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My entire life I've only snorkeled near the shore/sandbars of the Destin area beaches, except for one short afternoon in Ocho Rios.
I've been poking around online a little bit and found that many people enjoy snorkeling near jetties, specifically Destin and Perdido Key FL. I'd like to expand my horizons a little bit but have no idea what to do. Which side of the jetties do people snorkel near? Do they stay near the rock jetties? A life jacket a must? Etiquette when snorkeling near divers and fishermen? Staying clear of boats?
Some general or specific guidance would be greatly appreciated
I have snorkeled the Jetties at Destin as well as the bay areas. We were on the Destin side near the rock jetties but beware of the current. It can get very strong there. The grass flats in the bay make for very interesting snorkeling as well. If you have time to drive down to Panama City, you can snorkel at St Andrews State park in the lagoon. We've seen lots of nice fish there over the years. You will need a dive flag and float and don't venture out into the boat traffic!
Sorry that I have not replied to this post sooner because I have snorkeled many times at the Destin jetties. It can be a great place under good conditions, but in the summer the most calm and protected area (it's pretty small behind the so-called "finger jetty") can get very crowded when snorkeling tour boats dump all their passengers there. Outside of this calm area is more advanced snorkeling with a great diversity of fish, but there is always a lot of surge from boat traffic and you have to be aware of currents. See this post from TripAdvisor and look for the entry by "Hawkfish" (that's my name on TripAdvisor): Snorkeling in September? - Destin Forum - TripAdvisor
This should give you most of what you need to know about snorkeling in Destin. Snorkeling can also be pretty good at the jetty at St. Andrew State Park in Panama City Beach. Also, I have very much enjoyed snorkeling the seagrass beds behind Shell Island in Panama City. However, you have to rent a pontoon boat to get there, which is about $250/day. This is well worth the money in my opinion because I have had a great time each of the three days I have done this. I don't know much about Perdido Key as I have never been there and I don't recall people recommending this as a good snorkeling spot. I think the water is murkier there than it is in Destin and Panama City Beach. Generally, I think the water is clearest in Destin, following by Panama City Beach, then Pensacola Beach, and Perdido Key/Alabama would be the least clear.
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