Snorkelling / Freediving at Trearddur Bay, Anglesey, UK

Trying out my new mask at a small cove in Trearddur Bay, Anglesey. It was high tide so there was no that much life to see apart form plenty of Fucus. It was still a fun session. Here is a little video from it. I'll add some more but the editing takes ages on my laptop.

Beaver Odyssey Low volume mask (Suitable for Spearfishing / Freediving)

My old Tusa mask with the hyperdry purge valve that made equalising tricky

I previously used a Tusa Liberator Plus mask with the Hyperdry purge valve for snorkeling. It is great mask for scuba but the problem with the purge valve is it makes the nose piece very rigid. This made equalising quite tricky. I have now bought a black Beaver Odyssey Low volume mask from Anglesey Divers scuba shop in Holyhead. I have only tried it once but I really like the mask. It fits my face well and the silicone is very soft. It also has a frameless design. Not sure why they call it ‘frameless’, as it still has a frame, but it basically means the straps attach to the silicone skirt instead of the plastic frame like most masks. The lenses are smaller than my old mask but I can probably see more. I guess the low volume design bringing the lenses closer to the eyes keeps a good field of view. The straps adjust really easily by pushing some buttons on the buckles which will make adjustments easy, even with gloves on. Anyway I have only done one session with the mask within an hour of buying so I’ll see how I get on with it. Equalising is much much easier thanks to the soft nose piece. It comes with a box as well which is good. 

Beaver Odyssey Low volume mask (Suitable for Spearfishing / Freediving) 

Buckle attached to the silicone that makes it a 'frameless' mask

Beaver Odyssey Low volume mask (Suitable for Spearfishing / Freediving) 

Beaver Odyssey mask in action 

Testing GoPro 2 with dive Housing Fish in the distance, Snorkelling off Anglesey, North Wales

Here are some clips of the only real glimpses I got of some fish whilst snorkelling off Anglesey last Sunday in some rough weather. I saw mainly wrasse but also a few Pollock, and a school of sprat and adult sandeels.

JB Esclapez Torpedo Buoy (SMB)

I bought a JB Esclapez Torpedo Buoy SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) (http://www.esclapezdiving.com/en/article-fiche-89-Torpedo_buoy.html) for snorkelling. I wanted one for safety to alert boaters that I'm in the water. I don't want to be hit by a propeller. It is also very handy for attaching stuff to like my car keys, mesh bag etc. I put some stones in the mesh bag to weigh the buoy down which helps it stay upright and makes the flag as visible as possible. The SMB will take my weight so I do use it to rest on sometimes. 

The Buoy is well made and has two air bladders which is a nice feature. It has lots of attachment loops and the flag rotates with the wind. It comes with a long nylon line which is very thin and has frayed slightly but does the job well. I attach it to my weight belt at one side to help stop it getting wrapped round my fins. I tie it up with a figure of 8 and tie each end off with a double clove hitch which makes adjusting the length fairly easy.  This is a great SMB for the price but a small weight is needed to keep it upright. 

JB Esclapez Torpedo Buoy (SMB)

JB Esclapez Torpedo Buoy (SMB)

JB Esclapez Torpedo Buoy (SMB)

Testing GoPro Hero HD 2 snorkelling off West coast of Anglesey

Some footage of from my GoPro Hero HD 2 with the dive housing. I used the head strap which felt secure and seemed to work well. I may think about holding it next time as I move my head all the time which makes the footage vomit inducing to watch. I went off the West Coast of Anglesey but cut it short as the wind, waves and swell was picking up.