Snorkelling for beginners in the Maldives: first steps

The sea stays at about 28–29°C all year, so you will not get cold quickly. Every island sits on a reef, and many local islands have a lagoon of sand and scattered coral where the water is waist to chest deep. Small fish gather around any patch of coral, so you do not need to go far to see something; our reef fish guide shows what to look for.

The one thing to respect is current. Atolls are rings of reef broken by channels, and water moves through them fast.

Snorkelling looks gentle, but it is exercise in open water. An Australian study of snorkelling deaths from 1994 to 2006 (Lippmann and Pearn, *Medical Journal of Australia*, 2012) found heart problems were the leading cause, mostly in older people. The authors stress that deaths are rare, but suggest a medical check if you have heart or lung disease, or a family history of sudden unexpected death.

In practice:

• If you are older, have a heart or breathing condition, or are very unfit, see your doctor before your trip.
• Do not snorkel when you are very tired or unwell.
• If you feel short of breath, dizzy or anxious, stop, float on your back, lift your mask and signal for help.

You can usually borrow or hire gear on a local island, and boat trips normally provide it. Many beginners still bring their own mask, because fit matters so much.

Mask

• Fit test: without the strap, hold the mask gently on your face and breathe in through your nose. If it stays put, it seals well.
• Hair: push hair out of the seal. A moustache can let water in.
• Strap: wear it across the crown of your head. Tight is not better; an over-tight strap distorts the seal.

Defogging

A foggy mask is the most common beginner complaint. Before each swim, rub a drop of defog gel or a little baby shampoo on the inside of the glass, then rinse it quickly in seawater. A brand-new mask may carry a factory film that needs cleaning off first (check the maker’s advice).

Snorkel

A simple J-shaped snorkel is fine. To clear water from it, blow out sharply, like saying “too”.

Fins

Fins give you power if a current picks up. They should be snug but not pinch. Kick slowly from the hips and keep your fins away from the coral.

Full-face masks

Full-face masks are popular because breathing feels natural. However, safety researchers have raised concerns that some designs may let exhaled carbon dioxide build up, especially when you work hard, and Divers Alert Network has been studying them with Duke University. Until the evidence is clearer, a traditional mask and snorkel is the safer choice.

Not being able to swim does not rule you out, but it changes the rules:

• Wear flotation every time. A snorkel vest (inflated by mouth) or a proper life jacket or buoyancy aid keeps your head up without effort. On boats, ask for one before you leave the jetty.
• Stay in your depth to start. Begin in water where you can stand on sand, not coral.
• Have someone within arm’s reach. A confident swimmer or guide should stay right beside you.
• Tell the guide you cannot swim. Say it clearly when you book and again on the boat. Good guides are used to it and will keep an eye on you.

Maldivian rules require life jackets on smaller boats; see our boat safety guide.

Your first session should be boring on purpose. Pick a calm, sandy area on a bikini beach in the morning, when the wind is usually lighter.

1. Stand in waist-deep water and put your face in while holding the snorkel. Breathe slowly through your mouth. Count ten slow breaths.

2. Lean forward and float, with or without a vest, still where you can stand. Let your legs rise behind you.

3. Practise clearing a little water from your mask (press the top and breathe out through your nose) and your snorkel.

4. Swim a few metres along the shore and back, looking up often to check where you are.

On Dhiffushi, for example, beginners can practise off a bikini beach, then try the house reef close to shore with a buddy, well away from the harbour.

A channel (kandu) is a gap in the reef where water rushes in and out of the atoll with the tide. Near a channel or reef edge, a current can carry a beginner away faster than they can swim back.

• Ask before you go. Locals and guides know where it is safe and when the tide turns.
• Swim into the current first, so the easy part is the way back.
• If you are pulled along, do not fight it head on. Swim across the current, parallel to the reef, then head back in, and raise your arm to signal for help.
• Stay away from boat lanes and harbours. A bright rash vest or marker buoy helps boats see you.

Read our full guide to currents and channels in the Maldives before you snorkel anywhere without a guide.

House reef snorkelling

A house reef is the reef you can reach from the beach. It is free and great for practice, but near inhabited islands the coral can be patchy, and you must judge conditions yourself. Go with a buddy and tell someone on shore your plan.

Boat trips with a guide

Boat trips reach healthier reefs, turtle spots and sandbanks. For a beginner, a guide picks a site suited to the day’s conditions, the boat stays close and life jackets are on board. Tell the guide your level, and use the ladder to get in and out until you feel confident.

If you are staying on Dhiffushi, the island’s things to do page lists guided snorkelling trips.

Coral is a living animal that grows very slowly, and a careless kick can break years of growth.

• Never stand on coral. If you need to rest, float on your back or stand only on bare sand.
• Do not touch, chase or feed anything. Turtles need room to come up for air; feeding sharks is illegal in the Maldives, and feeding rays and whale sharks is banned under the Protected Species Regulation.
• Take nothing. Shells, coral and sand stay where they are, and many marine products need a permit to leave the country.
• Watch your fins. Keep them up and away from the reef, especially in shallow water.

Our guide to coral reefs of the Maldives explains why this matters.

When you snorkel, your back and legs face the sun for an hour or more. Beginners burn more than anyone.

• Wear a long-sleeved rash vest, and consider leggings. It is better protection than any cream and reduces stings.
• Use a mineral, reef-friendly sun cream on exposed skin, applied well before you get in.
• Reef shoes protect your feet when you walk in over rocks or rubble.

See our sun safety guide, and our guide to marine stings and first aid for what to do if something stings or cuts you.

Children often learn faster than adults, and lagoons are a natural classroom. Use a child-sized mask that fits, put them in a snorkel vest or life jacket in deeper water and on every boat trip, and keep sessions short. Our family guide to the Maldives has more ideas.

• Mask fitted and defogged; rash vest on
• Flotation on if you are not a confident swimmer
• Currents checked with a local or guide
• Buddy with you, and someone on shore who knows your plan
• Turn back while you still feel fresh

When you are ready to go further, our main snorkelling guide to the Maldives covers the best seasons, sites and wildlife.