I am an experienced diver and snorkeler so have no problems, but my wife is neither and she has a phobia about enclosing her face.

Years ago we took a day sail on the Winifred out of Red Hook over to St. John and when it was time to snorkel she told them her problem. They outfitted her with a flotation belt, fins,T-shirt, and a bucket with a glass bottom that she could look through and see everything without submerging her head. It worked great and she really enjoyed her one and only "snorkel without a snorkel experience."

I have never had occasion to look for a glass bottomed bucket but I bet someone on this board can tell our fearful snorkelers about where to find one or something comparable.

By the way the Winifred is still around, but I don;t know if they still have a bucket.

Mask fit is important.
Do not make your strape to tight. it disforms the seal and makes it leak worse. Just make it snug. it will also give you a hugh headache and break your strape.

Make sure the strape is up near the top part of your head. where your pony tail would be for the ladies. or where your bald spot starts for you guys. if you have it on or beneath your ears, if will flood for sure.

Practice breathing thru the snorkel before you get in the water is getts your breating thing down.

don't freak out, take your time, relax, go slow, and you will have a great time

Take it from me, since I learned this after the fact from my doctor, NEVER EVER urinate in the ocean, girls! When you do, you will pull in ocean water. Which is full of coral. And bacteria. If you do, you will develop the world's worst bladder infection! So, if you have to go T T - - find a pot-T! Or at least stand up out of the ocean....

Pull in ocean water? Hmmmmmm.......I thought you pee out........oh well, you never stop learning. I learn something new every day.

Great thread! Everything from snorkeling to moustaches to peeing....... LOL!!

You do pee out. When you're finished, the Kegel muscles force back. Hence pulling in ocean water. Believe me. Called in a prescription for antibiotics the next day while on vacation. Boy was it embarrassing admitting what I did when he asked me if I had peed in the ocean....

Lesson learned. 🙂

I am not making light of your malady, LLBL, it just struck me on the humerous side when I read your post at the end of the snorkeling thread!

Antibiotics are not cheap either! Oh, and by the way ladies, keep doing those Kegel exercises....we men REALLY do appreciate it!!!

LLBL - I'm embarrassed to say that I have peed many times in the ocean (when its warm enough to relax) but have never had that happen to me. But now that I know its a possibility, I'll only do it if its an ABSOLUTE emergency! (not because I'm too lazy to swim ashore and walk up to the room heehee)

Thanks Diana. We have a dive shop close to us and i'm going over there tomorrow to get one for myself and daughter, who's hair is down to her waist. I know she'd have a problem.

We will be going to STJ in 2007. My 11 year old is a little scared about snorkeling. What is the best flotation device for a child of about 70 pounds (he is little)? I told him that it is easy and he will love it. He isn't the best swimmer. That bucket with the clear bottom would be right up his alley. I was hoping that he could do more practicing before then, but since we live in Wisconsin, I don't think that will be happening now.
Should we have him use a full life vest? Any suggestions to help make him feel less scared? He doesn't want to listen to his Mom.

Hey Terri

Have him pratice in the bathtub 🙂

The hardest part is the breathing underwater for most people, so you can just have him pratice that part while taking a bath (might be a good incentive:) )

Sorry, can't help with the floatation info, but I know you can get child size vests and I think belts. The other option is to have him lay over a "noodle" and just use his legs (being careful not to kick the coral of course) Have seen many do this at the beach.

Hope this helps

Pia

I was made fun of last year for wearing a snorkel vest. I am not a good swimmer and have some fear of being in ocean water. I nearly drowned last year at Coki beach because I was too tired to make it back to shore. At Trunk I rented a vest and really enjoyed being in the water. This year before our trip I ordered a snorkel vest to take with me. I got mine at www.look4quality.com. They have many vests adult and junior sizes. I got one with a mesh pocket in front. It arrived pretty quickly too. It's nice to have the vest on and not worry about having to swim or try to float, which I can't do. Put the vest on and relax.
Amy

Thanks for the tips. I will have him try it in a pool since we will probably be at a hotel with a pool at Christmas time. I will look at that website for vests. A noodle is a good idea too.
I think we will start at Hawksnest because it is shallow.
I can't wait and I have 8 months before our trip!
Terri

Peeing in the Ocean? I am totally shocked. I thought women always blamed the family dog for that.

Wait...that was something else.

Hey Terri

Also consider Maho for your first snorkel (on the right side as you face the ocean as the left side can have alittle current) I find it to be one of the best beaches in the "shallow for a long way out" category 🙂

Keep 'em coming!
I had NO idea there was gonna be this much information! I'll have to print it all out B4 my trip!

And Landlocked....I had SOO much fun with this new information last night at the wedding we were at! NO one knew that....but as of now....I cna assure the locals of the islands....not many women will be releasing their bladders any more in the waters of the Virgin Islands!!
!!!!Thank you for being so brave as to tell us all that infomation!

And I do intend to look for that book telling me all about the things I should be looking for.

My biggest concern was any ~critters~ that may be swimming around that may look cute to me....but may be dangerous?? I knew about not touching the coral....heck, I won't touch anything! ('cept the butt in front of me!!)

This has been a great thread - so as an old swim instructor, life guard and as a nurse who works in a burn unit, I would like to add a few tips.

1. the cocktails may have added to your panicking while snorkeling, intoxication changes your depth perception on top of the magnification of the mask. As a lifeguard - the panicking, intoxicated person is not easy to get back to shore, alcohol and drugs impair decision making abilities and this could impair your ability to make safe choices while swimming. Please, if you want to drink, drink after your done snorkeling.

2, use sun screen, a t shirt when wet has an SPF of 0. A woman I met on vacation once believed a t shirt would protect her while snorkeling, put no sun screen on and ended up with second degree burn on her back. I spent that evening lancing her blisters on her back and applying antibiotic to her back, she had to spend the rest of her vacation out of the sun and water and had to sleep on her stomach.

3. yes the pee in the ocean thing is true. It is also true for fresh water. My friend ended up with a parasite on his kidney from peeing in a fresh water river in Brazil - the only way to get rid of the parasite is to remove the kidney, which is not medically advisable so he just has to make sure he does not become dehydrated, because that is when the parasite causes him to get a bladder/kidney infection. Otherwise, the parasite just lives on his kidney and there is nothing he can do about it.

4, my husband has a mustache, he just trims the to edge and then has minimal mask leakage.

Next month I'll be snorkeling in STJ and cannot wail!
Lisa

The only critters I know you have to worry about, based only on our experiences, are jelly fish which I don't THINK are too common- I think, if memory serves, that we were told about them maybe being around Maho on a visit about 10 years ago and hubbie Chuck did get bit. We were snorkling and he suddenly popped up and started yelling about feeling like he was stung and his forehead was in flames. 10 years later, when he itches the spot, it flames right up again. So maybe this is an occasional concern so ask when you're at a particular beach. This was our only negative experience other than me sitting on the fire coral and we've snorkled many, many times. Bring Benedryl for treating the irritations from bites and jabs- great stuff but it will make you sleepy so don't take it then snorkle- listen to LisaMay's excellent advise on staying healthy. Otherwise, the only moving critters we've seen are sea turtles and gorgeous little fish. Getting smacked in the face by your neighbor's fins is way more likely to happen than anything else.
I never heard about the peeing in the water so god knows I'll never do that again! So the not drinking before snorkling is even better advise than I used to think! Hold the Corona and the Chardonnay Mr. Bartender, snorkling comes first!

You know lisa....I actually snorkeled BETTER after my cocktails. I was more ~less stressed~ ! I was terrified the first time I got in the water....I had to climb back on the boat. But....after 2 cocktails....I was the last one back on the boat the second time out!

I am a sun worshipper....& (don't scream at me now!) NEVER use sunscreen. I know....I'll die of skin cancer & all.....but if I die of it....at least I'll be tan! I have burned a few times....but only just get browner in the sun. Not even the poor young lady that gives me my facials can talk me into using sun screen. I may be in for a harder fight now...my daughter just started school for Esthetic's....so I'm sure she will start ragging at me....(right after she gets outta her tanning bed too!)

I didn't stop going for a nice tan until the second time that the doctor had to hack a basal cell carcinoma out of my cheek. The ones that he cut out of my back and shoulders over the years and the first one on my face didn't stop me. But for some reason, after the second one I'd had enough. I don't fear the sun, but I sure put a lot of high SPF sun block all over myself. Haven't had a surgery for a few years now. I don't miss them.

I always wanted to be a part of the longest thread on this board - - let's go for a whole page without talking about Kenny Chestney!! Peeing in the ocean is much more fun! Glad I could endure a bit more embarrassment about my experience for the greater good of all women out there! And it sounds like it is true for men as well. Who knew!