First time snorkeling...

[dnj1]

I have lots of questions.

 

1. A good place for snorking in Belize for first timers? Should I do a Carnival excursion?

2. I cant swim, but not afraid of water, can I handle this?

3. Can you wear the mask or goggles with contacts?

4. Should I buy my own gear? or rent wherever we go?

5. Daughter age 7, will goggle or mask be best fit for her? She swims a just a little.

6. Whats the difference with weight and non weighted vest/ What's best and why?

 

Lots of questions. Feel free to chime in and share your opinions or any adivce you may have. It will be DH (swimmer) and I(swims like a rock:)) and ages 13 (swimmer) and 7(basic swimmer)

Thanks

[dnj1]

also, I would like to be with a tour group. I dont want to just go to a beach and snorkel ourselves. Roatan is our other stop if they have better tour operators.

Suggestions???

[Stevesan]

also, I would like to be with a tour group. I dont want to just go to a beach and snorkel ourselves. Roatan is our other stop if they have better tour operators.

Suggestions???

 

 

There is excellent snorkeling from Roatan's Tabyana Beach. that's the best choice for your first snorkel, and you won't be alone. A guide will be available. It's good to have a guide for your first time.

 

If it's not a strain on the wallet, I suggest you buy snorkel masks for you and daughter before leaving home. You can practice wearing it in the ship's swimming pool. Since you can't swim, a vest will definitely be necessary. You can inflate it to your "float level". I think I just created a phrase.:p

 

If you are determined to have a boat trip for your inaugural snorkel, I strongly recommend you book with an independent operator, especially for your first time. Coral Breeze at Belize is universally recommended on the Belize message board.

Most cruise ship boat snorkels are cattle calls and the guide won't have time to help you acclimate.

 

Having said all that, I recommend you and daughter visit a dive shop before you leave home. The people there will be glad to explain the uses for snorkel gear, and is the best place to buy snorkel masks to insure a proper fit.

If you are only near or far sighted, the shop might have a mask in stock. If you have astigmatism, the shop can order a mask with the proper correction.

However, you can wear your contacts.

[dnj1]

There is excellent snorkeling from Roatan's Tabyana Beach. that's the best choice for your first snorkel, and you won't be alone. A guide will be available. It's good to have a guide for your first time.

 

If it's not a strain on the wallet, I suggest you buy snorkel masks for you and daughter before leaving home. You can practice wearing it in the ship's swimming pool. Since you can't swim, a vest will definitely be necessary. You can inflate it to your "float level". I think I just created a phrase.:p

 

If you are determined to have a boat trip for your inaugural snorkel, I strongly recommend you book with an independent operator, especially for your first time. Coral Breeze at Belize is universally recommended on the Belize message board.

Most cruise ship boat snorkels are cattle calls and the guide won't have time to help you acclimate.

 

Having said all that, I recommend you and daughter visit a dive shop before you leave home. The people there will be glad to explain the uses for snorkel gear, and is the best place to buy snorkel masks to insure a proper fit.

If you are only near or far sighted, the shop might have a mask in stock. If you have astigmatism, the shop can order a mask with the proper correction.

However, you can wear your contacts.

 

I would like a boat trip out. Is the water still shallow though? I will definately get gear and practice prior to leaving. Ill look into Coral Breeze thanks. other suggestions welcomed.

[PhotogJon]

I would like a boat trip out. Is the water still shallow though? I will definitely get gear and practice prior to leaving. Ill look into Coral Breeze thanks. other suggestions welcomed.

With the Shark/Ray Alley in Belize with Coral Breeze the depths do get to around 30' or more but it looks like some are around 10'. With the vest you can just float and watch plus they are very good with helping people who need the extra help in the water.

[Colorado Kat]

5. Daughter age 7, will goggle or mask be best fit for her? She swims a just a little.

 

Lots of questions. Feel free to chime in and share your opinions or any adivce you may have. It will be DH (swimmer) and I(swims like a rock:)) and ages 13 (swimmer) and 7(basic swimmer)

 

Snorkeling is very relaxing. Yes, you can handle it.

 

Yes, contacts work fine under a mask, but make sure you bring spare contacts. Things happen, and contacts get lost. That is why we have disposable contacts.

 

If excursion, they will supply snorkel vests.

 

Have fun!

[dnj1]

Snorkeling is very relaxing. Yes, you can handle it.

 

Yes, contacts work fine under a mask, but make sure you bring spare contacts. Things happen, and contacts get lost. That is why we have disposable contacts.

 

If excursion, they will supply snorkel vests.

 

Have fun!

 

 

Thanks, I'll make sure to carry an extra pair of lenses. I will ask for a vest for sure. But planned on buying gear ahead of time.

[dnj1]

With the Shark/Ray Alley in Belize with Coral Breeze the depths do get to around 30' or more but it looks like some are around 10'. With the vest you can just float and watch plus they are very good with helping people who need the extra help in the water.

 

 

Coral Breeze has a good name on CC. Looks like I will go with them. Do they pick you up from the ship directly?

[PhotogJon]

Coral Breeze has a good name on CC. Looks like I will go with them. Do they pick you up from the ship directly?

Yes... be sure to reserve them early as they tend to fill up quickly...

[Capt_BJ]

I cant swim

 

 

Sorry but I was a life guard in one form or another for over 40 years and have pulled countless folks out of the water - pools, beaches, oceans and 'snorkel excursions'

 

If you know you can not swim you should not be going into water past your knees.

 

You can NOT trust a snorkel vest or any form of floatation device.

 

If you take your non-swimming daughter snorkeling knowing you can not swim . . . . do you think DH and DS can pull you and DD to safety if you get into trouble at the same time?

 

please please DO NOT DO IT.

[dnj1]

I cant swim

 

 

Sorry but I was a life guard in one form or another for over 40 years and have pulled countless folks out of the water - pools, beaches, oceans and 'snorkel excursions'

 

If you know you can not swim you should not be going into water past your knees.

 

You can NOT trust a snorkel vest or any form of floatation device.

 

If you take your non-swimming daughter snorkeling knowing you can not swim . . . . do you think DH and DS can pull you and DD to safety if you get into trouble at the same time?

 

please please DO NOT DO IT.

 

Thanks for your advice. Note sincerely taken.

[aggieastrosfan]

Coral Breeze has a good name on CC. Looks like I will go with them. Do they pick you up from the ship directly?

 

Hey there! :)

 

We've done the shark/ray alley trip with Coral Beeze before and are doing it again on the Magic. They pick up near where the tender drops off. At least, they did in 2005 when we were on the Grand Princess. :)

 

I went online to go book, but I've noticed they don't have any dates scheduled for August yet.

[cruisingforsix]

In roatan we snorkeled with Upachaya and it was a fantastic tour. I would get my own gear.

[Snorkel Dawg]

I'll 2nd Upachaya but not if you can't swim. Great experience but it was pretty choppy the day we were out there and I would not chance it with children that can't swim. Don't mean to be cold at all, just safe. Why not go to your local YMCA and learn to swim before going :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[capncarp]

Basic swimming is not complex; agree with suggestion on local Y to get lessons, plus practice at the Y or at community pool. Check out the internet for extra hints. Not being afraid of water is a big plus; you won't have to get over the fear factor.

My BIL gave me one piece of advice for snorkelling/scuba diving:

"Even at sea level, water is 32 times harder to breathe than air--stick to breathing only air as long as you can."

[Mirrtor]

I cant swim

 

 

Sorry but I was a life guard in one form or another for over 40 years and have pulled countless folks out of the water - pools, beaches, oceans and 'snorkel excursions'

 

If you know you can not swim you should not be going into water past your knees.

 

You can NOT trust a snorkel vest or any form of floatation device.

 

If you take your non-swimming daughter snorkeling knowing you can not swim . . . . do you think DH and DS can pull you and DD to safety if you get into trouble at the same time?

 

please please DO NOT DO IT.

 

I am sorry to ruin the fun, but I can only strongly second this opinion!

If you cannot swim, do not go snorkeling. You need to know how to move in water and should better know how to use fins (although this works with first timers)

There is the possibility of water in the snorkel and in the mask. You need to be able to keep your head above the water all by yourself if you need to clean the gear...

The flotation device is nice, but what happens if you drift a little away from the boat?

And if your child needs support during the snorkeling? You won't be in a state to help her much.

Otherwise - try to get a course for swimming and then snorkeling for both of you- you'll learn it quickly if you feel comfortable in water (it's not rocket science ;) ) . Then go snorkeling and enjoy it together with your child.

[Burpelson]

I agree that you should practice and learn to swim ahead of time. Also, keep in mind that a snorkel vest is a fairly fragile device that will not work if torn or punctured (against rocks, slow leak you didn't notice, etc). You can snorkel decently with a coast guard approved full up life vest. You won't be able to adjust flotation to dive deeper, but I doubt you will be doing that at this point. So prep ahead of time, and give some thought to a full up life vest. It will fit snugly, and is highly unlikely to slip off (esp if you can find one with a crotch strap - or get a strap as an accessory), and will let you keep your head up while you get any water out of your mask and snorkel - which is bound to happen.

 

All that said, snorkeling is a GREAT and PEACEFUL JOY. So I think you will find these efforts more than worth it.

[TrqoisWtrs]

Whats the difference with weight and non weighted vest/ What's best and why?

 

You definitely do not want a weighted vest for snorkeling. That's for scuba. :)

[skittl1321]

1. A good place for snorking in Belize for first timers? Should I do a Carnival excursion?

Can't answer this specifically as I haven't been to Belize. However, I think first timers should really try out a pool. The ocean can be somewhat frightening.

 

2. I cant swim, but not afraid of water, can I handle this?

Snorkeling requires swimming. Why not sign up to take some lessons before you go. There are some places where a non-swimmer would be able to stand up, but even in those, you occasionally get currents that can be deadly. Most snorkeling is done with a boyancy vest (we don't wear anything) - NOT a PFD/life preserver. The boyancy vest isn't going to help you out much if you are suddenly in a dangerous situation.

 

3. Can you wear the mask or goggles with contacts?

Contacts are great in a mask or goggles, but if you forget them, the water magnifies everything a bit. Goggles don't work for snorkeling.

 

4. Should I buy my own gear? or rent wherever we go?

A decent snorkel mask and snorkel costs $30 on amazon. (We like the dry top snorkels with purge valve.) It is worth it to buy. Okay sets can sometimes run you $10. No reason not to buy if you plan to do it more than once. This also means you can practice snorkeling before you get there- at a local pool, or even in the bathtub (just get your head underwater and work on the breathing.)

 

5. Daughter age 7, will goggle or mask be best fit for her? She swims a just a little.

 

You can't snorkel in goggles (well unless you are really good, part of scuba training is to learn to breathe through the snorkel without the nose blocked off). The nose needs to be covered. There are 'junior' sized masks for kids. I got my first one when I was about 7, and I was a small kid.

 

6. Whats the difference with weight and non weighted vest/ What's best and why?

The weighted vest is designed to make scuba divers sink. You don't want that. The boyancy vest is to help a snorkeler float a bit easier (though floating in salt water is so easy for most people). Again though, it is not a life saving device.

 

 

Please, please, please, take a swimming lesson before going snorkeling! I also recommend practicing snorkeling in a pool at home. I am a very good swimmer, but have major mask anxiety because I am a nose breather. I feel like I am suffocating. In Cozumel I ended up ditching the mask + snorkel and just swam with my husband for an hour because I kept freaking out when I'd surface. I can only snorkel in 20 minute increments it seems. And that is better than it used to be! Practice is a good thing. I now watch TV in my mask to help with the anxiety.

 

 

(Also- you might go to a pool and practice your swimming, you may or may not actually need lessons. "Can't swim" has a lot of different levels. You don't need to be able to do any sort of racing stroke to be a swimmer. You just need to be able to propel yourself in a certain direction with purpose. Learning to tread water is also a really useful skill, to be able to keep yourself above water, this just takes some coordination and stamina. Being able to do either of these things is better than nothing.)

[Eli90]

I can swim but I'm not a "strong swimmer", what level of ability do you need to be able to go scuba diving/snorkelling?

[skittl1321]

I can swim but I'm not a "strong swimmer", what level of ability do you need to be able to go scuba diving/snorkelling?

 

My scuba certification class requires a no-time limit 200 meter swim and 10 minute water tread. Nothing tough. Most people say you need to be able to do quite a bit more than this to be safe in an emergency.

 

I would say that for snorkeling 99% of the time, you're just floating. The problem is if something goes wrong, are you confident enough in the water that you can keep yourself safe? I can't generally swim against strong currents, but I can tread water for like an hour... I can swim well enough to get out of a light current. Because I know I can't fight a strong current, I never swim alone (quite honestly it makes me nervous that sometimes my husband does...) he has once had to give me a little push to get over a line of waves I just couldn't get past in forward momentum. You don't need to be an Olympic swimmer to snorkel, but you should be confident enough that you can stay safe. Keep in mind you are more boyant in the ocean, so floating is easier. Snorkelers generally wear a boyancy vest (we don't wear anything) but they are often flimsy little things, not like life jackets you are used to seeing. I wouldn't count on one to keep me safe, just to save my energy as I swim myself.

[Eli90]

Thanks, that was really helpful, I wouldn't be confident going out alone so I would make sure I was always with someone. I've never been exposed to a strong current so I don't know whether I would cope or seriously struggle! I'll have a serious think about it, I wouldn't want anything to go wrong and spoil the whole holiday!

[Yoyo123]

Good question, am also gonna snorkel for the 1st time, I know how to swim in the swimming pool. My question is if you wearing that musk are you able to breath with it if you may decide to deep snorkel.

[Host Star]

some of the best snorkeling i've done is off the beach in roatan... that might be the best idea for first timers rather than over your head in deep water off a boat.. and the beach is lovely.. the ship will have a tour going to tabyana beach..

[skittl1321]

Good question, am also gonna snorkel for the 1st time, I know how to swim in the swimming pool. My question is if you wearing that musk are you able to breath with it if you may decide to deep snorkel.

 

Not sure I understand the question, so sorry if my answer makes no sense.

 

The mask contains no air. You can only stay under water as long as you can hold your breath. When you surface (your snorkel surfaces, your face does not need to) use your remaining breath to blow the water out if your snorkel so that the airway is clear. It is now reccomended when you dive deep to not keep the snorkel in your mouth because it can introduce water into the breathing passages, just let it hang from your goggles and put back into your mouth when you are ready. I think the risk is small and most people leave the snorkel in their mouths on shallow dives.