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Old 01/07/2008, 03:43 PM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Springfield, IL
Posts: 1,577
First of all, you're right. There are some dangers involved. Some are unavoidable, some are very avoidable. Most snorkelling outfits that I've dealt with in the Caribbean will not take you to areas where you are in shallow enough areas to crash into the reef. There is some current as most of the diving around Playa and Cozumel is drift diving, but nothing you can't handle. I'd would guess that you will have a life vest on which makes it easy to turn over and take a break from kicking if you need to. The main thing is to not get in a hurry and not use your arms when snorkelling. Use you fins to swim and kick slowly, and you'll be fine.

As far as avoiding becoming something's meal, the only advice I can give is to not wear any shiny objects in the water (watches, jewelry, etc.) and move deliberately. Don't spash around too much. Chances are very slim that you'll have any issues with "attacks". I heard that you're more likely to be trampled to death and eaten by a herd of pigs than attacked by a shark

There are jellies in that area. We saw a couple Man of War jellies when we dove last, but that can be unavoidable. Be aware of your surroundings and stay close to the guides if you feel uncomfortable. If you're overly worried about jellies, a wetsuit can help avoid stings if you do happen to run into any.

Just be cautious and have fun. You'll be fine.