This is an uneducated guess, but I think it could be for protection from the sun. Being in the tropics, you'd need sunscreen which wouldn't last very long underwater, and I am PASTY white so I extra-need it.
Or, perhaps it protects you if you brush up against wildlife underwater. My dad recently brushed against a shark which left a scar, and my mom once had an incident with some fire coral. Neither one of them were in wetsuits and were only snorkeling. Based on their experiences, I'd probably wear a wetsuit myself, to be honest!
Are you thinking of going scuba diving?
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