Snorkeling: Prime People Watching

I’ve always been fascinated with the ocean. So, naturally, on my first trip to Hawaii for my 5th wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided we *had* to snorkel. Not knowing anything about it, but being young and clueless, we decided to rent some gear and head down to the beach. How hard could it be, right?

We sat on the beach, snapped our rubber fins, strapped our masks and shoved our breathing tubes in our mouths and started our trek down to the ocean. For anyone that has ever tried to walk in sand with flippers, you know what happens next. The 20 yard expanse of sand from us to the water became a battlefield of losing proportions as we waddled along. Our frustrated breaths quickly fogged up our masks and we fell repeatedly as we jammed our fins through the deep sand, struggling like newly hatched baby turtles trying to make it to the water.

Needless to say, snorkeling was not a success that day. Since then, we have had many years to perfect our snorkeling abilities, and I love helping others when I see them struggle like we did that first day, but I’m not going to lie, I do love a good people watch on the beach and snorkeling is a prime opportunity for this. One of my favorite memories was an old woman who was determined to snorkel amongst the waves, despite her son’s continued warnings that she would get “pummeled.” She was going to see a turtle if it was the last thing she did.

If you’ve never snorkeled before, go ahead and make a spectacle, we’ve all been there before, and it makes for really great people watching. Even if you aren’t laughing then, you will laugh later. And for all the people on the beach that first day of our snorkeling experience, you are welcome for the great show.