How To Prepare For A Snorkel Tour So That It’s An Epic Time

I don’t know about you, but if the destination is by the water, I’m probably going to be snorkeling. Sometimes you can find great snorkeling right off the beach which is awesome. But other times it’s worth taking a boat tour to be able to snorkel with wildlife in amazing reefs. After taking different snorkel tours in all sorts of different places around the world, today I’m sharing my best tips on how to prepare for a snorkel tour in a few easy steps to make sure it’s an epic experience.

How To Prepare For A Snorkel Tour So That It’s An Epic Time

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De-fog your goggles

Whether you use your own equipment or not, I recommend de-fogging your mask with baby shampoo before you go snorkeling.

One of the things that can really ruin a snorkel tour is fidgeting with your mask the whole time because it’s foggy and you can’t see anything. The whole point of the tour is to see the underwater world.

You can pack a travel size container with some and do it on the boat if you borrow snorkel gear. Or, if you have your own gear, you can do it in your hotel room before the tour.

I’ve tried just about everything – chemical de-fog, toothpaste, plants, spit and baby shampoo is the thing that has worked the best in my experience.

The video below shows you how to do it.

Use your own gear if possible

It might not be possible all the time, but if you plan to more snorkel experiences over time, it’s well worth investing in your own gear.

Firstly, the gear that is usually rented out on tours is just not that good. You can have a much more enjoyable time with better equipment.

Secondly, when you get your own gear then it is fitted to you. You don’t need to waste time making sure the mask fits your face or get blisters because the fins didn’t fit right.

You only need three things:

• Mask
• Snorkel
• Fins

For a mask, just go to a local outdoor store and find one that fits your face well.

The snorkel is an important part. You’ll notice that when you rent gear on the tour, it’s usually a basic tube. That means everything that goes out (air and water) can also go in.

When you use these, you usually suck in a lot more salt water which can make you sick and dehydrated. You also waste more energy having to blow the water out all the time.

I recommend choosing a snorkel like this one with a valve so that you can blow water and air out, but it won’t be coming in.

Lastly, your fins just need to be something comfortable that fit your feet. Try to look for a sturdy fin area so they don’t snap with the first sign of pressure.

I use the Da Fin brand because they look great, are sturdy (I’ve been using the same pair since 2015), and they’re small enough that makes them very easy to travel with. I can fit them in my backpack easily.

You don’t need anything super fancy or over the top, but having your own gear can make it a more seamless experience.

Combat seasickness

Seasickness is probably the biggest thing that is going to ruin your time.

Not everyone gets it, so if you’ve never been on a boat before then you might not know if you get it or not.

If you’re not sure if you get seasick or not, play it safe just in case.

• Pack some motion sickness medicine
• Eat a light and dry breakfast (e.g. toast) or have an energy gel before the trip
• Avoid things like spicy food, dairy, coffee before the tour
• Sit in the shaded parts of the boat
• Keep your head cool

Hydrate the day prior

Hydration is another seemingly basic thing that can have a big impact. Sometimes you don’t realize how dehydrated you are until your legs are cramping in the water (which sucks!) or it hits you once you get out of the water.

Drinking a bit of water on your way to the boat isn’t enough though. Your hydration needs to start the day before as a minimum. I mean, it’s good to drink a lot of water anyway for your body to function well.

The day before your snorkel tour, drink plenty of water and eat good meals. If the food I’m eating isn’t already salty, I will add a little salt to help retain a little water and prevent cramps.

Sometimes I’ll take either energy gels like these or a Powerade/Gatorade with me on the boat too.

Snorkeling can be deceiving because you’re kept cool in the water and on the boat so the dehydration usually doesn’t hit you until it’s a bigger problem. Just stay on top of it before the trip and it will make for a better experience.

Make the most of your water time

You only have a little bit of time in the water when you take a snorkel tour. Perhaps you’ve traveled to get there and this might be the only time you get to see this reef or area.

Make the most of this time.

When the crew give the green light to get in the water, be ready to jump in the water.

Wasting another 10 minutes to get your gear on and prepare seems like a waste of the experience you’re paying for.

Here are some things I do to be ready to go:

• Take beach dress off so I’m just wearing my swimsuit
• Put sunscreen on
• There’s usually a dry box on the boat so I put my bag with everything not going in the water in it
• Have my mask de-fogged
• Tie my hair up to be ready for snorkeling (I like to wear mine above the mask strap)
• I don’t wear my fins until just before I jump off the boat, but I hold them so they’re ready to go

Use a good underwater camera

Once you jump in and that underwater world is revealed to you, you’re going to want to document it.

I have used a GoPro since 2013 and swear by them. They’ve only gotten better and better with each model from picture quality, to video stabilization, to the features.

All the photos in this post have been taken by different models of a GoPro.

I recommend using it with a stick like this one. This is my favorite for snorkeling because it extends quite long, so you are able to get much better photos of animals you see in the water. Usually when you get close to them, the animal will dart off. But when the stick is getting close to them but not your whole body, then they are less skittish.

It’s also got a wrist strap to save you from losing it in the water. Even if you don’t think that will happen, it does. I’ve rescued GoPro’s for a few people who dropped theirs in the water.

Other guides you might enjoy:

• My Top Tips On How To Get Photos As A Solo Female Traveler

• Bad Travel Advice That You Should Probably Just Ignore

• How To Keep Your Valuables Safe At The Beach As A Solo Female Traveler

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