My significant other & I have been lurking for quite awhile now, & since our trip is in less than a month (Aug 1-8) I decided I better get on board here with my questions. I have never really snorkeled before, although he has done a lot, so he's been giving me lessons in the pool. One thing in particular I'm concerned about is my eyes are very sensitive to sunlight, so I'm worried that especially with glare from the water I will be uncomfortable. Any suggestions or feedback from others who might have the same issue?

Next is I also sunburn very easily. I've been stocking up on SPF30 "very water resistant" sunscreen. Will this be sufficient? When spending a lot of time in the water, how often do you suggest re-applying? I'm concerned because I've never been this close to the equator before. Also, s.o. is also pretty fair-skinned, but he does tan well. He thinks he won't need SPF30, but after experiencing several very bad sunburns over the years, I don't want him to get burned & not be able to enjoy our vacation. What do you think, can he get away with a lower SPF?

OK, I think those are the most pressing questions I have. Will post more as they come to mind. Thanks in advance, as this site has already been tremendously helpful in planning our vacation! Can't wait!

Hi Lori!
Welcome to Bonaire Talk. You might want to think about colored lenses for your mask. Your dive shop will likely carry some that are "rose colored/red." They will help reduce glare, but also add a red component and make the colors on the reef come alive even more (really good for scuba, but would be nice for snorkeling in water deeper than 15').

We have a friend who visits us on Bonaire and he burns when you say the word "sun." He always wears a dive skin, then puts a SPF 30 on. He wears a hat...even when snorkeling and has had no problems.

Good luck!

Scott

Lori -

What a wonderful adventure to which to look forward! You're going to like Bonaire just as much as you expect having read this newsgroup.

Eye sensitivity: I, too, have light-sensitive eyes. I've never had a problem while snorkeling. While snorkeling, once you get comfortable, you will spend the majority of your time looking down and the sun will not be a factor. When out of the water, you of course will have your sun glasses.

Sunscreen: Good for you! On Bonaire, I use SPF 30 or 45 and it works great. At home in Dallas, by comparsion, I use SPF 15 most of the year. You are correct, the proximity to the equator is a major factor. Unless you have been at that latitude or closer, you have no idea how intense is the sun. We've been several places in the northern and mid-Carib and Hawaii; no comparsion in solar intensity.

There is usually a nice breeze on Bonaire and it disguises the impact of the sun. But if you go without sunscreen or use too little, you'll fry before you are aware of it.

As far as how often to apply, you'll find different opinions. My theory is, rather too much than too little. We put it own at least an hour before we snorkel and reapply it maybe a couple of times during the day (not after every exit from the water). You will see sunscreens that say "all day protection." Maybe; I'd rather be safe and reapply.

Another personal perspective, if I may: what you are really guarding against is skin cancer. People who tan easily, tan evenly or "don't burn" are at as high or higher risk because they don't have the temporary warning of sunburn. As my dermatologist says, "The pursuit of a 'healthy tan' by my patients is buying my retirement home."

To extend your protection and comfort while snorkeling, wear some time of shirt or cover up; and if it comes down over your hips, that much the better. You will get so involved in snorkeling that you will lose track of time. If you don't have that extra cover-up, your backside will be toast.

Lori, all this sounds rather negative. It's not. Take reasonable protection for your eyes and skin and you're going to have a wonderful time.

First time snorkeling and you pick Bonaire...what are you going to do for an encore? :-)

Please do give us a trip report upon return.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Lori, I invested in a short wetsuit and I loved it!

If you have never snorkeled before, this might be too much of a leap but I would definitely wear a T-shirt or dive skin.

Like Charles says...LOTS OF SUNSCREEN!! Don't forget the backs of your knees and legs. There is no reason to be stingy on the SPF, a sunburn can ruin the whole trip, why risk it? I even wore a wide brimmed hat while snorkeling. I just tucked up the left side so that it wouldn't interfere with my snorkel.

Enjoy!
Lisa in Montreal

Ocean Potion (clear zinc oxide).

Lori, et al.

My lifeguard daughter (fair and blonde) told me about Ocean Potion developed for Aussie lifeguards that is a new form of the famous white zinc oxide that rubs in easily and is clear instead of the normal white, thick messy stuff.
I used it on Bonaire last month and often here in Florida. I use the face spf 45 version. Other companies make clear z.o. but this is my choice.

Try increasing luteine in your diet for your eyes and light sensitivity.

Bud

Thanks all, for the suggestions & support. I am just so excited that I don't want anything to interfere with one full week of vacation pleasure! Probably worrying a little too much about it all, but that's my nature.

As far as an encore to Bonaire, from everything we've been reading, we may never go anywhere else!

May I make another suggestion? If you have never done snorkeling before, read up a little on some of the fish species that you will see. There are plenty of great pictures right here on Bonaire-Talk.

It makes it very rewarding to be snorkeling and be able to say: Hey, that's a four-eye butterfly fish or during après snorkel say wow, did you see that grouper?

I promise that you will enjoy yourself either way but it makes discussions afterwards a lot easier! You will most certainly see at least one novel thing on every snorkel.

Lisa in Montreal

Another wonderful product I have just discovered is Aloe Gator 40+. It is a gel that lasts for 8 hours in the water and does not sting eyes. I found it in a surffing shop on Cape Hatteras. You actually have to scrub with soap to get it off. I second the motion for a dive skin or light wet suit. The tee shirt is better than nothing but has a very low SPF factor.

Don't forget to file a trip report so we can see how much fun you had.

Isn't sunscreen supposed to be bad for the reef environment?

Yes, and as careful as Bonaire is with their reef, I am surprised that they haven't done something to educate divers/snorkelers about it. There is a sunscreen that is effective and does not damage the reef, but I have not seen any mention of it here on this board, nor did I see any for sale last October when we were there.

The best protection from the sun is a dive skin. We have a group of eight of us and we all use them. They work very well. If you are very sensitive and don't think that is enough, then use a sunscreen that won't damage the reef. Or, if you can't find one, put on the sunscreen about an hour before entering the water. It will soak into your skin and not as easily wash into the water, while still providing excellent protection. But, if you use regular sunscreen, be aware that there are ingredients in it that kills the coral.

If you don't want to invest in a dive skin yet, go to Sally Army or some other thrift shop in your area and pick up a medium color, loose, light weight long sleeved blouse and pair of slightly too long pants that have elastic at the bottom. If the blouse has a high collar that can be turned up, so much the better. They will help do the trick of keeping the sun off of you and protecting from any stingy thingys that might be floating around. Bonaire rarely has much in the way of jelly fish, but occasionally some do drift through the area.

Wow, I never really thought about the effect of sunscreen on the environment -- duh! Since it's really not an option for me to go completely without it (even if I get a dive skin or wear other clothing, I'll need it on my face, hands, etc.), what sunscreen doesn't damage the reef? I buy my products at the health food store & the sunscreen I currently have is not made from any animal ingredients & is not tested on animals, but it doesn't say anything about the environment. Help!

Also, for those of you who have mentioned snorkeling with a hat on, what do you do when you dive under? Or do you just stay at the surface?

Hi Lori,

I never dive under! I think I am the only one that wears a hat...

I agree with Bill, when I was in Mexico they had so many warnings not to wear sunscreen while snorkeling to protect the reef.

In Turks and Caicos they mentioned it but it was not enforced at Club Med.

Nobody ever mentioned not wearing sunscreen while I was in Bonaire...but then again, Bonaire does not have these "Cattle Boat" type operations where 15+ snorkelers or divers are dumped in the same area every day for their designated 40 minute excursion.

People in Bonaire dive a variety of locations and it does not ever seem "crowded" in one spot.
Maybe this can account for the difference in attitude.

Lisa

Don't forget to apply sunscreen to the tips of your ears while snorkeling !!!

As a general rule, in warm climates, I like to put on my suntan lotion at night. That way it 'soaks' in and I don't have to worry about it in the morning.

Lisa -

Might I suggest that you do a bit more research on the issue of sunscreen damaging reefs? It is possible that a certain ingredient(s) is the culprit. If you know that, then you might have a chance of looking for acceptable products.

As an "90%" alternative, you might consider what I use: a long-sleeve/long-pants snorkeling suit made of a special material that acts as SPF 30. It is two piece, made of very light-weight stretch material (which is not hot at all once out of the water)and can be found at http://www.sunprecautions.com/cgi-bin/sgdynamo.exe?HTNAME=_swimwearHome.htm&UID=2003071512003147.

Another product that I've made to fit the same snorkeling application is from Solarveil. I use their tee shirts and long pants as a snorkeling (and topside) suit. It is very, very cool and has the advantages over Sunprecautions that you can wash it in any detergent, does not lose its SPF protection over time, and costs less(http://www.solarveil.com/store.asp).

Both have given me excellent protection from sun burn and, more importantly, exposure to skin cancer. With either of these products, the only areas you need apply sunscreen are your face/neck, hands and feet.

Hope this helps.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Poking around on the internet, I just found this website which has a wide array of products, including some which are, in their words, eco-friendly. You may want to check them out. The stuff I saw there doesn't have the physical appearance of the sunscreen we bought in Akumal (Cancun), MX., but it appears to be user-friendly as far as the coral is concerned.

http://www.cpskincare.com/index.php

I did find a couple of sites out there that described most sunscreens as having an ingredient(s) which damages the protective mucous membrane which coral coats itself with for protection, which eventually kills the coral. still looking, though. If I find out anything else interesting, I will post it.

Bill -

Thanks for the research and for providing the link.

We'll be most interested in what else you find.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Bill,

Thanks for taking the time to research this!

Belinda

Thanks everyone, for your continued help & suggestions!