full-foot fins: the closed heel slips over bare feet, they are lighter than the open-heel scuba pattern, and there are no boots to buy or buckles to adjust. The Gull Mew ($175) is the all-around easy-to-kick choice; the Super Mew XX (from $265) is Gull’s top seller, with ample velocity while staying easy on the legs. If the foot pocket edges rub on long swims, Gull fin socks ($48) fix it for good. Open-heel fins worn with boots, like the Scubapro Go Sport ($180), are the scuba default; the trade-offs are covered in the mask and fins guide.
Snorkelling gear for smaller faces and smaller mouths
Honest answer first: we do not stock a dedicated children’s snorkel range. What we do stock is properly engineered gear in smaller proportions, which fits teens and smaller adults far better than toy-shop sets fit anyone.
- Gull Super Bullet Mini ($94): every high-spec feature of the Super Bullet, fitted with a smaller mouthpiece. A big mouthpiece causes jaw ache long before anything else goes wrong, so this is the first thing to change.
- Gull Leila Dry SP and Leila Stable ($69 each): Gull’s line designed for women, light with colourful designs, in the same dry and current-stable builds as the Canal series.
- Oceanic Shadow Mini ($125): all the technical benefits of the crowd-favourite Shadow, with a narrower opening where the seal touches the face.
- Gull Vader Fanette (from $215): lighter than the original Vader, thinner silicone for excellent sealing, smaller volume; the small-face version of Gull’s premium Vader line.
Fit on a smaller face is even less forgiving than on a large one, so this is the purchase to make in person. Bring the snorkeller to the shop and we fit masks until one seals without the strap.
The piece everyone forgets: sun protection
Snorkelling means floating face-down at the surface, which points your back and shoulders at the equatorial sun for an hour at a time. A rash guard outlasts any amount of reapplied sunscreen and doubles as your first layer if you dive later. Our women’s rash guard guide covers cuts, UPF and sizing, and the full range for everyone is in the rash guards category.
Which pieces double for scuba diving later?
All three, if you buy dive-grade now. The mask transfers as-is; it is the one piece of scuba kit we tell every PADI Open Water course student to own before the pool session, and if your eyesight complicates things, the optical-capable Scubapro Zoom ($83) is the cheapest route to a prescription setup later. The snorkel stays in your kit as a diver too, for surface swims when you want to save tank gas; the foldable Apnea packs down small enough that carrying it costs nothing. Full-foot fins like the Mew carry over to warm-water boat diving, which is most of what diving from Singapore looks like; see our guide to where to dive from Singapore for what those weekends involve. Buy once, use for both: that is the entire argument for skipping the toy-shop set.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a dry snorkel and a semi-dry snorkel?
A dry snorkel has a self-sealing mechanism that closes the tube completely when submerged, so no water enters even on a duck dive; the Oceanic Ultradry ($46) is the textbook example. A semi-dry snorkel uses a splash guard that deflects waves and spray but does not seal, paired with a purge valve to blast out whatever gets in. Dry is more forgiving for beginners; semi-dry keeps the tube top simpler, with no sealing mechanism, and suits confident swimmers.
Can I snorkel with swimming goggles?
No. Swim goggles seal only around the eyes, leaving your nose exposed, so you cannot equalise pressure or keep water out of it while face-down. What people searching for snorkelling goggles actually need is a mask that encloses the nose in the skirt. Anything on our diving masks wall qualifies, from $38.
Is a snorkelling mask the same as a scuba diving mask?
In our shop, yes, literally the same products. A proper mask has tempered-glass lenses and a silicone skirt and handles depth by design. The difference in the wider market is that toy-shop snorkelling sets use plastic lenses and PVC skirts that fog, leak and warp. Buy the dive-grade mask once and it does both jobs for years.
How much does a full set of snorkelling equipment cost in Singapore?
From our shelf: $288 for the starter build (Trinidad 2 mask, Escape Semi-Dry snorkel, Gull Mew fins), $313 for the build most people leave with, and from $479 for the premium set. The recommended mask-and-snorkel pairing alone comes to $111. Snorkels on their own run $34 to $94.
Do I need fins for snorkelling?
For pools and sheltered lagoons, no. For open water, yes: fins are safety gear against currents, not a speed upgrade. Full-foot fins such as the Gull Mew ($175) slip over bare feet with nothing else to buy.
Which snorkel suits a child or a smaller face?
The Gull Super Bullet Mini ($94) is the premium semi-dry snorkel with a smaller mouthpiece, which is the part that matters most for smaller mouths. Pair it with a narrower-fit mask such as the Oceanic Shadow Mini ($125), and fit it in person; we do this at the counter daily.
Why does my brand-new mask fog up?
New lenses leave the factory with silicone residue that anti-fog spit or drops cannot beat. Strip it once with Gear Aid Sea Buff ($16), then a drop of Sea Gold anti-fog gel ($21) before each swim keeps it clear.
Every mask, snorkel and fin above is on the wall at 178 Paya Lebar Road, #03-03, where fitting costs nothing and takes ten minutes; message us on WhatsApp at 9800 0539 to check stock before you come. Prefer delivery? Order from the snorkel category and anything over $50 ships free with tracking anywhere in Singapore.