We get many snorkelers writing to us, and a question that comes up time and again is, how to snorkel?
Snorkeling is a fairly straight forward activity with many benefits including:
- Spending time in nature
- Exploring a whole other world right here on our doorstep
- Enjoying the sunshine/ outdoors/ getting vitamin D (known as the “happiness” vitamin)
- A good reason to travel to some stunning tropical destinations
- A great activity that can be enjoyed by any age group making it a wonderful family activity
- Provides a talking point- easy way to meet new people with shared interest
But how is it done?
For those of us who are confident swimmers, snorkeling is a very easy activity that can be made more challenging with the inclusion of breath-hold diving, but that is a topic for another post.
Snorkeling involves simply preparing and donning a mask and snorkel and most often fins and wetsuit/sun protection.
Once in the water we simply float on our stomachs and gently move slowly on the surface of the water with out heads face down, while breathing through our mouths through the snorkel. Our noses are enclosed in the masks so the inclination to inhale through the nose is suppressed. The snorkel itself is specially designed so that the one end has a comfortable mouth piece attached (much like a mouth guard worn in contact sports). This end also has a one way value on it allowing the user to blow forcefully out clearing any water that may have entered but not get more water in it. The open end of the snorkel then sticks out of the water allowing the wearer to breath normally through their mouths while looking down in the water.
The mask allows our human eyes to see clearly underwater. Sometimes masks can fog up so it is recommended that the user prepares the mask before use each time by spitting into it and quickly rinsing it in the water before putting it securely on the face and tightening the strap just enough to hold it in place.
in order to avoid water leaking into the mask, one should be sure that the seal of the mask sits flush on the face without any hair or folds in it as such little creases allow water to slowly flow into the mask which can prove rather irritating while trying to enjoy the magnificent view of the underwater world.
