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My waterproof casing (for my Fuji F100fd - I wish it was for my D300!) is going to arrive soon, so I would like to ask if anyone knew any good places to go snorkeling. I have to admit that I have never been snorkeling but have been diving once whilst on a holiday in Cairns so I will need to go to somewhere where me and my 'other half' will not get into trouble.

I am excited!!!

Given your location, I would definitely recommend Clovelly - in particular the protected beach, and the little bay south of it!

Clovelly beach has very easy entry and exit points - very important if your not confident, it is however not very exciting in terms of marine life - could be due to the crowds....

The little bay directly south is also a good starting place, easy to get in and out, either via beach or there is a popular entry/exit point on the north side. This location is good since it is popular and people learning to scuba go there.

Let us know how you go!

Some other good locations are:

Bare Island
Camp Cove
Shelly Beach

Of these, Camp Cove will probably give you the most subjects at snorkeling depth: cuttlefish, seahorses, corals, corallimorphs, nudibranchs, fish.

Thanks Gerry and Andrew

I have been doing a little more reading on the matter and have come across Wattamolla Bay (Royal Nat Park) as another recommended spot for beginners due to the lagoon, and was wondering if anyone has been there.

Whilst I am at it I should also ask which of these kits I should buy (I work at Rebel so it would be the obvious place to shop)

-US Divers Cozumel kit http://www.rebelsport.com.au/ecom/rebel/product_detail.aspx?id=10092&cat=287
-US Divers Pro Diver kit http://www.rebelsport.com.au/ecom/rebel/product_detail.aspx?id=11348&cat=287

The most important thing is the mask. You need to make sure it fits your face and seals. There's nothing worse than having a mask filling up with water and having to constantly clear it. You should be able to hold your mask with just suction - i.e. no hands or strap. If you can do that, and it feels comfortable, you'll be happy with the mask.

The fins don't look much chop, but for snorkeling they'll probably be OK.

which of these kits

I have done a fair amount of snorkelling and only recently (july 08) got my openwater ticket for scuba, when it comes to what gear to buy, it's a bit like tripods imo, you can either but the right one first go or go through half a dozen cheapies to get to the same spot!

However that said, if your only going to 4 or 5 sessions over the summer it would be best to get a cheap set and go from there, you never know you may never do it again!

You need to make sure it fits your face and seals

yep i definitely agree here, my partner got a set from rebel sport, if I remember correctly it was the childs size mask! (Everyones face is a different size) It served fairly well for a season until she got her openwater ticket + better gear. But definitely pull the mask out of the packaging and do as ATJ recommends, looking down, place mask against face and briefly breathe in to suction against face, then check to see if it stays there!

Wattamolla Bay (Royal Nat Park)

never been there, would like to hear more about it though!

Camp Cove

arrghh. ..get there very early.....parking is a rare find! Never snorkelled there though....

fins don't look much chop

whatever you get...its gonna be sore calf muscles

As has been said above, make sure the mask is provides a good seal and is comfortable. Ensure the nose pocket isnt hard up against the base of your nose (this will bruise with time).

With any new mask, unless the manufacturer states otherwise, give it a good clean with toothpaste on the inside (squirt of paste, swirl it around with your fingertips, get the full lens covered and rinse) to stop if fogging.

Watch out for cheap, lightweight fins for snorkelling. You may find they like to float on the surface and make it difficult to kick.

Find someone who is comfortable with snorkelling and get them to show you some of the tricks, especially how to clear the snorkel (without having to blast a lungful of air through it everytime).

If you are going to dive down with snorkel, get someone to show you how to clear your ears as well. Most people dont realise the need to equalise even on snorkel and a lot get put off by sore ears.

Finally, go out, have some fun and take some pics.

Ant.

Ant wrote:With any new mask, unless the manufacturer states otherwise, give it a good clean with toothpaste on the inside (squirt of paste, swirl it around with your fingertips, get the full lens covered and rinse) to stop if fogging.

Additionally, you need to spit into the mask before each use to stop it from fogging. i.e. clean with toothpaste when it is new to remove any coating it may have acquired during shipping, but each time you go for a dive, spit in the mask and rub the spittle into the glass with your thumb or fingers. This will prevent fogging during the dive.

spittle into the glass with your thumb or fingers. This will prevent fogging during the dive

Whilst not as convienent, but works much better.... baby shampoo diluted with water...works great!

(don't forget how Anthony Mundine lost half his sight! - spittle and the contact lens! )

Most people dont realise the need to equalise even on snorkel and a lot get put off by sore ears

very very true, even doing little intermittment dives to a couple of metres can give you sore ears....

biggerry wrote:Whilst not as convienent, but works much better.... baby shampoo diluted with water...works great!

What do you mean by "much better"? I have been spitting in my masks for over 30 years. It is easy to do and my mask never fogs. I can't see how A could be better than B when B does everything that is required.

What do you mean by "much better"?

let me revise that then..

Whilst not as convenient, but works much better in my opinion

I can't see how A could be better than B when B does everything that is required.

'A' works perfectly fine for lots of people including you and the past 30 years! - no harm in having an alternative though. I have definitely not been diving nor snorkeling for more than 30 years (haven't been alive that long..) but I have found spitting has given me inconsistent results, mostly due to user error, however I find a diluted solution of baby shampoo works better for me.

biggerry wrote:'A' works perfectly fine for lots of people including you and the past 30 years! - no harm in having an alternative though. I have definitely not been diving nor snorkeling for more than 30 years (haven't been alive that long..) but I have found spitting has given me inconsistent results, mostly due to user error, however I find a diluted solution of baby shampoo works better for me.

My recommendation for you is to become more proficient with spit. The convenience factor comes into play quite frequently and if you can get the spit working for you consistently, you will be much better off. There are many dive sites (around Sydney and elsewhere) that can be a bit of a hike from the car to the entry point. You certainly wouldn't want to have to hike all the way back to your car if you forgot your diluted baby shampoo.

Just thought I would share a few pics, I got my casing in the end and went to Wattamolla Bay (and lost my mask and snorkel to the lagoon - not happy) to make things worse, I did not find anything to shoot either.

lost my mask and snorkel

that sucks... I would not give up though, getting all the conditions just right can take a while, even just for an enjoyable snorkel How clear was the water? you will find the best times when it has not rained for some time. Knowing here to look for fishy's also takes time

biggerry wrote:

lost my mask and snorkel

that sucks... I would not give up though, getting all the conditions just right can take a while, even just for an enjoyable snorkel How clear was the water? you will find the best times when it has not rained for some time. Knowing here to look for fishy's also takes time

I just spent a lot of money on that underwater casing, do I will not give up just yet. I'll get another mask + snorkel before my next trip. I'll bet that it takes some time to get it all right!

The water in the lagoon was not great (I lost my snorkel and mask to the lagoon in about 3m of water and 15mins of duck diving did not produce any success to find it) but the bay was alright, with visibility to about 2m, just a lot of current so I had to be on my toes about it. I would say it was a pretty good first experience snorkelling!

I might have to get you and ATJ to take me snorkelling some day!!!

aim54x wrote:...lost my mask and snorkel...

Um... how? Your mask should have been firmly attached to your face and the snorkel to the mask.

aim54x wrote:to make things worse, I did not find anything to shoot either.

You would have been better off at the other locations recommend for finding subjects to shoot. Maybe give Bare Island a go once the seas die down. Just under and around the bridge would be best for snorkeling.

Um... how?

pretty common amoung beginners, getting out of surf and trying to get fins off or the like, once you have dropped it..its gone....

key thing to remember is to never place mask on forehead or take it off completely when in the water - always have mask on or around neck!

I might have to get you and ATJ to take me snorkelling some day!!!

if the weather fines up in the next week or so I would be keen for a Bare island run, I have not snorkelled there before but am keen too...

biggerry wrote:...getting out of surf and trying to get fins off or the like, once you have dropped it..its gone....

Understandable, but from Cameron's there doesn't seem to be any surf at all (which is expected in a lagoon).

ATJ wrote:

biggerry wrote:...getting out of surf and trying to get fins off or the like, once you have dropped it..its gone....

Understandable, but from Cameron's there doesn't seem to be any surf at all (which is expected in a lagoon).

I have no idea why I could not retrieve the mask and snorkel either, but its gone! Not happy about that.

I am confused as well. How deep was the water when you took the mask off and lost it?

About 3m. It was on the rocky side of the lagoon, and for some reason (possibly the wind) the water seemed to have a bit of a current to it, especially about 1.5-2m below the surface where there was this really warm layer of water.

biggerry wrote:key thing to remember is to never place mask on forehead or take it off completely when in the water - always have mask on or around neck!

Hmmm, someone trained by PADI huh. And I used to have to teach this. This works well until you start technical diving, with another reg on an occy strap around your neck... Mask either ends up on backwards or on my arm hooked over the drysuit deflator. Best accessory for a mask though, is a mask tamer. Makes it so much easier to slip on and off either with a hood or without.

Hmmm, someone trained by PADI huh.

well the thing with mask and snorkel was almost learnt the hard way many years ago coming back onto a rough surf beach...but yes I did, recently do the PADI openwater, let me guess your gonna have a crack at me if I say flippers instead of fins

until you start technical diving

well its just lucky that i won't be doing any of that any time soon

Best accessory for a mask though, is a mask tamer

agreed

biggerry wrote:...but yes I did, recently do the PADI openwater, let me guess your gonna have a crack at me if I say flippers instead of fins

But you know we only do that to get the free beers... Instructing sure as heck doesn't pay enough so we had to get our drinks somehow. But to get back on topic, it is a really good idea to pull your mask down around your neck when you can and don't have a lot of stuff hanging around your neck. Also, make sure you use the wrist strap on your housing at all times. I have seen a camera float off (lucky it wasnt on a deep site). Oh, and maintain the o-rings with a little (not a lot) of silicon grease.

And one last comment, remember to snorkel (or dive) without your camera at least occasionally. It is amazing how much tunnel vision you get when you are looking at the world through a viewfinder. I know photog's that have missed sharks, rays... etc because they were to blinkered by their camera.

Ant.