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mkcurran
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So if a person has never snorkeled before and wants to give it a go on their cruise in six months...

Where does a person even start? Besides realizing she'll never be a mouth breather and ordering a full face mask?

Do I need fins? Practice will take place in a pool. I'm a natural floater...I don't dive, and don't plan on doing much diving.

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So if a person has never snorkeled before and wants to give it a go on their cruise in six months...

Where does a person even start? Besides realizing she'll never be a mouth breather and ordering a full face mask?

Do I need fins? Practice will take place in a pool. I'm a natural floater...I don't dive, and don't plan on doing much diving.

 

The best advice I can give you is to find a dive shop in your area, and take a snorkeling class. The small cost (less than a single snorkeling excursion) will help you get much more enjoyment out of your trip, and you will be far more confident and comfortable.

 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

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So if a person has never snorkeled before and wants to give it a go on their cruise in six months...

Where does a person even start? Besides realizing she'll never be a mouth breather and ordering a full face mask?

Do I need fins? Practice will take place in a pool. I'm a natural floater...I don't dive, and don't plan on doing much diving.

 

I am relatively new to snorkeling and similar to you in being a natural floater, no diving (yet).

 

I second the recommendation to find a dive shop to try on equipment, especially to have your own mask. I've heard mixed things about the full face mask re: CO2 build-up, and if you plan to do any diving it won't work for that.

 

Practicing first sounds ideal. My first experience was on a NCL excursion in Roatan, Honduras. The guides were excellent and I loved everything I could see, but if I'd practiced before I'm sure I'd have been more comfortable and seen even more. Our second trip was a Carnival excursion in Nassau, and even though it had only been 2 years I struggled more with relaxing and remembering what to do (there was no real instruction for it).

 

We are cruising at the end of the summer and purchased our own equipment for this trip, including fins. We plan to snorkel from the beach and didn't want to mess with rentals. Getting my own fins fit much better vs. relying on the tour company. I also feel more comfortable having my own personal snorkel and mask vs. ones used by many others.

 

I suspect a private boat tour will give you a better first experience than a cruise ship excursion or snorkeling from the beach. I loved losing myself and the world fading away for the time I was snorkeling. I hope you have a great time:cool:

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The best advice I can give you is to find a dive shop in your area, and take a snorkeling class. The small cost (less than a single snorkeling excursion) will help you get much more enjoyment out of your trip, and you will be far more confident and comfortable.

 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

The one and only local dive shop doesn't offer snorkeling classes. Hazards of living in the desert I suppose.

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The one and only local dive shop doesn't offer snorkeling classes. Hazards of living in the desert I suppose.

 

Darn,

 

 

if you'll give us an idea of where you are, I can probably find somewhere for you to take a class.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

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Near Yuma, AZ

 

Indeed you are in a blank space for dive centers. Unless you could tie your course (about 3 hours) in with a trip to either Phoenix or San Diego, the best advice I have would be to get hold of some gear and practice in the pool. You'll quickly realize fins are going to be a big part of being able to move about. That being said, fins are readily available when you go on your trip for rent, so they may not be worth buying (and packing).

 

 

If you go to the Dive SSI site, you can access the Snorkeling On Line course for free (you'll have to create an account, which is also free).

 

https://www.divessi.com/en/highlights/snorkeling/

 

Harris

 

Denver, CO

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So if a person has never snorkeled before and wants to give it a go on their cruise in six months...

 

 

To give you better suggestions why don't you tell us where is the cruiseship stopping, I snorkeled at many places in the Caribbean and almost every place is different, some I will recommend a snorkeling boat tour and other places just doing it by yourself from the beach.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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To give you better suggestions why don't you tell us where is the cruiseship stopping, I snorkeled at many places in the Caribbean and almost every place is different, some I will recommend a snorkeling boat tour and other places just doing it by yourself from the beach.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Mexican Riviera. Looking to snorkle off Deer & Goat Islands.

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Full face mask is *much* easier to use, no lessons required. Buy one and test it in a bathtub.

 

If you want fins, the shortie swim fins are almost as efficient as long fins for surface snorkeling, and are much easier to pack and carry.

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Full face mask is easy to use but you have to get the perfect fit. Instead, start with a basic dry snorkle and order a decent goggle/ nose mask to go with it. Get the drops to keep your mask clear instead of spitting in it. Easier for beginners. You go under water and mouth breathing gets easy. If you are not a strong swimmer than get shorty fins and neoprene socks to wear inside the fins (fins rub and create miserable blisters and rash quickly). If you are a strong swimmer and can handle ocean currents you can skip the fins, but they make a big difference in how much energy you expend, even while floating on the surface. If you are at home in the ocean you won’t need the snorkle vest, but all excursions will tell you to wear theirs for safety and to be able to spot you in the water if nothing else.

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Full face mask is easy to use but you have to get the perfect fit.

 

I don’t agree. I have a small, narrow face and need to use a child-sized half mask for a good fit. I cannot use my hubby’s half mask, and vice versa. Yet we can easily swap a full face mask back and forth.

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So if a person has never snorkeled before and wants to give it a go on their cruise in six months...

Where does a person even start? Besides realizing she'll never be a mouth breather and ordering a full face mask?

Do I need fins? Practice will take place in a pool. I'm a natural floater...I don't dive, and don't plan on doing much diving.

 

If you are planning to cruise to the Caribbean, you should be able to find an excursion operator that will provide you with equipment for the cost of your snorkel trip. If you want to bring your own mask and snorkel, feel free. Fins weigh a lot if flying into your embarkation port.

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The advice here on full face masks is good... They fit well on most and the integrated snorkel is fantastic. 9 out of 10 snorkel trips I have done were good with first timers. Ship and local tours alike. There are three most difficult things: 1. Fear of deep water. If this is no problem, good! 2. Getting off the boat and back on. Get as close to the water as you can, legs in if possible to make it easiest. To get out hand your fins one at a time up to someone. 3. Rough water. If the waves are more than 1 foot or there is a current, it is harder for a first timer. Try to swim against the current first and let it carry you in the last minutes. If their plan does not allow that, limit your time and don't let yourself tire too soon.

 

 

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