Taking 6 Year Old Snorkeling

You can be assured that he will do excellent with the snorkeling if he is already such a great swimmer. Get him the set and have him practice in the bathtub. If you can take him to a pool to practice a little, that will help too. We took our kids to Hawaii this summer and our 6 year old loved the snorkeling. He is not half as good a swimmer as your child and the interest in the snorkeling got him to do much more swimming and exploration than we imagined.
I'm not a doctor but as far as the ears, I really don't think that it will matter to wait or not wait. If he dreads the trip, it is probably best to get him interested in the snorkeling in the first part of the trip. If he really takes to it, then he'll have time to go again.

oh, what wonderful fun! snorkeling is just the best.
i don't think you need to restrict it to the middle part of the vacation at all. just make sure he's breathing comfortably through the snorkel ABOVE water and lowers himself slowly in. everyone tends to follow their visceral response and hold their breath when the water first covers their face, so don't worry if it takes many attempts to be able to do it. the preceding flight won't have any effect on his ability to snorkel. if he gets water in his ears, well, do the headshaking thing to get rid of it. don't let worries about what might happen get in the way of a life-long memory. have a wonderful time!
:) khairete
S.

I believe you can snorkle any time, but Scuba diving prior to a flight is a concern. Maybe you can surprise him with the mask and fins on the flight--something for him to play with and wear for a little while to get used to it. Sounds like FUN! I'm also a former lifeguard/swimmer and have been teaching my two year old to swim. I'm hoping she's as proficient as your son by the time she's 6 years old!

I think snorkeling is a great activity to share with your son! My husband and I both love to scuba dive, and we hope to include our kids when they're old enough.
You should not have any problem with his ears if you're taking him swimming or snorkeling and you don't have to wait any amount of time...you could jump off the plane and head right for the beach!
You DO have to wait an appropriate amount of time before flying ONLY if you are scuba diving, and then you figure out the wait time using different variables (such as the depth of your last dive, etc). Also, it's best to wait 24 hours after getting off a plane to dive, but there is no wait time with snorkeling.
Just be sure to give him the talk about respecting everything he sees under the water and not to touch or take anything out of the ocean :)

Wow. I'm impressed with what a great swimmer he sounds like at six years old! Awesome job, mama!

As far as snorkling, if you're comfortable with it, go for it. Of course, make sure he has on a safety vest and is within reach of you at all times. As far as waiting until the middle of the vacation because of flights, it's not necessary unless you're actually SCUBA diving, when your ear pressure will be changing because of depth. Otherwise, there is no need to worry. For flying, it can be a good idea to give them a dose of Tylenol right before take-off, and also make sure they are drinking or eating during take-off and landing; it helps them pop their ears.

Hope this helps!