An ideal snorkeling accessory for visibility and safety, this medium-weight U.S. Divers yellow vest is built around a manual inflator. When you want to stay on the surface, simply let a little air in and you'll float confidently atop the water while scanning the fish and coral below. Then, when you want to dive down to a reef for a closer look, deflate the vest and you're free to go. Other details include an over-pressure valve that keeps you from adding too much air and a high-visibility yellow coating that attracts attention from a distance. As with all U.S. Divers accessories, the bag is backed by a two-year limited warranty.
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
I assumed vest made for snorkeling would be fairly comfortable while snorkeling. It isn't. No matter how tightly I cinched it down it pushed up under my chin, pushing my head out of the water, and making it hard to see while snorkeling. We gave up on them after a couple of attempts. A flotation device that straps around your middle or a water noodle across your chest would be far more practical for use while snorkeling.
If your main concern is flotation rather than snorkeling this vest would be a good choice, especially since it deflates and folds flat for packing in a suitcase for vacations.
Update to this review after several years of using the vests: I added one star to my review for the following reasons: We have gotten used to these vests and have found that wearing them lets us feel more confident exploring snorkel locations out on our own. I am able to position the vest so that it doesn't drive my nuts while snorkeling by pulling down on the front strap while in the water to position the vest correctly and by only partially inflating the vest (it would be easy to finish the inflation if you found yourself in a situation that required it). Your face definitely sits higher in the water with the vest on, but that hasn't impacted my snorkeling that much.
