I had good luck on-line with Snorkel City (www.snorkelcity.com). Until March 18 they have a deal where if you buy a mask you get a snorkel free.
In a mask I would look for a purge valve which eliminates the annoying problem of water in your mask. In a snorkel I would recommend a dry snorkel which has a valve on top that keeps the water out. The two biggest problems I have seen in beginning snorkelers is being afraid of inhaling water and having a mask that allows water in or continually fogs up.
