we will be going to T@C for the first time this winter and it will also be my first time to snorkel. I am incredibly near sighted and wear contacts. What do you people do who can't see diddly without contacts or glasses? Is it a lost cause?

Wear your contact lens UNDER the goggles!<BR>If you scuba or snorkel a lot, you can invest in prescription goggles.<BR> Have fun!!

Just add it to the cost of the trip. Get a quality mask with your prescription installed. It may cost around $135 at a dive shop or a place that specializes in such things. Also practice in a pool first with a quality snorkel that you will take along. Masks and snorkels are personal and the mask must fit. If you have standard size feet there will be fins available. You have enough concerns as a beginner without worrying about contacts. If there is anything of quality to look at it will blow your mind. You are hooked and will soon learn to swim properly if you don't already know how. The investment in mask and snorkel will last for years. The undersea world is disappearing rapidly so don't miss it while it is still around.

Kate, This may sound odd, but I had read that many people who are nearsighted find their vision corrected underwater when diving or snorkeling.<BR>I thought this was unbelievable, but I found it to be true whether diving at 125 feet or snorkeling at the surface. I don't know anything about the physics of it, but it worked for me!<BR>Try your mask out in the pool without your contacts in before you try wearing them under your mask.

I wear contacts or glasses and I can definitely agree with Louis to get the corrective goggles. Googles can leak, and getting salt water in your eyes anytime is not fun, but getting salt water in your eyes while wearing contacts is quite painful.<BR><BR>You want to be able to see clearly not only because snorkeling is such a beautiful sport, but it is dangerous to not be able to see clearly what is going on. Is is a dark shawdow or a spiny sea urchin? Is it a harmless fish or a moray eel that could be dangerous?<BR><BR>Definitely go to a dive shop and try out various lens to see which one gives you the best and sharpest vision. The dive shop people will then put the lens in a snorkel mask for you. You could get your fins and snorkel from a sports wearhouse store like Academy for a reasonable amount of money. Having your own gear saves on rental fees and is more sanitary.<BR><BR>T &amp; C is on my travel &quot;to do&quot; list. This is one of the premire dive destinations in the Caribbean. If you swim fairly well, I would take a snorkel trip with one of the dive companies. Remember, do not touch or stand on coral, take only pictures, leave only bubbles. <BR><BR> And don't worry about never using the gear again. I bought my optical mask in Hawaii for about $150 and it was the best investment I ever made. I became hooked on snorkeling after the first time and I still use the mask today. <BR><BR>Have a fantastic time.

The water will magnify your vision by about 25%, I need +2.5 corrective lenses and can see fine with my mask without corrective lenses. (I use a special stick on lens for reading scuba computers underwater) <BR><BR>If your sight is worse than that, then I would recommend corrective lenses in your mask.. Make sure they compensate for the water differential. Lenses usually cost about $35 in addition to your mask. You can get them online at www.diversdirect.com as well as many other places online and IRL.

My hubby is a diver, and as well worked in Hyperbaric for divers and other patients who required this specialty.<BR><BR>The poster 'scuba girl' pretty much repeated what hubby advised. And, once you try snorkeling, you'll probably love it and the Rx goggles will be a good investment.<BR><BR>Not a good idea to wear contacts. I don't dive/snorkel (I can't even swim) but hubby does and has since in his teens.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip and get some underwater photos if you can!

I wear contacts and snorkel on all our vacations and can't see diddly (like you say) without my contacts. I went to a dive shop and bought a good mask and water has never gotten inside. In addition, my husband bought me very cheap goggles for when I just go into the ocean and I wear my contacts and have never gotten water inside. It's not a lost cause. Just buy a good mask and enjoy!