Snorkeling Gear: What You Actually Need
You don’t need to spend a fortune: four well-chosen items are enough to explore the Sardinian coast. Here’s what really matters and what you can ignore.
Four items, chosen well once. Below is what to look for in each — and for every one of them two concrete models: the one I would recommend if you want to buy properly and forget about it, and the honest alternative if you are starting on a tight budget.
The mask: the one purchase that really matters
A mask that leaks ruins any outing. Look for tempered glass, a soft silicone skirt and — the essential test — hold it to your face without the strap and breathe in through your nose: if it stays put on its own, the seal is right. Anti-fog coating helps, but a drop of mild soap, well rinsed, does the job too.
Cressi Big Eyes EvolutionOur pick — Tilted tempered lenses, huge field of view: the mask to buy without thinking twice.See on Amazon →
Cressi Onda Mare + Mexico (combo)Budget pick — Mask + snorkel in one go: the honest entry kit to get started.See on Amazon →Snorkel: simpler is better
For surface snorkelling a classic snorkel with a splash guard is more than enough. Purge valves are handy but not essential. Avoid tubes that are too long or too narrow: they make breathing harder with no real benefit.
Cressi Supernova DryOur pick — Dry top and purge valve: no gulps of seawater even in chop.See on Amazon →
Cressi MexicoBudget pick — The classic with a splash guard: simple, light, exactly what you need.See on Amazon →Short fins for the Sardinian coast
From rocky coves such as Cala Fighera, or the edges of Porto Giunco, you often get in walking over rocks: short snorkelling fins, easy to put on in the water, are more practical than long freediving fins. If your feet are sensitive, full-foot models with a closed heel offer better protection.
Cressi Agua ShortOur pick — Short and self-adjusting: easy to slip on in the water, perfect for rocky entries.See on Amazon →
Cressi AguaBudget pick — The longer-blade version: more push if you plan longer swims from cove to cove.See on Amazon →Protection: from the sun and the cold
In Sardinia the sun on the water is fierce: a long-sleeved rash guard protects more, and better, than any sunscreen (which should be reef-safe anyway). From June to September the water is warm, but for longer seasons or sessions over an hour a 2–3 mm shorty wetsuit changes the day.
Cressi Rash Guard manica lungaOur pick — UPF 50+: protects from the sun (and jellyfish) better than any cream.See on Amazon →
Cressi Tiburon shorty 2 mmBudget pick — The shorty wetsuit for shoulder seasons and sessions over an hour.See on Amazon →Safety: the marker buoy is not optional
Outside marked swimming zones a surface marker buoy is required by law and makes you visible to boats and dinghies, which are everywhere in summer. Torpedo buoys with a built-in dry bag also solve the problem of where to put your keys and phone.
Cressi Glide Swim BuoyOur pick — Highly visible with a dry bag inside: keys and phone travel with you.See on Amazon →
Boa torpedo 20 L con saccaBudget pick — Does the same job at half the price: what matters is that it is always with you.See on Amazon →Amazon links are affiliate links: if you buy, Blulume earns a commission at no extra cost to you.
