equipment question

[MSJ]

My wife and I live in Navarre Beach FL and are occassional snorkelers. We are in the market for decent masks and snorkels. The question is what are the pros and cons of a purge mask vs. non-purge? Does anyone have any suggestions as to equipment manufacturers to look for?

[RMur]

Purge Advantage - Easy clearing
Purge Disadvantage - Something to leak eventually
(the price difference is hardly worth considering)

Most divers have mastered mask clearing in very early training and consider the eventual leak or failure of the purge valve to not be worth the minimal ease of clearing advantage. I'm sure DIR practitioners consider a purge an unnecessary potential point of failure.

Also, among divers there is certain there is pretty strong peer pressure against purge valve masks (I call it like I see it).

For my wife, not a diver, barely a swimmer, who enjoys snorkeling with a vest for flotation - purge is the way to go.

I, on the other hand, eschew a purge valve for the aforementioned reasons - mostly peer pressure.

[zahgurim]

A purge valve on your mask is just something that will break.
You can easily purge your mask by placing your hand along the uppermost part of the skirt and blowing air through your nose. The air will force any water through the loose lower portion of the skirt.

Simple and easy.

Best mask is one that fits your face. Try a bunch on without wrapping the strap around your head, inhale through your nose and see which ones stick to your face under suction power alone. Then try them in the water.

More important would be a dry snorkel. Much easier to clear.

[Straegen]

For snorkeling a quality purge mask is fine and actually quite useful. I wouldn't recommend it for diving though.

[MSJ]

Thank you all for the most helpful information. I don't think I would succumb to peer pressure but the point of just something else to break is valid. I'll head to the nearest dive store soon to try a fitting. A dry snorkel though is a definite must.