TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Day Tripping to Anegada-Best shore snorkeling?

Wheels up in 13 days! Staying on VG but heading to Anegada for a day. Planning on renting a moke and beach hopping. We aren't frequent Anegada visitors although we have been there and have done Horseshoe reef.
Any tips for the best snorkeling spots from shore? Places to avoid (I know current can be an issue in some spots?) or places not to miss?
I know we are planning lunch at Tipsy's but other than that we are winging it.

Flash of Beauty is always my favorite. But it can get very rough so you need the right conditions.

After that Loblolly for me.

I second Flash of Beauty! Start to the east and let the current drift you to the west. And don't miss the conch fritters and chicken roti!

Definitely Flash of Beauty, but only if the seas are fairly calm. If the waves are breaking prominently on the reef, you will need to stay in close. If you get out into deeper water, there will be a very strong rip tide that will quickly take you out beyond the reef.

We have had much higher than normal seas for the past week, and it looks like there is no relief in sight for at least another week.

The water is very, very cloudy right now. After the seas settle to less than 4 feet, the water will take another 3 days or so to be clear enough for decent snorkeling. This applies over the entire island.

Don't miss Tipsy!

Any other decent spots if Flash of Beauty is too rough? Despite my boys being strong swimmers I never take any chances. I am a decent swimmer but would be the first to get sucked out to sea.....

Bring noodles for floating and for visability...we do flash of Beauty starting east and drift snorkel west per xrayman and then have lunch with Monica there and then walk to Loblolly go out again floating east to west following the semicircle

Tipsy or Cow Wreck are really the only alternatives. If Flash is rough, Big Bamboo will also be rough. At Tipsy or Cow Wreck, you have to swim out far (a couple of hundred yards) before you get to decent snorkeling. Even then, it is not nearly as good as Flash of Beauty.

Don't think we will have access to pool noodles unfortunately. Will be sure to check conditions before we attempt. Is Loblolly prone to being rough too?
Besides snorkeling, anything else we should not miss? We will be in the confines of the ferry schedule so dinner is out.

The only time we were able to snorkel on Anegada (many trips) was in the summer months when the sea was calmer. Winter months the ocean was too angry - high waves. Be careful. I love to just walk the miles of beach.

I agree with MIDiver. We typically go in May and November. We've never been able to snorkel in November. Way too rough for us. So I will spend hours walking or chilling on the beaches. Monica's roti is a must have.

Is it typically so churned up that even swimming is difficult?
Best calm beaches?
I am good with just chilling if that's what's in the cards.

Cow Wreck is typically a bit calmer than Flash and Loblolly as it faces slightly west of north. Pomato is the only beach I know of there that faces south and is pretty calm, although I have seen waves breaking on the beach there.

Thank you everyone! Snorkeling or not, I am sure Anegada won't disappoint.

It never does...I am jealous

We bring blow up pool noodles for visibility while snorkeling. There might be some solid noodles at the marina.

I’ll add my vote for FoB.

Snorkeling aside, the beach at Tipsy is normally calm enough for swimming unless the seas are running really high. There is always beach at Tipsy with shade, and the bar at Tipsy is much better than at Cow Wreck.

At the moment, there is no beach at all at Cow Wreck. Waves are running right up to the bar.

Sounds like Tipsy's is the place to be!
Just curious but are the seas noticeably high on the other islands as well or just Anegada because it is low lying? Are they high from a storm and expected to settle or is this the North Swell and we can expect it through the season?

Seas are high if there is a North Swell. With the prevailing East winds things are just fine. With a North swell visibility is also reduced.

Swells are normally from the east or northeast. The west end of Anegada faces northwest, so easterly ground seas have very little effect. Lately, though, we have been having seas from the north and northwest, so the shoreline is not as calm as usual. The waves break outside on the reef, but they still disturb the shoreline.