As snorkelers, we spend a great deal of time floating around on the surface completely exposed to the intense tropical sun, and there's no quicker way to ruin a sunset cocktail than a full body burn from that day's snorkeling sessions. While the water may be bath-water warm and you may feel inclined to just wear your bikini or bathing suit, we strongly suggest covering up as much as possible (backs of the legs, top of the head, ankles, and hands) with some form of an exposure suite. This not only guarantees you won't get sunburnt but also solves those prolonged and annoying sunscreen lathering and re-lather sessions. If you do insist on showing some skin, we strongly suggest that you at the very least give your exposed skin a solid coat of reef-safe sun cream, and use a neck-gaiter. How a Professional Snorkel Guide Covers Up Unless you want to look like a cross between a lobster and a leather bag at the end of a snorkeling safari, we strongly suggest you cover up as much of your body as possible, as we said before. It may seem like a simple thing, just wear a rashguard or a wetsuit and that's that. Not quite. Our snorkeling guides spend about six months a year bobbing around in the world's tropical seas, here are a few different examples of how they cover themselves up. Other Coverage Combos: Full body snorkel skin + neck gaiter to protect the head and neck Hooded vest (thermal or neoprene) with a long sleeve rashguard over the top + shorts & leggings + socks & gloves Thermal top + thermal bottoms + socks & gloves + neck gaiter to protect the head and neck Magical Neck Gaiters Neck gaiters have become massively popular in the last
As snorkelers, we spend a great deal of time floating around on the surface completely exposed to the intense tropical sun, and there’s no quicker way to ruin a sunset cocktail than a full body burn from that day’s snorkeling sessions. While the water may be bath-water warm and you may feel inclined to just
Indonesia is a massive country, and as a result of being broken up into tens of thousands of islands, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic country, and the 14th-largest country by area. The country occupies the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian and consists of some of the most dynamic islands on earth, like Sulawesi, Borneo, Papua, and Halmahera. These are not only some of the largest island in Indonesia, but also some of the most biodiverse above and below the waterline. So, since Indonesia is so enormous and has so many different islands each offering a very unique snorkeling experience, we like to break it up into a few different regions, like North, South, East, and West as this is the only real way to accurately describe snorkeling in Indonesia. North Indonesia generally tends to represent the global image of Indonesia with its lush tropical islands, white sandy beaches, and stunning shallow coral reefs. North Indo is where you'll find Bunaken National Park, Raja Ampat, and Halmahera, among many other fantastic snorkeling areas. Again, each of these areas has its own unique characteristics that make them completely different from one another, but in general, these North Indonesian snorkeling destinations offer snorkelers more of a quintessential tropical snorkeling experience. White sand beaches are prevalent if not right in front of the resort, the islands are covered in dense tropical jungles, the climate is as predictable as it gets in the tropics with blue skies and the occasional afternoon rain storm that quickly passes through, and of course, the reefs are stunning and come right up to the surface. With the exception of Raja Ampat which has a more strict snorkeling season, North Indonesia can be snorkeled year round. That's North Indonesia in general, but again, we're talking about
Indonesia is a massive country, and as a result of being broken up into tens of thousands of islands, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic country, and the 14th-largest country by area. The country occupies the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian and consists of some of the most dynamic islands on earth,
Snorkels, no matter how complex the splash guard is, always seem to let a bit of water into the tube. Typically, the little bit of water that does enter our snorkel just sort of gurgles in the bottom of the chamber at the base of the tube and never poses a problem to us as we snorkel. On occasion, our snorkels may get swamped with a wave, or if we happen to submerge our head just a bit too far underwater completely filling the tube, forcing us to blow the water out with a big exhale. With the exception of the little drops of water that seem to be perpetually bubbling around in the bottom of our snorkel tubes, in general, it's pretty easy to keep water out of our snorkels consistently, no matter how choppy the conditions. We just need to keep in mind a few things. Left Side If you look at a snorkel carefully, nearly all will be designed to be worn on the left-hand side. The reason being, divers have their regulator coming over the right shoulder so the snorkel needs to be worn on the left. Some snorkels, like the classic J-shaped ones can fit on both left and right. Just about all other snorkels will be made to be worn on the left. Tube Facing Slightly Backwards Most snorkels will also have a soft rubber base connected with a harder plastic tube which you are able to rotate. If you find that you are getting more water in your snorkel than you're comfortable with, try twisting the tube so that it faces slightly backward when worn on your head. This will help keep the snorkel from shoveling up water as we swim. Avoid Looking Straight Down If we snorkel looking straight down we not
Snorkels, no matter how complex the splash guard is, always seem to let a bit of water into the tube. Typically, the little bit of water that does enter our snorkel just sort of gurgles in the bottom of the chamber at the base of the tube and never poses a problem to us as
Buying your snorkel gear online may seem like the cheapest and easiest way to procure your new snorkeling apparel and equipment as the options are endless, but it might not always be the best place to shop, particularly for specific items like masks. Here is our list of recommendations for the best places to buy your snorkeling essentials. Mask: Local Dive Shop A mask is easily the most important piece of equipment in your snorkeling gear. It's also the hardest to shop for as you need it to fit your face perfectly. We strongly advise that you only purchase a mask that you've tried on prior to purchasing it, therefore your local dive shop is the best place to get a good mask. Snorkel: Online/Dive Shop Snorkels are pretty universal in the way they fit so you could easily purchase one online. However, we are big fans of supporting local businesses so you might as well grab a snorkel from your local dive shop when you're getting a mask. If you are going to purchase a snorkel online, we'd suggest getting one from Fourth Element. They are a fantastic company and we've partnered with them to produce our Snorkel For Good rashguards which are made from recycled materials. Fins: Online/Dive Shop Fins are pretty easy to purchase online if you know what you are looking for, but if you are new to fins and need some advice in choosing the best pair of fins for you we'd suggest your local dive shop. You might find a pair of fins that look good online only to find that they are far too firm or long for you, for example. Exposure Suits/Rashguards: Online Most exposure suits and rashguards are pretty standard in sizes, so as long as you know your size it's
Buying your snorkel gear online may seem like the cheapest and easiest way to procure your new snorkeling apparel and equipment as the options are endless, but it might not always be the best place to shop, particularly for specific items like masks. Here is our list of recommendations for the best places to buy
If you've looked into underwater camera accessories or aftermarket additions, there's a seemingly endless array of light, flashes, housings, lenses, trays, grips, etc, that are all “essential” to taking great photos underwater. The truth of the matter is, as long as you have a basic understanding of how light works underwater and know how to compose a photo—and a camera that is either waterproof or has a housing, you don't really need anything. A camera is a camera, and no amount of accessorizing will guarantee you a better image. A good image isn't created from cameras and accessories, it's created by the photographer's understanding of light and composition. That being said, there are a few things that actually do make a difference in your overall underwater images, so long as they are combined with a basic understanding of underwater photography. Here are a few things we recommend as aftermarket purchases for our favorite underwater camera, the Olympus TG-6. Underwater Housing The Olympus TG-6 is already waterproof to about 50 feet or 15 meters. However, we strongly suggest purchasing an underwater housing for the camera as an added precaution. The TG-6 cameras are durable and very well built, but it would be a real bummer if you accidentally forgot to lock the little door where the battery & SD card go after downloading the images, causing a flood and destroying your camera. The most reasonably priced housing on the market that's really well built is the Olympus housing. It's small enough to fit in one hand, but the added size does help stabilize your hand in the water making for smoother video clips and an easier time focusing on your subject. There are some other housings out there that are better in some ways, but they are significantly more expensive as
If you’ve looked into underwater camera accessories or aftermarket additions, there’s a seemingly endless array of light, flashes, housings, lenses, trays, grips, etc, that are all “essential” to taking great photos underwater. The truth of the matter is, as long as you have a basic understanding of how light works underwater and know how to
