A Novices Guide to Snorkeling

Exploring the hidden depths of the sea is a fascinating hobby, as well as being an expensive one if you are planning on diving right down the depths. Nevertheless, there is a cheaper alternative that can be just as enthralling, and that is the hobby of snorkeling. Unlike deep diving, snorkeling allows a person to see below the surface of the sea whilst staying relatively close to the surface. That also means that you will not have to spend a small fortune on diving equipment, as with snorkeling, you only really need a snorkel and a mask, everything else is optional.

Snorkeling Apparatus

Snorkeling equipment mainly consists of a number of items, most of which are not essential to the enjoyment of the hobby. There are only really two important parts to the snorkeler’s kit, and these are the mask and the snorkel itself. Of course, there are a lot of people that also purchase fins in order to help them swim through the water better, whilst at the same time helping them to protect their feet. Other people will want to wear a wetsuit, and again this is something that is not always necessary. When snorkeling a lot of people worry about keeping their valuables safe. Small items such as keys, wallets and cell phones need to be stored somewhere safe whilst a person is snorkeling. A lot of people that go snorkeling encounter this problem, so therefore it is a good idea to buy bags and safe cases in order to keep small personal items secure. The safe cases themselves can be worn whilst swimming in the water, due to the fact that they are water resistant, and they are a great way of making sure that you keep your valuable items safe. Snorkel bags are ideal for storing all of your essential snorkeling gear, such as your mask, snorkel tube and fins, and they make carrying your stuff much easier.

The Snorkeling Mask

Wearing a snorkeling mask is not supposed to cause too much discomfort, yet for a lot of people it does, and this is due to the fact that they have an ill fitting mask. It is imperative to make sure that you have the right snorkel mask in order to stay free of water seepage as well as being able to snorkel without discomfort. The mask needs to be as tight as you can get it, without the mask being so tight that it pinches the skin. The same goes for fins, if you decided to wear some. Fins need to fit snugly like a good pair of shoes, rather than being too tight or too loose.

Tips for Safe Snorkeling

Misting of the eye plate of the mask is a common problem that crops up when entering the water and this is due to the sudden change in the temperature between the water and your body. You can prevent misting, by smearing the glass with saliva or by purchasing one of the many anti-misting solutions that most snorkel equipment specialist sell.

Breathing through your mouth is the only way in which you will be able to breathe when under the water, and this can take a bit of getting used to. It is important that breathing through your mouth becomes second nature, so practicing before you hit the water is a good idea, as the mouthpiece to the snorkel needs to fit in your mouth fully so that you can make a water tight seal with your lips.

From time to time you may find that your mask fills up with water, and when this happens it is important that you remain calm and make sure that you know how to expel the water safely. All you need to do is to surface, tilt the bottom of the mask upwards, and let the unwanted water to seep away. If there is also water in your snorkel tube, then tilt your head back and allow the water to flow out, or else blow really hard through the tube to expel the water.

Hopefully, this article has given you some idea as to how to go about snorkeling for the first time, as well as giving you some tips on safe snorkeling and how to use the equipment.