Snorkeling for Absolute Beginners: A Red Sea Starter Guide

If you've never snorkelled, the idea can feel oddly intimidating — breathing through a tube, your face in the water, fish all around. But here's the reassuring truth: snorkelling is one of the easiest ways to experience the underwater world, and the warm, calm, clear Red Sea is just about the perfect place to learn. With a little know-how, you'll be floating happily above coral within minutes. Here's your complete starter guide.

The short answer: snorkelling just takes a mask, a snorkel, fins, and calm shallow water. Start in a sheltered spot, learn to breathe slowly through the tube, relax, and float. The Red Sea's gentle reefs make it ideal for absolute beginners.

The gear, simply explained

Three pieces of kit do the job:

• Mask — covers your eyes and nose, letting you see clearly underwater. The most important thing is a good fit and seal so it doesn't leak. Test it by placing it on your face without the strap and breathing in gently; it should suction on.
• Snorkel — the tube that lets you breathe with your face in the water while floating at the surface.
• Fins — help you move efficiently with little effort. Optional for absolute beginners in calm shallows, but useful.

A flotation vest is also widely available and hugely reassuring for non-swimmers — there's no shame in using one. You can rent all of this in Egypt, or bring your own mask for the best fit.

How to breathe and float

This is the part beginners worry about, and it's simpler than it sounds. With your mask and snorkel on, put your face in the water and breathe slowly and calmly through the tube with your mouth. Keep the snorkel tip above the surface. Relax your body and float — let the water hold you up, especially the buoyant salt water of the Red Sea. Don't fight it. Breathe slow and steady, and you'll quickly realise how easy and calm it feels.

Simple technique tips

• Relax. Tension makes everything harder. Float, breathe slowly, and let yourself settle.
• Look down, not up — keep your face in the water and your body horizontal at the surface.
• Kick gently with fins from the hips, not the knees, with slow steady movements. No need to thrash.
• Clear your snorkel if water gets in by blowing out sharply through the tube.
• Defog your mask with a little anti-fog or even a smear of saliva rinsed lightly, so your view stays clear.

Building confidence

Start in calm, shallow water where you can stand, such as a sheltered bay or a resort's swimming area, before heading to a reef. Practise breathing and floating until it feels natural. Use a vest if you're nervous. Stay within your comfort zone and build up gradually. On guided trips, tell the crew you're a beginner — they'll keep an eye on you and pick gentle spots. Going with a calm, patient companion helps too.

Staying safe and respectful

Snorkel with others, never alone, and stay where crew or companions can see you. Be aware of currents and don't drift too far. Protect against the strong sun with reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard. Crucially, keep your fins and hands off the coral and never stand on the reef — it's alive and fragile, and contact can hurt you and it. Don't touch or chase marine life.

Practical tips

Bring or rent a well-fitting mask above all. Use a vest for confidence. Go early for calm water. Start gentle and build up. And remember the goal is simply to relax and enjoy — once you trust the gear and the float, snorkelling becomes wonderfully easy and addictive.

The Red Sea is the gentlest of teachers: warm, clear, buoyant, and full of life just below the surface. Take a breath, float, and let the reef reveal itself — within minutes you'll wonder why you were ever nervous.

Trying snorkelling for the first time? Find beginner-friendly snorkelling trips with calm reefs and attentive crews on packnplan, and ease into the underwater world the easy way.