r/snorkeling

My partner and I booked a trip to the Maldives for our anniversary. I really want to explore the reefs, but I'm not the strongest swimmer and I tend to get tired/anxious when I'm in open water for too long.

Besides wearing a life vest, are there any gadgets or gear that can help me keep up and feel more confident in the water? I just want to enjoy the marine life without feeling exhausted after 10 minutes.

We are a group of 3 friends who are visiting catalina in a couple of weeks. It's our first time snorkeling and we are kinda doubtful about the level of swimming required for it. We are planning to take a guided tour where they said that they will provide us with wetsuits. 2 of us know how to swim (but not regular swimmers so not a lot of stamina) and 1 person knows the bare minimum of swimming (almost nothing).

My concern is that it will be tiring to swim+snorkel for the 1 hour of the tour that we are in the water for since there will be waves from the ocean as well. The tour company said that they don't provide life jackets but I think we can rent them from some other shop. Would that be recommended since it might make staying afloat easier?

Any recommendations highly appreciated!

Really just looking for suggestions for snorkeling the Florida coasts ! Some must haves to make each trip smoother more memorable and even gear or camera suggestions as I love to capture underwater photography!

anyone have a good place to buy prescription masks for snorkling with built in script plus an astigmatism. ? who is best?

I am lucky to live in New Zealand.

Last year I snorkelled in Fiji which was amazing. The Yasawas I think it was.

Where are my best bets if I wish to plan a holiday around snorkelling?

Side note: also consider places like Bali as it’s much cheaper than some of the Southern Pacific so worth going the extra distance

I am planning a trip somewhere in the Caribbean for this October or November. I know my choices are limited due to hurricane season. I would love something similar to what I experienced in Moorea - sandy beach, easy entry, shallow reef - but I am willing to enter via coral beaches as well. I was thinking Bonaire, but I am seeing mixed reports on snorkeling experiences there. Would love to know the best spots you've been to in the last couple of years.