Snorkeling for Beginners: First-timer tips and Mistakes to Avoid

Hanauma bay Oahu travel

Snorkeling for the first time was a life-changing experience for me. I only learned to swim in my adulthood, and my current expertise is being able to float on my back (aka not die in the water lol). Based on my expertise level (total newbie), I wanted to share my 11 snorkeling tips for beginners. These are based on my experience when I went to Hanauma Bay to snorkel with innumerable fishes and a green bay sea turtle.

1. Relax

This might be the most useful snorkeling tip for beginners (and oft the most ignored!). And this applies to beginners for all water activities, including swimming. Learn to relax in the water, and get over your fear of being underwater. This took a lot of patience from me. Take a couple of deep breaths in and out. We tend to breathe faster if we are scared.

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2. Get your own equipment

If possible, buy your equipment rather than renting. For me, this was easily the difference between an OK experience to a wow experience! You can ensure that the equipment is a good fit for you (surprise – we all have different contours to our faces). Additionally, rentals usually do not offer the best quality equipment. Also, consider wearing a floating vest if you are concerned with your swimming skills (no shame in admitting that).

3. Practice prior to the big day

Go somewhere shallow (eg. beach or pool) and practice with your snorkel gear prior to jumping into the deep end. This will help immensely in allaying fears you may have with being underwater with things on your face.

4. Ditch the tour boat

Don’t go on a tour boat the first time you snorkel. I know, I know. The adverts are pretty damn captivating! And their promises to show you sea turtles or dolphins are honestly really tempting! But don’t go for it on your very first snorkeling trip. Save them for your second, or third or even fourth! You know you will go on snorkeling forever because you’re hooked 😉

5. Go early in the morning

Start early morning for the best snorkeling experience! You will find clearer waters (since more movement or activity leads to murkier water quality) and of course, fewer crowds.

6. Be prepared for water entering your mouthpiece

Next up is another important snorkeling tip for beginners. Once you have your face underwater, your mouthpiece is the sole link to fresh, life-affirming oxygen. To have water entering it might cause you to freak out a bit. It’s natural! Therefore, you need to learn how to remove that water. Try it when you practice in a pool or at the beach. In fact, you can even try this in a bathtub. Fill up your tub, dunk your head with gear underwater, and practice breathing and blowing out water that enters your snorkel.

7. Fins are your friends

Fins are not required but highly recommended. They will help you propel your body better than simply relying on your arms. As a matter of fact, your leg muscles are stronger than your arms, so use them to navigate the waters, as you snap pics on your Go-Pro!

Caution: Check beforehand to see at what depth the corals are because this can impact whether you get to use your fins. For example, when I snorkeled in Hanauma bay, the corals were less than a foot below the water surface in some areas! That means, fins were a strict no-no as it could get lodged in the seabed, or harm the corals.

8. Respect marine life

Do not touch any marine life. This might be difficult in places like Hanauma bay where the turtles are super used to humans, so they swim right up to you! But keep a safe distance when you can. Avoid touching or standing on reefs as they can be quite sharp and hurt you.

9. Try not to look sideways

Or down to your feet when in the water. I did this and was immediately coughing up water that entered my mouthpiece (leading to a freak-out moment lol). But, since I knew how to blow out the water (re: tip #6), I was ok.

10. Slow down

And try not to swim too much. The point of snorkeling really is to stop, stare, and enjoy the solitude and peace that comes with being underwater. In addition, this will help you conserve energy and you can watch the fishes better. This will also not muddy the waters. Too much movement brings sand and silt from the bed into the water leading to lower visibility.

11. Enjoy

The fish, turtles, and reefs are beyond fascinating. You will definitely have the time of your life!

Snorkeling for beginners: Hanauma Bay, Hawaii

First of all, starting to snorkel for the first time at Hanuama Bay is simply perfect. The water is shallow, and the corals are thriving just feet away from the shore. The biggest advantage is that newbie snorkelers do not have to jump into the deep end from a boat to view the corals, which can be quite intimidating.

The reward to work ratio is very high, i.e., you will need to swim just a few feet to see the wonders offered by the bay. There are tons of varieties of fish and green bay sea turtles in this area. Wide conservation efforts have helped preserve this natural bay immensely, and you will see a video on it in the visitor section.

If you are traveling to Hawaii’s Oahu island, make it a point to visit Hanauma Bay. Located in the south-eastern corner of the island, it is minutes from Waikiki and Honolulu. Start your day early here and spend at least a half day greeting the marine life. You are bound to befriend a turtle or two – they are used to human interaction and will swim right up to you. Be careful not to touch them though, they are protected species.

Snorkeling for beginners: Maldivian islands

The Maldives are a fantastic location for a first time snorkeler as well! The turquoise waters, variety in marine life and picture-perfect vistas make for a memorable experience. In many Maldivian islands, you can see spinner dolphins, green turtles and reef sharks. Fear not though, because they are harmless. Start snorkeling before noon when the waters are calmer, and you have a higher chance of spotting marine life.

The unique thing about snorkeling in the Maldives is that you could swim to the corals from the beach. Or, you could jump directly from your water villa into the lagoon. Most hotel islands have house reefs that are easily accessible by guests. So, you don’t need to take an expedition out in the open ocean.

So, do you agree with these snorkeling tips for beginners? Let me know in a comment below!

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2 thoughts on “Snorkeling for Beginners: First-timer tips and Mistakes to Avoid”

  1. bina medhi lahkar

    A good article with lots of information and precaution for a snorkel beginner . thank you for presenting such a good writing .

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