Snorkelling

[Joanne]

Just wondering - should we take our snorkelling stuff to RTB when we visit in May; is the ocean clear around the Hotel, and are there any coral reefs?

If the ocean is not clear enough at RTB, are there other beaches on the Island we could visit

Thanks

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Joanne

I've never swum in the sea off Turtle Beach, much less snorkelled, but I know the beach well enough. It's clear enough, but I wouldn't imagine that there's any really good snorkelling there. However, you are only 5 minutes drive from Arnos Vale beach which offers some of the best snorkelling on that side of the island. Well worth taking your gear for.

If you use the "search" facility (link at top of page) you can search for other people's comment and suggestions on snorkelling.

[Marc Jones]

I'll do a search as well, but having never snorkelled before can I ask anyone who reads here - should I buy a mask etc out there or hire or even before I go?

Me and my 8 year old fancy a pop at it!

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Marc

I could be totally off mark here and if so, I hope that somebody can correct me.

We paid TT$1900 (£173.46) for two sets of snorkelling gear at Aquamarine Dive in Speyside recently - so £87 each. I think it was all good top quality gear (???), but they didn't have Jill's size in the type of flipper she wanted, so provided her with a nearly-new pair for half price, so the full price would normally have been a little more. Each set comprised of a pair of Akona Shoreline fins, Seadog Sports Aero mask, Sherwood Edge snorkel and a mesh gear bag to hold it all in.

Now, my overall impression was that there wasn't much choice in Tobago. Maybe World of Watersports might have a little more, but the other dive shops I've seen hadn't got nearly as much to choose from as Aquamarine Dive. I can't really comment on price. I've had a quick search of UK dive shops, but they don't seem to stock the makes/models above, but if our gear is good quality, then it looks like we might have got it cheaper than buying here in the UK.

Given that you live in London, I would suspect that it's well worth having a look at prices here. Certainly, as we found, getting the gear you want in the size you wanted can be a problem on Tobago. Of course it's not the lightest equipment, but at least it does pack flat in the top of a case.

[John Hill]

Steve they saw you coming COSTCO have good set for around £30.00 or a good dive shop I paid £45.00 2 Mask and 2 snorkle tubes no flippers
Rex Beach no good for snorkling, not sure on best spots sure someone will answer. Mind you Rex Beach is superb will miss my early morning walk from one end to the other this year. and all those lovley birds No Steve feathered type.

[Steve Wooler]

John, at my age I automatically think "feathered" when you say birds.

Maybe they did see us coming, but I don't think so. I've been having a look at some UK online diving shopping sites and found that if I took the mid-point in each of the various items, we paid well under the UK prices. We knew that we could have saved a hell of a lot if we'd bought the cheapest ranges of gear that Aquamarine stocked, but took their advice and went for top quality, having suffered the experiences of snorkelling with poor quality equipment before. It really can make a tremendous difference.

[Richard]

No snorkelling off Turtle Beach but you can get boat trips to Arnos Vale (and other places) from the hotel area.

These can be on smalling ribs and the trip can be a tad fun around the point between the bays. Hold tight and try to sit back a little.

[Steve Pitts]

Hi Joane

I have to agree with all the previous comments regarding the beach at Rex Turtle. The visibility is not the best and there are no significant reef or rock formations, that are an absolute magnet for fish and other marine life. Arnos Vale is brilliant on the other hand and is so close to RTB that you can get there in a few minutes by car or taxi.

If you intend to do a good deal of snorkelling and/or think that you will develope a taste for things underwater, may I suggest that you call into a specialist dive shop in the UK and get fitted out with with correctly fitting mask and fins. It is extremely important to get a mask that is both safe and secure. Toughened glass is essential and sometimes not used in cheap equipment. You need to ensure that mask as watertight as possible, so try on as many as it takes to ensure that you don't have to keep emptying your mask of sea water, when you're swimming. Bear in mind that even if you swim just below the surface, the increased water pressure can force sea water into the mask and you don't want that if you are in anyway inexperienced.

The same goes for a good set of fins.
They must fit well. Too tight and you can end up with cramp - too loose and they will make your heels and ankles sore after a very short time in the water. Also make sure that the size of the fins are not to large for your capablilities. You can buy pro-fins that are huge and you need the leg muscles to make the best of them. They can be a burden if you are more suited to a more modest means of propulsion.
Price-wise, I would expect to pay around £30-£40 for a good 'amateur' mask, £25 for fins and a tenner for a snorkel.
As with all sporting equipment, you get what you pay for and it pays to look after your gear. It will last for years - assuming you don't outgrow it.
Happy snorkelling

Steve

[Marc Jones]

My snorkelling will be strictly amateur!

No way I'll be doing any after Tobago and no assurance my 8 year old won't run for the land when we spot "Nemo"

Thanks for the tips, I'll deffo have a peep before going though, would rather take some low-end gear than worry about it there.

I also don't/didn't expect much action at Turtle Beach, but I plan at leats a week of car hire to pop about the beaches (maybe longer).

Thanks yet again... not long now!

(oh and PS, specialist doesn't want to operate on the knee, hopes I'll be ok without!).

[Joanne]

Dear All

Many thanks for all your comments.

Only 8 weeks to go now - we can't wait!!!

Joanne

[Andrew Poole]

Hello Joanne, if you fancy taking your snorkelling a little further and trying Scuba, now would be a great time, with the £ so strong against the $ (us)

My partner and i did our PADI open water at the Manta dive centre on Pigeon Point last june and with the exchange rate then it cost us £200 approx each, this is normally £250 in the UK

So its great value even without nearly 2 $ to the £!

They have a website.. http://www.mantadive.com have a look if you think you may like to try it.

[Judy Trafford]

Just wondering - should we take our snorkelling stuff to RTB when we visit in May; is the ocean clear around the Hotel, and are there any coral reefs?

If the ocean is not clear enough at RTB, are there other beaches on the Island we could visit

Thanks

Hi Joanne,
We were at the RTB in Feb. The beach & water is beautiful but no snorkeling there as there aren't any reefs, etc. Englishman's Bay is great & there's a beautiful little beach & excellent snorkeling in Castara. We saw many fish & hugh stingray while there. You can hire a local taxi/jeep to take you to some good spots fairly close by. We did not get to Bucco reef which is supposed to be good but we heard that it was over-populated with tourists. Arnos Vale is another good spot for snorkelling. It's a very beautiful island & good snorkelling in many areas. We all had our own snorkel gear & happy we did. I bought a book "Diving & Snorkeling Trinidad & Tobago by Lonely Planet which was very helpful. Enjoy your vacation & snorkeling while in Tobago.

[Judy Trafford]

Dear All

Many thanks for all your comments.

Only 8 weeks to go now - we can't wait!!!

Joanne

Joanne - I just posted a reply but would like to add that it is well worth the investment to buy your own gear at a reputable dive shop. It's so important that everything fits "you" properly. The gear lasts forever & is easy to pack & once you've got the snorkel bug you'll be forever in search of islands to snorkel at! Have a wonderful time. RTB is a really nice place.

[MikkoL]

We just returned from Tobago last tuesday having spend nine wonderful days there. We snorkelled almost every day. We first started one a trip to Buccoo Reef, but that was quite horrendous due to rough waters. Also, there were several people in the water at the same time looked after by a two-man crew. At least I felt quite unsecure there.

The next day we did a trip to Speyside and Angel Reef. That was really nice! Lots of different kinds of coral, several pelican-fishes. Only four snorkellers in our group too. Even though the waters between the shore and Little Tobago were also quite rough, the reef itself is protected by the Goat Island and calm.

For the rest of the trip, we snorkelled from shore, on Arnos Vale (twice), Englishman's Bay and Mount Irvine Bay Beach. The first two have a nice reef and quite a few fishes, but you need to get a bit further from the shore to see anything. The last beach was an unexpected surprice: lots of fishes, a nice school of tiny sardines(?), pelican fishes, a needle fish, etc, and right on the shore.

We are both beginners on snorkelling. We just bought the masks and snorkells for this trip and don't have fins. But still, we enjoyed a lot.

Cheers and happy snorkelling

Mikko & Minna