Yeah, it's off topic. Nothing about guns. Nothing about politics (well,
except you did mention Washington, D.C., so we'll let that slide).
Nothing about booze.

Any Scuba shop will have all the snorkeling gear you need. And it will
be better (and more expensive) than what you can get in Target or Dick's
Sporting Goods. Snokeling gear comprises a mask, fins and snorkel, and
sometimes a buoyancy vest. Scuba divers use all that, except the snorkel
in some cases, and our buoyancy device is a lot more than you need for
snorkeling. So Scuba shops will have anything you need.

Depending on where in the Vaburbs you live, you could try Splash in
Alexandria, The Dive Shop in Fairfax or Virginia Scuba in Manassas.
Those are three I know of.

gc

There are two significant differences between snorkeling equipment and
diving equipment:
1. Snorkels are not diving equipment.
2. Some fins that work very well for diving, don't work very well for
snorkeling.  In particular, longer fins, like my Plana Quatro Power fins,
don't work well at or near the surface.  It seems odd since freediving fins
are usually very long, but freediving is closer to diving than to
snorkeling.

My snorkeling gear is as follows:
Mask - My snorkeling mask is exactly the same as my diving mask.  It should
have a tempered glass lens, be made of silicon (I like clear, some like
black) and, most important of all, it should fit right.  Get help from a
good dive shop with a large variety of masks in finding one that fits
properly.  It should not have a purge valve mounted in the soft portion of
the mask.  Hard purge valves stress the silicon and cause premature failure
(assumes you use the purge fairly often).  Personally, I like masks without
purge valves.  You learn to clear the mask without one pretty quickly and,
once you do, you have no need for the problem, such as leakage, that can
come with a purge valve.  Expect to pay $50 and up for a good mask.  If you
can find one cheaper, great, but don't skimp on quality with your mask.
Fins - I have Plana Avente TRE fins for snorkeling.  My wife has Plana
Avantes.  The only difference is the number of flex channels.  Mine have 3,
hers have 2.  They are full foot fins and, in my opinion, are the best ever
made for snorkeling and almost as good for diving.  There are other good
fins on the market, but these, I know I can recommend.  Do not get the
longer Plana Power fins or, in my opinion, any foot pocket/strap fin.  The
full foot models transfer energy better and don't require you to carry
booties everywhere you go.  If you're going into really cold water, the
pocket/strap fins are probably what you'll want.  Expect to pay around $50
for good full foot fins and about twice that for pocket/strap fins +
booties.  Check out the fins at http://www.diversdirect.com/ .  They're a
local dive shop for me, an internet dive shop for most people.  They usually
have good prices on the TRE fins and/or Plana Avante fins.
Snorkel - Get what you want, but don't get carried away.  Your snorkel
should be large bore (almost all name brands are).  I prefer a flexible but
not very soft lower section without a purge valve.  I actually find the
purge valve models harder to use than one without the valve.  YMMV.  I do
not like any dry snorkel device that significantly increases the size of the
end of the snorkel.  I do like the slotted top on my USD snorkel.  It tends
to keep splash out of the lower portion of the snorkel without creating a
lot of drag.  If you spend $20 on a snorkel, you've probably spend too much.

Lee
____________________________
The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just
that they know so much that isn't so.
Ronald Reagan

Ah yes, the difference in equipment is rather extreme

I would recommend "The Dive Shop" in Fairfax 703.698-7220.

Spend the time to find a mask that fits, and fins that are comfortable,
if you can make time take them to the pool to make sure all is working
well prior to your vacation.

John Mason

The mask is critical, and the only thing that counts is fit. Try all the
masks in the shop and (hopefully) find one that will stay on yer face,
without the strap, looking down, with only the slightest inhaling
through yer nose. Then pay whatever it costs.

Get a cheap, large diameter snorkel. Some folks like the purge, I think
it's useless, but avoid the expensive gimmicky snorkels.

For snorkeling, short cheap fins are the best. Full foot fins are the
best for snorkeling if they fit well. If they are not snug and
comfortable, go for strap fins and get a good pair of booties.