IMO Trunk Bay has the best snorkeling there are so many places to go on ST John I don't think u would have to do a charter trip to snorkel unless you ant to check out other islands. Good luck Justin

There is great snorkeling from the shore all over the island. Waterlemon Cay is a great one, but you can see some great stuff on the right side of Francis Bay, turtles in the grasses at Maho, nice coral at Gibney and Hawksnest and that is just the North Shore.
I HIGHLY recommend that you pick up a copy of Feet, Fins, and 4WD. It is such a great resource and will become a trusted source for planning. You can order it online

That is a quick trip, so I don’t think that I would use up a day going to the BVI, but that is just me. You could charter a boat and captain for the day and that would get you to Pussers and the Soggy Dollar. I recommend Palm Tree Charters with Captain John, but depending on how many in your party, it may not make sense financially.

I have an underwater case for my point and shoot digital camera and I love it.

It is never too early to plan!

With such a short trip planned I think you'd be better off staying on STJ and saving a trip to the BVI for another adventure. You don't have to go to the BVI to find Pussers rum as it's available here as well! The "new" Pussers which is the only one you probably know isn't anywhere near as good as the original recipe but you might also try the Cruzan Blackstrap which is really delicious.

Unless you're planning on giving it a lot of mileage, a good disposable underwater camera will probably suit you just fine. I'm sure some of the posters on here will come up with some recommendations. As far as snorkeling is concerned, Trunk Bay is fun for a novice snorkeler (try to avoid a day when there are a lot of cruise ships in town) but there are so many spots on St John for excellent off-beach snorkeling and if you use this site's search engine you'll find a lot of suggestions in previous posts. Have fun - and no it's not too early to make plans for next February or at least doing research to decide how you want to spend your time. But remember not to over plan as once you get on island you'll settle into relaxation mode very quickly and timetables always look rather grueling when you're laying on a beach with a rum in your hand!

Answers to some of your questions depend an a few things;
Are you renting a jeep?
If not, where are you staying?
Do you plan on walking or taking a taxi or other transportation to beaches?
Are you a strong swimmer and experienced snorkeler?
Are you up for a hike to the beach that you would like to snorkel from?

St John offers some of the best walk-in off the beach snorkeling of any Caribbean island that I have visited. Since you are traveling solo I would first suggest Trunk Bay as this is the only public beach with lifeguards. In my opinion it is not the best snorkel on the island although We visit Trunk every time we are on island and I still like the snorkel there. Next I suggest Hawksnest. This is a beach that has good snorkeling very close to the beach and you will always find people there which adds to the comfort level if snorkeling solo. If you are a confident swimmer/snorkeler I would suggest Waterlemon Cay. I would not suggest that you snorkel there alone though. On a good day you will find at least a few groups of snorkelers and there are always boats moored in Leinster Bay that could provide some assistance if needed.

Please know that your safety depends on so many factors, one of these is water and wind. Hawksnest for instance is a great location if the wind and surf is calm and not at low tide. The reef is close to the beach and that makes for a very shallow snorkel when the tide is low. Surf will push you onto the coral if you are not careful or if conditions are not right. Waterlemon Cay has a current that you have to deal with. Sometimes it is much stronger than others. Your swim back to your entry point can be quite a swim some days.

I would not take a side trip since this is your first StJ visit. There is so much to do and see on the island that you really don't need to spend the time to take a ferry somewhere else.

I would recommend the book Off the Beaten Path by Gerald Singer for an island guide and snorkel location descriptions. I believe you can find it for sale on this VINOW website. There is also a section here for information on snorkels, hikes and other things St John. Also use the website www.seestjohn.com for more information from Gerald Singer.

Thank you all for your help! I will be renting a jeep so I can get around easier. I have snorkeled several times. I went to the keys in 2008 and did 1 snorkel tour and then snorkeled off the beach in Bahia Honda and off the beach where we stayed several times. I'm a pretty strong swimer, I grew up going to the beach in Ocean City md and the Outer Banks every summer, so I feel I'm good. lol So I shouldn't worry about going on a boat just go off the beaches instead? I want to go to trunk bay and do the snorkel trail thing. That sounds SOOO cool. I may go for 7 days because the place I'm going to stay, wit will be the same if I stay for 5 days or 7 days. Also, should I explore STT? I plan on renting a jeep on STJ, so I can't drive over there. Is there like a MUST see in STT that I should not pass up? The place I'm staying out is in Coral Bay area. But since I have a car I'l go any where in STJ. As for a hike, I'm not sure, depends on how long and hard. lol

Thanks!!!

You may want to check into Low Key Watersports to see if there are any snorkel trips that you may want to take. Being solo is your biggest deterent to a safe snorkel. Being with an organized group will get you places that you might not feel comfortable doing on your own.
Since your going to be in the Coral Bay area, keep in mind that there are many South shore beaches and bays that offer great snorkel opportunities. Many people only visit the North shore because of the great beaches. The south shore also offers calm waters on some days when the north shore is windy.
Our visits to STT are for the duty free shopping in Charolotte Amalie but I am sure that there is plenty to see in STT.

I have used the disposable many times and do not care for them much. They tend to turn out blue and if you miss the fish in the picture you do not know until you develop them.

We picked up the Cannon D10 digital camera this year before we went on our cruise. We love the camera, takes great pictures under water as well as above. We went to turtle cove along Buck Island (replied to your other post). I would be glad to email you some pictures we took if you would like. I do not see how to attach them here. Lots of turtle pictures, my wife is kind of obsessed as well.

You could take a snorkel trip that would take you to Jost Van Dyke as part of that trip. Also, I would never recommend leaving St. John to go over to St. Thomas. Even if you had two weeks, I wouldn't recommend taking time away from St. John for St. Thomas. If you had more time it might be nice to take the ferry to Tortola and/or Jost for the day. We have friends who did that a couple of years ago, but we were on St. John for 2 weeks. I didn't go because I have already spent 2 weeks on Tortola. It was a nice trip, but for me it does not compare to St. John. Actually, for me nothing compares to St. John, and I have been to St Martin, St. Lucia, Saba, Belize, and Kaui. All were good to see once, but St. John is my favorite. I keep saying I'm going to stop telling sooo many people about it so it won't get crowed, but I would feel guilty not sharing.

And, it never hurts to plan and dream early. I can't wait to get there again. Next week at this time I hope to be having a painkiller at Skinny Legs. Make sure you try one. It's our favorite drink.

rose wrote:
And, it never hurts to plan and dream early. I can't wait to get there again. Next week at this time I hope to be having a painkiller at Skinny Legs. Make sure you try one. It's our favorite drink.

Lol yeah I'm like the more I plan the more I'll know where to go. haha I'm not a fan of painkillers. I live in Annapolis, MD and Puser's has them. But I will be hitting Skinny Leg's I heard it's a great place.

Thanks eveyone! So helpful!!