How to pack for your next snorkeling trip?

For many, the word 'packing' brings on suitcases and heavy clothes images. But packing for a snorkeling trip requires some careful thought. It is not just about grabbing your gear and hauling out of there.

If you want to have an enjoyable time, consider taking a snorkeling tour with us. Cancun Snorkeling is a family-run company. We have lived in the area for years and know most of the favorite spots for snorkeling or just relaxing on land. The tour has all permits required by federal law so that you can feel safe during our excursion.

 But be sure to plan with the following tips.

What to wear for snorkeling

It might seem obvious that you need to wear something while snorkeling, but there are quite several options available for what you should wear. Many people prefer speedos or board shorts, although others may prefer covering long pants and rash guards. If you are spending all day in the water, look into buying yourself a pair of water shoes before leaving. These will help protect your feet from rocks and other sharp objects, and navigate the ocean floor easily.

What to bring with you

The next thing you need to think about is what exactly you will bring with you? It all depends on where you're headed, but a few essentials should be part of every bag. For instance, you can take these with you:

Mask, fins, and snorkel

As mentioned in the introduction, not all snorkeling spots are made equal. While some may be near a store where you can easily find your way out of the water, others may require longer fins for you to kick against the current as you move through deeper waters. Thus, having your mask, snorkel and fins will give you more mobility while exploring underwater caves or during surface dives that require you to hold on to rocks or reefs to prevent being pushed away by the waves. You also want to have safety gear, especially if other people don't know how to swim with you, so they can save you in case something goes wrong.

Floating Device

Even though most snorkeling tours include life-jackets (all our tours do), with all these fun activities involving body movement underwater, it won't be long until you get tired by kicking your fins all day or holding on to rocks while being buffeted by the waves. To help you in these moments, you may want to bring a floating device that you can use to rest on. Some people prefer noodles or pool floats, while others hold on to an anchored line or buoy. Whatever type of floating device you choose should be durable enough not to dive deep. Floaters will help you stay on the surface if you ever lose your strength, and they will complement the use of a life-jacket, serving as lifesavers, just in case.

Snorkeling accessories

To increase your comfort, bring along snorkeling accessories like protective gear for your hands and feet to prevent getting cuts on rocky surfaces. You could also bring a quick-dry towel so you can dry your accessories off before dressing up. And don't forget to bring extra clothes when snorkeling in cold weather since you'll get wet, even if only in short dives.

Goggles

A must-have for snorkeling. We provide these for you, but in case you want to snorkel by yourself while on the beach, bring some goggles, and make sure that they are fog proof so they won't get steamed up when submerged into the water. It is important for clear waters since visibility is hampered when your goggles steam up while underwater.

Dry bags/Dry cases

Besides protecting your valuables from water damage, dry bags or dry cases are lifesavers as they can double as floatation devices for those who aren't very skilled at floating on their backs (even while wearing life-jackets). They're great lifesavers because they provide buoyancy which keeps swimmers afloat even if they're tired.

How to pack it all up

Now that we know what we need and what to bring with us, how do we go about putting it all together? The best thing you can do is think ahead. No, not in a 'day before' sense but in a 'week before' way. Sit down and make yourself a list of everything you want to bring, gather all the supplies, and pack them into small bags (labeled if needed). It will help when it comes time to get ready because rather than having one big messy pile of things to figure out where they go, you've got your gear already organized and packed up in separate compartments.