Pansonic and Olympus also make underwater cameras that can also be used topside. They are decent, and built to withstand some abuse. I use one for fun (pool, water parks, beach, lake, etc). However, when they say underwater, they don't mean more than 10-15 ft. Check the depth rating, especially if you plan to snorkel (and dive down more than it's rated for) or scuba diving. For more serious phots, and deeper depths, I bought an underwater housing for my Canon G10. I can take it to scuba diving depths.
Here are some tips with underwater cameras (I am a scuba instructor and have seen many cameras ruined)..... When you get your camera, test to see if it is sealed correctly. Submerge it in a bucket of water and watch for bubbles. Afterwards, remove it, dry it off well, then carefully open it and check for water inside. If there is, take it back and get a new one. Make sure the o-ring that is around the edge is free of hair, sand, dirt, nicks, etc. Many o-rings can be removed (read your manual) and coated with a special silicone to keep it from drying out/cracking. When using it in salt water, when you are finished, soak it in fresh water (ie in the sink while you shower and dress, or while you go to eat, etc). Dry it off really well, and when opening, hold the camera with the opening down so any remaining water won't flow inside the camera. One tiny little drop of salt water will fry your camera (happened to me when a wave crashed over our Zodiac and a few drops of water splashed on to my unprotected camera).
When taking photos underwater, keep in mind the deeper you go, the more the colors disappear. Reds, oranges, and yellows are the first to go. Many cameras today now have an underwater setting that adds those colors back to your images. If you are snorkeling on the surface and it's a sunny day you should be fine with any mode. Also, flash is not a good thing most of the time. It will highlight every little particle in the water and make your images looks speckled (there are lots of tiny critters floating around-krill, jelly larva, etc). You can try the flash, but check your photos often to be sure that's not happening. When you get into scuba diving, flash is a nexessity deeper down. That's when you invest in a good camera, housing, and brackets to keep the flashes (yes more than one often) off to the side to avoid backscatter.
Have a great time and be sure to share your photos!
