Snorkeling in September/October

We went to Roatan in the late 2000's and did some snorkeling. We were there in October as well. The rain didn't interfere with our vacation. We stayed in the West End in a cheap place. We didn't check out any of the more expensive hotels and/or resorts. My thoughts:

1. The coral is dead at West Bay Beach - lots of dead white chalky coral.

2. Snorkeling from a small boat was great. First and only time I saw a turtle in the water.

3. We were there for a week - the public trash cans along the ocean front were all overflowing the entire time.

4. The best beach snorkeling I can remember was off Flowers Bay Beach. Lots of fish and coral close to the shore. But, you had to wade through lots of plastic trash to get into the water. The water wasn't noticeably dirty - just plastic trash floating in the shallows. No one else was snorkeling there and it was a tiny bit creepy though. We had the cab driver who took us there return in an hour and a half or so.

Not sure if I would go back, but the food was cheap and the people were nice - mostly ex pats.

Wow, that's not at all the impression I had! That definitely doesn't sound worth the money. Thanks very much for your input. Have you had a better experience snorkeling anywhere else?

Many years ago we stayed in Cayman Brac and took a small-group tour (3 couples) by boat to Little Cayman - it was like snorkeling in an aquarium. I would give Little Cayman the "best snorkeling ever" award.

Cozumel was great but crowded.

My friend who loves to snorkel just got back from Maui and loved the shore snorkeling - they stayed in Kihei.

Of course, we were in Roatan at least 10 years ago and it was even longer ago that we were in the Caymans.

I was obsessed with snorkeling before I became obsessed with Europe!

Can't give a good answer without knowing some more - about you.

Have you been snorkeling much (or at all) before? How much, and where (and when)?

The reason I ask is because a lot depends on what you're comparing it to, what you're used to, what you're expecting. Different people will respond to the exact same place with reactions that vary totally from "meh" to "pretty good" to OMG!!! (orgasmic), mostly (IME) based on what they've experienced previously. What "great snorkeling" have you done before?

Also, besides warm water and few crowds, can you better define exactly what makes "good" (or great) snorkeling for you, and what doesn't? There are many factors that can (or may) make snorkeling great, but not everyone expects the same mix.

Also, the underwater world is changing rapidly, and generally not for the better (runaway development, climate change, other things) so an eyewitness report from 10 years ago may not be a perfect predictor for next summer.

I'm an active (and admittedly very spoiled) scuba diver, and have snorkeled in a lot of awesome places around the world (and some mediocre ones). Micronesia is pretty hard to beat, but it is a long way to go and a lot more than $700...

If you would consider a destination closer to home, and probably a lot easier on your wallet, I suggest the Big Island of Hawaii - particulary the Kona (west) side of the island. There are several pretty little bays and beach parks dotted along the coast featuring warm, calm, and clear water with lots of sea life to enjoy. Honaunau bay near the City of Refuge is one of the most beautiful snorkeling spots we've ever seen. You can also hop on one of the local dive boats to see the manta rays in the evening - they cater to both qualified Scuba divers and snorklers. We had a mix of both on our boat, and it's an experience that my wife stills raves about. Aside from the water attractions, there are day trip excursions up to the volcano, over to Hilo, and just exploring the beautiful islandin general.
October would be the shoulder season in Hawaii, so flights and accommodations would both be a bit cheaper than high season.

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

Little Cayman sounds great but we're trying to avoid places that require boat trips to get to the reefs. My only experience snorkeling so far has been in Maui where we also stayed in Kihei. We went in September and stayed for a week, and we snorkeled five or six times. We rented gear from Snorkel Bob's and hit up all the recommended spots, which were mostly very crowded but fun nonetheless. We took a tour out to Molokini which was obviously great snorkeling, but we really would rather be able to avoid boat rides and just rent a car and drive around and swim out from shore.

I ruled out Mexico because the water isn't very warm and it seems most of the good spots are pretty crowded, but I don't know much about it. If there are good places that aren't packed I'd love to hear about them.

Returning to Hawaii is tempting because it's closer and the flights are cheaper, but there are so many people there and the water wasn't very warm. Also, looking at airbnb's I see they cost three times as much as what I was seeing on Roatan which makes the cheap flight less of a consideration. Same problems I imagine for Mexico, I guess. Am I being unfair? From what you say, Robert, it sounds great, but would we have as much fun if we avoided the tours and tried to do everything alone? And are there lots of people at the places you mentioned?

What I mean by "good snorkeling" is really just pretty reefs, lots of wildlife, few people, no boating required, and warm waters. Writing that down it seems like I'm asking for a lot!

I just want to clarify that the beach snorkeling in Little Cayman is amazing. We just took a boat ride to get there from Cayman Brac.

Ah, gotcha! I'll look into that place too then. Thank you for the clarification.

Edit:
Wow. Just looked into it and flights there are pretty pricey.

Having the freedom of a car would allow you to explore all of the little hidden away places that most tourists never see... and that organized tours never get to.
You mentioned Snorkel Bob's on Maui: the franchise operates on the Big Island too. Their rental gear is surprisingly good quality, and if Hawaiian waters are still a little chilly for you I'm sure they have thin wet suits that'll help keep you warm. One thing we found was that wearing a hood, even if it was just a thin one made of nylon, made a big difference in allowing us to stay out longer. One of the thin neoprene types would help even more. Might add that Snorkel Bob's can also direct you to little off-the-beaten path places to beach snorkel. As I recall they even had a map with all of them highlighted and the folks working in the shop were more than happy to help suggest places up and down the coast. They can probably also point you to the beach where you can swim with the manta rays - that's an easy beach dive too if you're not spooked by diving at night. One of the hotels started shining flood lights out over the water years ago to provide a pretty scene for their guests, and it had the effect of attracting plankton, which in turn attracts the mantas which come virtually every night to feed. Seeing them was quite a spectacle - one not to be missed.
For accommodations, have a look at booking.com. With enough advance planning you can typically find places for a lot less money than what you'd pay for a resort experience ... typically $100 per night for a couple, some with facilities for cooking if you don't want to eat out all the time.
The little bay at Honaunau is an easy beach dive, and we were frankly amazed at all of the sea life there - the sea bottom was alive with coral and sea grasses, as well as passing turtles that seemed to be pretty acclimated to our presence. Minimal crowds too, especially if we got there early. It was our "go to" place for snorkeling back when we lived on Kauai.

When does the Caribbean hurricane season begin? Having been to Roatan on a cruise, I'd remind you that it's in a Malaria-prevention zone. Off the beach snorkeling is rarely as good at boat snorkeling. Higher-end resorts in the traditional Caribbean may have a daily boat included with the room, of course it varies. The best snorkeling I've ever had was from a small boat by Bora Bora. (Horrible seat pitch but frequent sales on Air Tahiti Nui.) Second best, small boat from a day-sail in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in a national snorkel park. (Especially far part of the Caribbean.) Note: I'm a poor swimmer and use a partial flotation vest when snorkeling.

Robert, I must say you've very nearly made up my mind for me. I hated the idea of pulling on a big heavy wet suit every time but I'll look into the thinner ones and see if they seem OK. I've been ogling photos of the big island and it truly does look amazing. We are very early risers, so that along with the tie of year might be enough to handle the overcrowding problems. Snorkeling with the rays at night sounds really wonderful.

I know what you mean about thick wet suits, but we found that there was a "Hawaiian weight" that worked just fine - seemed to be about half the thickness of the bulky ones. There's usually no need to get the full suit either - people typically wore only the tops, although I usually supplemented mine with a full body nylon thing for the coral protection it provided.
The water on the Kona side is usually as calm as a lake that time of year, and after Labor Day you'll see a dramatic decrease in the crowds as the kids go back to school, although for that matter we never experienced the kind of crowds on the BI that you typically see on Maui or Oahu. Even the most popular spots were pretty mellow.
Though it's a good hour's drive from Kona, the little town of Waimea up along the Saddle Road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa is great place to stay. Don't know the exact elevation but it's high enough that the evenings are quite cool, to the point that a sweater might be necessary. It would be about half way between the beaches on the west side and the flower farms and other attractions on the Hilo side.

Thanks so much Robert! What other attractions are not to be missed? I assume the volcano is worth a trip? We love hiking and state parks and all that sort of thing. Any place with nice scenery and wildlife.

Even if you decide to not stay there, Waimea is worth some time just exploring paniolo (cowboy) country. Parker Ranch has an interesting history - the guy who founded it jumped ship from a whaler back in the 1800's and eventually married a Hawaiian Princess, who brought with her a vast land holding that is now the ranch itself and most of the countryside in the vicinity of Waimea.
There's an observatory atop Mauna Kea that makes for an interesting day trip. Bundle up though - it's at an altitude of about 13,000 ft so it's plenty cold up there. Snows in the winter time too.
There are a lot of things to see on the Hilo side. Best to get a guidebook and see what's on offer. Thing is, it rains basically every day on the east side - that's why there are so many flower farms in the area - so pack an umbrella. The showers are transient however, and the sun will come back out after about 30 minutes.
Don't know if you have any military connections but the best kept secret in Hawaii is the Kilauea Military Camp up at the volcano. It's located inside the NP and has lots of cute little rental cottages, cheap rental gear including bikes for riding around the (dormant) rim, and even a 9 hole golf course. Would need to check their website to see how the current eruption is affecting them, but it looked like the lava was flowing in the other direction towards the sea. Neat place at any rate.

I really appreciate your input. I am pretty sure you've decided it for me. Thanks for all your help!