I thought I knew everything about snorkeling. What's to know, anyway? Don't you just put those goggles on, shove that thing in your mouth, and breathe?
NOT. And too often, cruise tour operators don't give you any direction on this awesome sport.
1. Ask for defogger. If you don't, you won't see much but, uh, foggy plastic. Defogger is a soapy substance the tour operator will squirt in your mask. Rub it around all over the place on the surface, and rinse well in the water before putting on the mask.
2. Breathe out assertively. A sharp little puff on the out breath will help to clear any water out of the snorkeling valve.
3. Do not fully inflate your snorkeling vest. If you even get a snorkeling vest. Financially challenged operators will sometimes give you a regular life vest. But if you are lucky, you will be given an (oftentimes) bright yellow vest. You inflate this yourself by blowing into a valve. Only blow in a couple of breaths, leaving your vest kind of squishy. This should be enough air to partially support you in the water, while still allowing you to dive down a bit. If you fully inflate your vest, it will bind up around your neck and semi-strangle you.
