Snorkeling concerns

i have only snorkeled once before with a leaky mask and not wonderful results. I am a little nervous to try again. I know I'm not in the best of shape but really want to give it a try. I got a full mask thinking it might help. I might get some fins to take too thought having my own equipment might make me feel more comfortable. I'm hoping to snorkel at grand cayman, Routan, Belize or Cozumel. Or all three if it goes well. Which port might have better snorkeling for a nervous newbie? ;p

Roatan and Belize would be best, IMHO. Both have shallow reefs with fish.

Belize you have to take an excursion to get to the islands reefs. Roatan can do shore or a boat, on your own or an excursion.

Cozumel reefs are too deep to enjoy by snorkeling, it is best for diving.

Grand Cayman also has nice reefs for snorkeling, but I would definitely look at doing the first two.

I would suggest you find a local dive shop with their own pool, and sign up for a snorkeling class. It's typically about 2 hours, and you'll learn a lot that will help you get so much more out of your excursion. The price will likely be less than one excursion, and the comfort and enjoyment will be well worth the investment.

Harris

Denver, CO

Grand Cayman has good snorkeling a short walk from the docks at Eden Rock. Doesn't cost anything to snorkel their unless you rent equipment. A full face mask and set of travel/shorty fins are pretty much all you need and are a good investment. Some people also wear an inflatable vest but in salt water you are pretty buoyant. There is a dive shop at Eden Rock and you can rent a mask, fins and vest for $14 or life vest alone for $7 if you don't have your own. I was there two weeks ago diving while my wife snorkeled and she rented a vest.

Cozumel has very good snorkeling but you most likely will have to book a tour either through the ship or privately. The advantage of that is that the guides will help you get settled. Most will go through what you need to do and watch over you. For what its worth, some of the beach club excursions in Cozumel includes snorkeling. My wife and I did that once and was surprised to learn that you could just walk in an out of the water from shore and snorkel at your leisure. They also had guides to help if needed. Wasn't the best we ever did but we saw a lot of fish and it was fun.

I will say that a full face mask is a heckuva lot more comfortable to use than a conventional mask. Good call on that.

I tried snorkeling for the first time this year and loved it. I found a class at a local dive shop here in Canada for about $25 that includes time in the pool and covers a variety topics including marine life, buddy system, first aid among others. I did my first snorkel in Roatan and found the guides there awesome, split us based on experience/no experience and tailored the instruction accordingly. It was a booked excursion through the cruise line.