Hi my mom and I will be coming to Bonaire in July to snorkel. What type of wetsuit would you recommend? We normally snorkel without one but I'm concerned about sun protection and I'm also a bit worried about the jellyfish I keep reading about.
Thanks
Jen

Water temperature in July should be between 82 and 84 F. Don't know that you need a wetsuit, but do suggest a lycra skin. Covers same amount of body area as a wetsuit, yet is very thin, and much less expensive. Will provide the protection you want from sun, etc.

Perhaps one of our avid snorkelers (Darlene - where are you?) will chime in.

We love our lycra skins for snorkeling. great protection from the sun. saves you from having to worry about suntan lotion. bonaire's sun is hot and the water temperature is perfect. Enjoy!!!The snorkeling is incredible.

if you don't want to buy a lycra suit - or find them difficult to take off/put on, then I suggest a T-shirt and cotton pajama bottoms -
cheap, they protect you from the sun, and they will be dry before your second snorkel of the day.....

I use a 0.5mm microprene suit... not all the buoyancy of a full wetsuit but all the body coverage for those of us who burn mighty easily.
Mine is a Henderson and was only about $100, slightly more protection from stings and rocks than lycra. IMO

Pictures 1 and 4 on the following link show me snorkeling off the Woodwind on a trip to Bonaire in May.

http://falls4sale.com/Bonaire/Woodwind--2.html

I’m wearing as inexpensive a skin or wet suit as you can get [and it grows with the kids]. I even wear a hat with neck/chin string. When the sun is really intense, I wear an undershirt under the long-sleeve top shirt. Girls could wear panty-hose under slacks for additional protection. Leave the clothes on when you come out of he water and they will provide evaporative cooling while sitting on the deck or the shore.

One caution, shirt-tails tend to ride up on your back if not held in place. As I normally snorkel with a weight belt that is not a problem. If you don’t use a weight belt, then I would recommend -- in addition to the normal belt or string on the slacks -- a second one around the waist on the outside of the shirt.

Note, knee-high socks are important to protect the feet and lower legs. I recommend the kind sold for diabetic patients -- I think that I paid $6.00 for two pair at Wal-mart].

Sun-screen everywhere not covered by clothes. -- IE face, ears,nose and backs of hands. Seems to work well against stingies as well -- at least those out and about on Bonaire in May.

Have a great trip.

Jennifer -

You are going to love Bonaire snorkeling, clearly among the best to found anywhere.

You are correct to be sensitive to sun protection and with Bonaire being some 200 miles north of the equator, the sun is intense.

For snorkeling,we have had excellent luck with Sun Precautions water legs/shirt and with Solarveil's shirts and pants. We have a history of skin cancer, but since we've been using one or the other of these products, including 4 trips to Bonaire, we've had no problems at all. We also use SPF 40 No-Ad sunscreen. Skin cancer is not to be trifled with nor is it inexpensive.

I think if you'll do a little research, you'll find that most dermatologists would caution against depending on tee-shirts or other similar cotton garments for sun protection. As I recall, most studies have shown when dry such materials provide about 4 SPF and when wet, less. Significant sun protection calls for specially-treated fabrics or special constructed fabrics.

Having said that, take reasonable care and you'll be planning your next trip to Bonaire before you leave...it's that good.

Buen viaje!

Charles Poteet
Dallas

I love my Henderson Lycra Hot Skins Jumpsuit. Great sun and skin protection. And it dries quickly. There are plenty of brands out there. This one was around $50. The other must have is hard sole booties.
Cheers, Melissa

I wear a long sleeve rash guard that is 30 SPF rated when snorkeling and put 50 SPF sunblock lotion on my legs. I don't put any sunblock on my face when snorkeling though because it's very easy to run into your mask and sting your eyes.

Pauline -

When bicycling (which we do year-around), we used to have the same problem with sunscreen stinging our eyes, even though perspiring into our eyes is a fact of life most of the year. We discovered No-Ad sunscreen (http://no-ad.com/) and ever since have had little or no problems.

At home we use mostly SPF 15 and have no problems with it stinging our eyes. On Bonaire we use SPF 30 or 45 and only occasionally will we notice a slight stinging in the eyes.

We've been using it, along with the protective clothing mentioned earlier, for about 10 years. No skin cancer, no sunburn.

Folks have different reactions to different sunscreens, but you might give it a try.

We have no proprietary interest in the product, we are just very satisfied customers.

Oh, and it costs approximately 1/2 of other sunscreens.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Thanks for all of the info. I just read an article about how a white t-shirt only gives about an spf of 4 and a colored one is higher but still not high enough to really protect you from the sun. I'm going to look into the other options and visit my local dive shop.

Thanks we're really looking forward to our trip.
Jen

As a green eyed light-skinned Caucasian my simple-minded gauge of sunburn is reddening of the skin and a sensation of heat. Now, using these as the gauge, the apparent protection afforded by wearing the diabetic stretch socks, slacks, along with a tee shirt plus a long-sleeved outer shirt and a hat seems to afford -- me at least -- with sufficient protection. There was no apparent exposure to the sun even after the 9am to 2pm [5 hour] snorkel on the Woodwind. Not even a lightish pink tint. Likewise after the other snorkels on Bonaire in May.

I do agree. However, that there is a risk associated with the unknown protection offered by unknown weave, thickness, color and texture of fabrics. For those who like the economics of this approach [no cost] but want to minimize any risk may I recommend as a starting point the following link:

http://www.sunguardsunprotection.com/faq.asp

Additional information can be found with a yahoo [or other] search. Just input something like “UPF clothes fabric”

[UPF stand for Ultraviolet Protection Factor.]

Coming in September to snorkel, should I bring hard sole booties and open back fins? Also a lycra dive skin or wetsuit? Thanks, Allan

Allen, Yes all the above will work fine.

(Message edited by pat_t on July 15, 2007)

Wondering about wetsuit vs lyca skin from a comfort standpoint. We snorkeled Maui last June with 3mm wetsuits over skins. (easier to get the suit off with a skin on) During our two week stay, we did not see another person in a wetsuit and only a few in skins. We saw a lot of snorkelers come out of the water after an hour due to getting cold. We could stay in the water indefinitely with out wetsuits. I believe the water temp was around 75-77 degrees. We will be in Bonaire August 22 to Sept. 5 and I'm trying to convince my wife that we will only need the skins due to the higher water temp. Comments needed!

Bob, Better to have them and not need them, then the other way around...

Sorry Bob.. I'm with your wife on this.. take the wetsuits. Especially if you're of the body type that becomes the same temperature of the water in short time.

Hey Bob, this past week was the first time I got chilly swimming in a skin in Bonaire.The water temps are running around 82-84, with some cooler. I usually swim in a skin and .5 mil. Of course, swimming Nebraska waters, I usually don't get cold. A little robust insulation helps. I have to agree though, it is always better to have a heavier suit and not needing it, than not. It is always more fun being in the water if you are comfortable.

Ok - - - You three convinced me to take the wetsuits. Now understand, I'm not saying I'm wrong - - - - I just don't want the wife saying, "SEE I TOLD YOU YOU SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT YOURS" !!!