Snorkelwear: What's Right for You?
Article by Joel Simon

We’ve all seen the glorious advertisements--a handsome couple wearing bathing suits and a tan, snorkeling in placid crystalline waters flanked by a white sandy beach festooned with lofty coconut trees. The image is attractive--its physical beauty evokes dreams of an ideal snorkeling vacation in the tropics. Yet today, most serious snorkelers are wearing more than their skin while in the water. Although shallow tropical seas can be wonderfully hospitable, the equatorial sun, long immersion times in the water, and a few annoying marine creatures can make protective attire a worthwhile investment.

I grew up in Southern California, pretty much on the beach where cut-offs and flip-flops were all you needed for a cheeseburger and a tan. In those days getting tan on the sand and while snorkeling in the sea was an occupation ... only today are we beginning to realize the occupational hazards.

While recently snorkeling in Fiji, the conversation in our boat focused on two colorful new polypropylene full-body suits worn by Julia and Eric. "You only need to burn once, then you wear a suit", said Julia, in response to an inquiry by a fellow Australian. Julia, employed by the health industry in Queensland, continued: "Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. Two of my friends died last year as a result of this disease. In Australia we’re very careful about exposure to the sun. In fact, there’s a health program called ‘Me No Fry’ that encourages children to wear full lycra suits at the beach, and most schools require kids to wear hats with full brims and neck flaps while on the playground outside."

Snorkeling is the perfect activity for an unforgettable sunburn. While laying peacefully on the sea’s surface, entranced with the realm of exotic fish and colorful invertebrates, the rest of the world is easily forgotten. This includes the equatorial sun, that while illuminating the aqueous glories below, shines with equal (or greater) intensity on our sensitive skin. Especially vulnerable are the backs of necks, legs and knees, as well as shoulders, ears, and, well, some mature men’s heads.

As Eric quietly worked, pulling on his suit, first one leg, then the other, his neighbor on the boat asked why not just use waterproof sunscreen. "Oh, I use that too", replied Eric, now zipping up the single front zipper, "on my skin not covered by the suit. I can apply that stuff to my ears and neck far easier than to my back, shoulders, and all down my legs." The boatman indicated we’d arrived at the reef and with that, Eric excused himself, and rolled over backwards into the sea. "We do an awful lot of snorkeling, and enjoy it so awfully much" said Julia with a smile. She inserted her snorkel, waved good-bye, and off she went.

Men whose hair might be running a little thin should remember that scalps are also especially sensitive to sunburn. Either sunscreen or a hat is a perfect remedy. I remember one gentleman; when warned about caring for his head, he borrowed a lovely woven wicker hat from his wife that looked delightful in the water. The next day, his hairless head looked equally delightful, with the pattern perfectly reversed in sunburn red!

When it comes to sun protection, almost any kind of covering will do the trick. I first started snorkeling in an old yellow windbreaker and a pair of pale blue lightweight hospital pants. It was a "memorable" combination. In my snorkel classes, I’ve learned never to underestimate the creative potential of students when it comes to attire. I’ve had many mature adults show up on a picture-perfect Caribbean beach in their flower-print pajamas! What a sight. But better safe than sorry, and even these flimsy cotton cover-ups work fine.

I now wear a baggy white nylon suit that works wonderfully for sun protection. It’s a one-size fits all, and graciously leaves me plenty of room to grow. Initially I thought that such a loosely fitting garment would "slow" me down in the water. But the truth is that most snorkelers, myself included, rarely go very fast. As I drift peacefully over a coral head, or even surface dive, the water flows through easily creating very little resistance. Although I don’t have personal experience wearing pajamas, the feedback is the same. None the less, modern lycra suits are a wonderful form-fitting alternative, and a much more readily accepted fashion statement.

While the potentially injurious consequences of the sun are a main consideration, there are other reasons for wearing protective attire while snorkeling. Healthy corals need warm water to prosper, usually above 72 degrees year round. While this may be a fine temperature for a coral, it doesn’t take too long before most snorkelers get a bit cool. Sensitivity to water temperature is a highly individual quality. The range is actually surprising: some folks can last hours without a shiver in the same water that has others shaking with cold after 30 minutes. Each of us should be our own best judge of "how long is long enough".

Many snorkelers enjoy the thermal benefits of a lightweight wet suit. As a general guide, water temperature below 80 degrees suggests that a wet suit would be beneficial, especially for periods of longer than 45 minutes. Thickness is usually measured in millimeters, a standard tropical suit is usually "three mil" and will significantly conserve your body heat when in the water. For extended times in cooler water, lycra suits can actually be worn under the wet suit for added warmth. Most dive shops in warm water destinations rent wet suits so if you’re in doubt about their suitability for you, you may wish to rent one before investing in a purchase. Wet suits also increase your buoyancy in the water. Some novice snorkelers doubt their ability to float, so a wet suit, along with added flotation, can give added confidence. On the other hand, if you’re intent on surface diving, a minimal weight belt, between 2 and 4 pounds, will help establish more neutral buoyancy.

Anyone who has donned a wetsuit, even a lightweight tropical suit, knows they present other compromises. In addition to their thickness, wetsuits gain their effectiveness by trapping a thin layer of water between their inner surface and your skin. To do this efficiently, they must fit fairly snugly. Although snorkeling is a generally effortless activity, pulling wetsuits on and off can give you some exercise. Many lightweight wetsuits were initially designed for surfers. To make laying on a surfboard more comfortable, the main zipper was placed in back. There are also suits, created more for snorkelers, with the main zipper in front. I personally prefer this configuration, but try them out at your local dive shop and decide for yourself which is easier to put on and take off.

Wetsuits can also impede your movements to a small extent. One design innovation that helps minimize this resistance combines thicknesses, placing 2 mil inserts in the areas requiring the most flexibility. Although most of the suit is 3 mil for warmth, the areas behind the knees, under the arms, and sometimes at the elbows is 2 mil affording greater freedom of movement.

Remember the newly purchased polypropylene outfits worn by Julia and Eric? Although these suits have little displacement, meaning they don’t add buoyancy, they do add some thermal insulation, roughly equivalent to a 1 mil wetsuit. Lycra suits, by contrast, don’t claim to keep you any warmer. Eric pointed out an additional benefit of polypropylene as he climbed back on board the boat saying, "this is supposed to be the fastest drying fabric on the planet".

Occasionally tropical waters may contain small nearly transparent floating organisms. Usually these are quite harmless. Sometimes however, especially the larval forms of some cnidarians can sting sensitive skin. Any form of clothing, regardless of whether it’s pajamas, lycra, or polypro, will protect you from these sporadic annoyances. Incidentally, there are more potent "stingers" in the sea. Certain jellyfish, such as Portuguese man-of-war, or sea-wasps can present a real hazard to snorkelers. While swimming with these creatures is never recommended, they may be accidentally encountered. Clothing will protect you, at least your covered parts, from their painful and potentially dangerous contact. Another stinging organism called a hydroid can resemble a benign and harmless fern with whitish tips. Sometimes they grow on anchor and mooring lines, making them all too easily accessible to snorkelers. Their sting isn’t dangerous, but it’s a sting none the less, and again is prevented by protective clothes.

I don’t believe snorkelers deliberately crash into reefs, boats, piers, or anything else. None the less, these encounters can and do accidentally happen. The best protection is prevention--a natural consequence of careful, conscientious, skill development. But even the best trained snorkelers occasionally find themselves brushing against abrasive elements in the water. In the warm, humid atmosphere of the tropics, any kind of cut or minor laceration can become easily infected. Coral scrapes in particular, even small ones, deserve a thorough cleaning and perhaps some antibiotic powder or cream. Once again, nearly any kind of clothing will prevent injury should you accidentally encounter objects sharper or more durable than bare skin.

One other area of bare skin deserves a snorkelers special attention: the backs of ankles. The straps or backs of swim fins can sometimes irritate or even create lesions in the flexible skin covering the backs of our ankles. If this supple area of skin is broken, it almost assuredly won’t heal if you continue snorkeling. Rather than let this condition develop, if you notice any irritation, put on a protective layer. Even athletic socks will suffice. Better yet, avoid it altogether by wearing socks from the start. I religiously wear neoprene booties when snorkeling. Not only do these keep my toes warmer, they add buoyancy to my feet, making it easier to float on the surface. They are also invaluable for beach entries and exits, where rocks and coral rubble can be uncomfortable or worse on bare feet. Even when snorkeling from boats, more than once my booties have absorbed the shock of walking into a deck cleat, ladder fitting, or other stationary object.

Snorkeling suits are now available in colors that rival the fish. Some people prefer to blend in with their surroundings, others prefer to insure their visibility. My friend Mary Ferguson designed and constructed her own suit and was unquestionably the most colorful element on the entire reef. Marine biologists are still unclear how color contributes to the evolutionary success of tropical fish, and I suppose the fish must feel the same way about snorkelers.

In conclusion: when snorkeling, if the suit fits, wear it. Whatever the material, color, or size--wear it for greater comfort, added warmth, increased buoyancy, and especially for protection.