Welcome to the 'Board, Chris! To get into snorkeling, I suggest you start off by buying a good dive mask, good fins open heel fins, dive booties, and a snorkel. You can find "snorkeling gear" in most Wal-marts, etc, but those aren't really appropriate for diving. And if you eventually want to get into diving, might as well get the dive quality gear now. You can get a decent package starting at about $80, or spend as much as $300, depending on exactly what you're interested in. I'd suggest spending somewhere in between. Then just get out there and snorkel. I'd suggest hitting some of the inland springs. Merritt's Mill Pond in Marianna is a great place. The water is calm, visibility is unlimited, and there's a lot to see if you're in the right place. You will probably want a good wet suit, though. The water temp of the Florida panhandle springs is 68 degrees. If you do decide to head over to the Mill Pond, let me know. If I'm available, I'll meet up with you and show you some areas. We can also do a free Discover Scuba while you're here. That's basically an introduction to scuba diving. I'd spend a little time with you learning some basic skills, then we'd go for a shallow dive.