Where to Enjoy Snorkeling and Some Hazards to Avoid

You can enjoy snorkeling and breath-hold diving almost any place there is clear water. The most crucial elements to your enjoyment will be water with good visibility and interesting things to see underwater.

When snorkelers and divers talk about visibility they normally describe it in terms of how many feet they can see underwater. Since conditions vary from location to location, how good the visibility appears is a relative term. For example, in California, the visibility is generally considered to be good if you are able to see anything over 30 feet away underwater. However, in the tropics, if you could only see a distance of 30 feet the conditions might be considered "poor." Average underwater visibility in the tropics is usually 50-75 feet with exceptional days in excess of 100 feet. In certain extraordinary locations you may be able to see up to 200 feet underwater.

When you hear snorkelers and divers talk about the "viz," they're referring to the visibility. If you want to be "hip," this is the term to use. The visibility at any underwater site can change radically, sometimes in just a few hours. Weather is normally the biggest factor affecting visibility, including surface waves, breaking surf (at ocean sites), and sun, but it can also be affected by marine life.

In your enthusiasm for snorkeling it's sometimes easy to forget that there are other people with whom you must share popular water sport sites. For example, many areas that are popular for snorkeling are also popular for swimming. As a snorkeler, it's important to be courteous to other people around you in the water, especially to avoid running into them accidentally as you dive or surface from a dive.

Any time there is boat traffic, it is especially important to make sure that you do not put yourself in the path of oncoming vessels. Never snorkel or dive in a ship channel or near a dock.

Always be sure to fly the diver's down flag when you are snorkeling or skin diving, but remember not to expect that every boat operators knows or recognizes this flag. Keep a sharp eye out for boat traffic and be prepared to move out of the way quickly. A snorkeler with only his head sticking out of the water can be very difficult to see.

Personal jet skis also pose a serious hazard to snorkelers because many times the people who operate these craft have only rented them and do not know the rules for safe boat operation. Be especially careful if people are operating watercraft in the area.