GoPro or Nikon 1 J3 for underwater/snorkel

Going to Galapagos snorkeling and want to use the cameras that I already own. GoPro Hero black, or Nikon 1 J3? I would have to purchase the housing for the Nikon, which I would try to get away with the cheaper versions that will only house the 10-30mm lens. So..my question is...which one should I use, I can't figure out how far out the go pro goes, but previous video taken with it snorkeling hasn't been great (user related Im sure), and I like the idea of being able to see what Im filming. Thanks!

In checking the specs, the Nikon has a 1" sensor which is about 4x the area of the Go Pro hero at 1/2.3 which is typical of a cheap P&S. I don't know about the 10-30mm lens as to how wide that means. But you usually want a wide angle for underwater. The other big issue with U/W photography is lighting. Once you get below a few feet, the lighting and red, yellow and orange colors drop off and everything becomes drab and bluish. Underwater lighting replaces that color. I would check with some of the underwater camera forums from sellers who deal with U/W photography to get all the particulars. Or phone them and speak to someone knowledgeable. Good luck and have fun. Sounds like a wonderful trip.

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it. I will poke around some more. I’m taking my Canon 7D for everything else, but I have that little Nikon 1 in the closet...so I think I’ll give it a try. It shoots RAW so I can bring up some of the stuff seemingly lost in my post editing, and I won’t be going down very deep. Thank again!

I suggest you buy or rent a P&S camera specifically designed for underwater photography of the non-technical sort you describe. It is inexpensive insurance that you will come home with some good shots, with nor risk of drowning your camera. My son has done this on several trips to the Florida Keys. It's not a bad idea when canoeing on wild rivers either (also my adventurous son).

I'm actually in the same boat, figuratively, although my snorkeling trip will be to the Great Barrier Reef. I have my D800e and RX100 for all of my other photo needs, but would like something for snorkeling. I'm not really a video person, so while a GoPro type of camera will get a lot of use on this trip, I'm not sure it will get much use on an ongoing basis. I am mulling the possibility of renting one.