Gosh, I'm not an athletic swimmer, but I can dog paddle, and I'm wondering if -I- can snorkle from everyone's description!
For clarification. He can swim and has no issues with diving, going under water, etc. He just primarily bobs around the shallow end of our pool. He can swim side to side with one breath, but swimming the length, requiring a mid breath would take considerable effort. That's why I wondered if he'd be able to stand up with his head above the water for breaths between dunking down to see fish?
Sounds like me. I am not much of a swimmer; never have been. When I'm in deeper water I mostly just lay on my back and kick or do an elementary backstroke. So I swim mostly with my legs. In fresh water I sink.
I snorkel regularly in Hawaii and enjoy it immensely. I'm one of those people that has my own mask and fins (ordered from Snorkel Bob).
I find it quite easy to just lay on my stomach and kick. That's all you have to do. With the fins it's quite easy to tread water and take care of chores such as clearing the mask. I make sure that I don't get far enough out that I can't get back to shallower water. I also make sure I know where there might be rip currents. I don't snorkel where there aren't other people snorkeling.
My point being that you don't need to be a strong swimmer to enjoy snorkeling as long you don't do stupid things and you know enough to know what things are stupid. Practice first in a pool, or in the sandy area at a beach in several feet of water until you get the hang of it. If you feel really uncertain use a noodle for extra flotation. I don't like the noodles, but a lot of people seem to like them.
Same things go for your dad.
just to throw this out there. You should never stand on a reef. It kills the eco system. So if you are going to an area that is complete reef, they need to be able to swim without putting those feet down.
Yep. Just like the area around Captain Cook's Monument, where the kayakers have completely killed the reef around the landing areas.
When I put in at a beach I look for areas where there deep water on the shore side of the reef. If I want to explore the ocean side of the reef I look for an opening in the reef that is deep enough to get through and that doesn't have a strong rip current. (Those two conditions often mutually exclusive, as that low spot in the reef will be the main outlet for water that comes of the reef to return back to the ocean.
That's also a matter of safety. Snorkeling over a shallow reef is quite dangerous - one of the stupid things - as a crashing wave can cast you into the reef formation with serious consequences to your health and well-being.