The 2 Best Basic Snorkel Sets of 2025

Top pick

This set includes a classic shield-style mask, a snorkel with impressive flexibility, and sturdy fins that make getting around the reef a breeze. It may not fit in some carry-on bags, though.

Robust and high-quality, the Cressi Palau LAF Set will take you far and last long enough to accompany you on trip after trip. Made in Italy, this gear — just like the company behind it — has a long history of success at sea.

The mask is sturdily constructed with high-quality materials. The set’s mask, called the Onda mask when sold separately, has been a standby for 25 years. It consists of a single flat pane, with tempered glass and a transparent silicone skirt, outlined in a scratch-resistant plastic frame that matches the color of the set you choose: blue, pink, or yellow.

To help you admire what’s below you, Cressi gives the lens a slight angle downward. The nose pocket provides enough give to equalize pressure underwater. The strap clip is built directly into the frame for a sturdy hold; in contrast, on other masks the clip is attached to the skirt. The back of the strap, which measures over half an inch wide, includes raised grips on the split section to help you get the mask on and off easily, even with wet hands.

The snorkel is the most flexible one we tested. Near the mouthpiece of the snorkel, the elliptically shaped tube turns from plastic into a bendy corrugated silicone, providing more flexibility for you to insert the mouthpiece without pulling on your mouth or letting it hang straight down and out of your face between swims.

In our tests, the splash guard on the snorkel’s top kept out errant droplets, and the flawless dry valve kept water out beneath the surface. Because the mouthpiece is angled slightly, you should wear it only on one side of the mask. The purge valve functioned well when I manually filled the snorkel with water; it’s also replaceable should it break, unlike the valve on our budget pick. (The snorkel is available separately under the name Supernova Dry.)

The fins are the most likely to fit you. Whereas most other fins offer just two size options, the Palau fins come in four sizes, and their open heel allows for even more customization. You adjust the straps by pushing a button rather than lifting a buckle, a feature that our testers appreciated.

The Palau fins also outperformed most of the others we tested, though we can’t say whether this was due more to the below-blade foot pocket — which was designed to increase the fin’s surface area and move you through the water with more speed — or the “power transmission side rails” on the fin’s rubberized edges. The pockets’ rubber is soft enough that we were able to swim in these fins barefoot. The only other fins that felt just as comfortable were those from U.S. Divers.

The nylon bag is comfortable to carry. It also has some room for a few beach essentials, though maybe not your towel, and unlike other bags (such as the Zeeporte set’s) that expect you to use the drawstring as a strap, this bag has a wide strap that won’t dig into your shoulder.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• At 21.5 inches, these fins are a little too long for some carry-on bags. Cressi does sell a short-fin version of our top pick, with fins that measure just over 18 inches long. They may fit more easily in carry-on bags, but in our tests they provided less thrust. Another option, if you plan to fly frequently to snorkeling destinations, would be to buy the Onda mask and the Supernova Dry snorkel separately, and then rent fins where you’re going. But do this only if you’re okay with gambling on the quality of rental fins available and with buying your own bag, too.
• You have to use two hands to loosen the strap on the mask. That means lifting the buckle with one hand while holding the mask in the other. On other models, such as those from U.S. Divers, you can press a trigger on the top and bottom of the buckle with a single hand to loosen the strap.
• More loops, please. Some other fins we tested had loops on the strap ends as well as on the heel; this is a feature we would have liked to see on these fins too.
• The storage bag is worse than our other pick’s. The zipper on the bag may corrode over time if you’re using it in salt water. Additionally, as the bag has just a single drain hole in the bottom, it doesn’t offer much airflow. Make sure your gear is rinsed and dry before storing it in the bag for a long period of time.