TUSA Sport Adult Powerview Snorkeling Set - Dry Snorkel Mask with Comfortable Fins for Scuba Diving & Swimming | Perfect for Travel, Beach Vacations & Underwater Adventures

I bought this set last minute before a trip to the Caribbean in February 2014. Despite the lack of reviews, I chose this set over other, cheaper sets because I went on TUSA's website (although I bought through Amazon) and they seem to specialize in underwater gear. I bought two sets: one for myself and one for my husband. The gear comes with a handy bag to store/carry the gear and allow it to air out and dry.We used it on a couple different days to explore the coral reef off of the private beach of the hotel we were staying at. It was not a guided tour or anything. We snorkeled 3-4 miles on the first day, on our own route, at our own pace. I am not the greatest swimmer, but my husband took off in his gear! We saw all types of coral, colorful fish of all sizes, sea urchins, and even a sea turtle! It was amazing!Because I am not the greatest swimmer, we bought life vests. (You can click on my name to see the review for the vests once I put them up.) We also bought 3mm fin socks. (I'll review those as well.) I don't know if you need fin socks with these fins. We never tried them without the fin socks, so I just honestly don't know. From other reviews I read, I hear it's good to use fin socks to prevent chafing. That makes perfect sense when you're swimming in salt water in plastic/rubber fins for a long time, but I guess it's at the user's discretion.These fins are SHORT fins, not the long ones. They are open from the back; not enclosed like a shoe. However, that did not affect my husband's ability to propel quickly like a fish. The fins are adjustable, so if the entire family is not snorkeling at the same time, many members can share the same fins. I bought my husband a size Large. He normally wears a shoe size 9.5-10. He had no problems with it. Once he pulled his fins tight, he did have room left over to loosen the fins. I bought a size Medium and wear a shoe size 6.5-7. I had a LOT of room left over to make the fin bigger once I was done tightening it to where I needed it. The snorkel has a water release valve. The mask does not have a water release valve at the nose, the way some companies make them. Truthfully, it wasn't even necessary. Once we got the perfect fit, we had no problem with water coming into the mask. we also had little to no problems with fogging. I wish TUSA made a size small (or maybe they do and it wasn't on Amazon at the time) because I feel the mask was a little big on me. I struggled a bit with water entering my mask, until my husband adjusted it for me so I'd get the necessary tightness and perfect fit. I thought there was a leak in my mask, as water was dripping down, but it was really just that I hadn't adjusted it correctly on my face. After that, I did not struggle with my mask, except for when I forgot to breathe through my snorkel instead of my nose.The one thing I found weird about the set is that one fin is "straight", while the other is SLIGHTLY "curved". You can't even tell unless you look closely. I thought that maybe one of us had a defective pair, but both of us had one straight, one slightly curved pair, so I believe it's normal - possibly to help with propulsion, as that was a listed feature of the fins in the "Item Description". Also, the set was a bit pricey, but I guess since we got a good quality product out of it, it was worth the price. I had the option of buying sets that were $10-$20 cheaper, but those sets had a lot of reviews about breaking within the first couple of uses, as well as sizing and propulsion problems. That's why I chose to spend the extra money. The one thing I did not like about the set is that the mask does not offer peripheral vision. I couldn't find a TUSA product that did offer peripheral vision in my price range. It is also my fault for not searching longer and harder for one with a peripheral vision mask, but I literally bought the set a few days before our flight departed. It wasn't a big deal though, it would have just been a nice perk. Most sets don't offer peripheral vision masks anyway unless you go up to the pricier sets.Overall, my husband and I absolutely loved this set and cannot wait to use it again!!! I would absolutely recommend this set to anyone - beginner or advanced - looking to buy snorkeling gear!!!