Perfect destination with good underwater conditions

Tom_Kline - So when you go down for a dive the snorkel fills with water which you then blast out of the tube? Can I get any snorkel or does it have to be some special kind of snorkel? I remember those snorkels we used as kids, they didn't seem advanced in any kind of way.

 

Yup, once one returns to the surface one just does a quick exhalation and the water squirts out, much easier to do than write down!

There are a huge number of snorkel models - some have do-dads to make clearing a bit easier. Each of the major scuba manufacturers has a range of models. Here is an example of one from Scubapro:

http://www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/snorkeling/products/escape-snorkel.aspx

You can read the description. You will typically be taught how to use a snorkel during the first pool session of a scuba. The instructor might have different models for you to try out or they may require you to buy one first. I would avoid a super cheap one as you may find yourself replacing it it sooner than later.

Have you considered one of the Cayman Islands? If you want good beach with clear water, 7 Mile Beach is ideal. There is good snorkeling I hear at the north end at Cemetery Beach. There is also Stingray Bar/City but not always guarrentied clear conditions.

Not sure where in the Artic you are but I know one lady who regularly visits Grand Cayman from Alaska.

Glasseye Snapper - Thanks for the tip on the Red Sea. Just like you said I'd have to wait a few months due to water temperatures. Abu Dabab Diving Lodge is located in Egypt. I'm quite familiar with prices within Europe. For example, I can fly to Marsa Alam for only 70 USD. If I go charter, I can get plane tickets + 7 nights at a 4-star hotel in Makadi Bay for 240 USD (prices will go up later this year) That's a lot cheaper than going to Bahamas, or the Caribbean. To be honest the only reason I have not considered this is because I did not know I could get those water conditions in Egypt. I thought I had to travel outside of Europe. I guess I have to revise this assumption? Did you take that photo in Marsa Alam? What type of camera did you use? Photo quality is excellent My underwater camera is probably not that good but it will suffice for now.

The photo was taken in Sharm El Naga, a small resort between Hurghada and Safaga, but you can take similar images all along the coast. Since there are no rivers emptying in the Red Sea and no run-off of fertilizer and other pollutants water clarity tends to be excellent. Wind and waves can be an issue, especially when snorkeling because if you are tossed around by waves it is going to be hard to take good images. That is something to take into account in many places. Winds in Egypt are less during Spring and Summer and as I mentioned, in a Marsa the Northern side tends to be well-protected from the waves. Another advantage of a Marsa, especially since you are not an experience snorkeler yet, is that you can start taking pictures in water that is shallow enough to still stand and then work your way to deeper water. It is also useful to remember that in many places, including Egypt, conditions are often best early in the day before wind picks up as a result of solar heating.

Here are some images from a 6-7am dive along the North side of Marsa Abu Dabbab. Most are quite shallow and could be done while snorkeling. Images were taken with an Olympus OMD EM-5 in Nauticam housing. I haven't really used a GoPro to take UW images but based on what it can do with video I wouldn't be surprised if it did a decent job. Make sure you bring an image viewing device so you can check images as you take them. You will learn much quicker what works and what doesn't that way and can also be instructive for your model.

Bart

Some thoughts on this. First, finding clear underwater conditions seem to me to be non-conducive to being near almost any beach. Sand gets churned up by currents. If you are looking for clear water right offshore you'll have better luck off rocky beaches than sandy ones. Being near a harbor or channel also tends to put you in areas where silt and sand gets stirred up.

Second, some of the places suggested earlier (Red Sea, Canary Islands) are nice dive sites, but I consider them somewhat cold. (Same with Hawaii). Once the temps get under 82F or so, I'm into a 5-mil wet suit, and snorkeling isn't a lot of fun for me. Then again I live in the Arizona desert, so I'm a wimp when it comes to cold.

Most of my experience has been in the Caribbean, though I have been to Canary Islands and Fiji. (Only place my wife and I aborted a dive early because we were too cold). Some beautiful places I've been with warm water include Fiji, Cancun, Cozumel, Roatan, Aruba and Jamaica. Bahamas were great during the summer (up to 90F in the water), cold in February (high 70's). My web site (www.cjcphoto.net) has a number of pages where I show diving on various vacations (mostly with point-n-shoots) so you can get some idea of conditions there.