Snorkeling

Snorkeling is another adventure which I enjoy regularly. It is part of other water sports, such as fishing and wakeboarding. The thing that I love most about snorkeling is the fact that once you have the equipment, you are set for a long time. Snorkeling equipment is also extremely cheap compared to that of other sports. Snorkeling is basically using a mask and fins to observe the life underwater. Snorkeling involves holding your breath for the duration of the dive, unlike SCUBA diving.

Snorkeling equipment includes a mask, fins, wetsuit, booties, weight belt and a few extra accessories if you are spear fishing. Basically even some of that snorkeling equipment is not actually needed. You can dive with just fins and a mask, which can be picked up for under 50 AUD. The only thing that would stop you from being able to go snorkeling is where you live, and that can be overcome by adventure travel. It is easy enough to get from one place to another, close to the water.

If you enjoy nature above the water, then you will love snorkeling. Each dive I am amazed at the life that exists. Life on land is seen every day, but seeing life underwater is a great experience, and one that can only be done by snorkeling, SCUBA diving or in a glass reef finder boat. Snorkeling is the cheapest activity of these things.

Snorkeling is an activity which is undertaken for the sole purpose to see underwater life, and as a result where you dive needs careful preparation. Diving off a beach means that the snorkeling will be very boring – usually on a beach all you see is sand.

When snorkeling, you should consider:
•    What exists in the water? For a good snorkeling session, you are ideally after reef, rocks and ledges. Snorkeling is great around islands, where the reef is plentiful. The more reef, the better the snorkeling because the more coral and fish life that will exist.

•    Depth of the water. If you are only a beginner, you want to find water that is less than 5 meters deep. It takes practice diving down to the bottom, and if the water is too deep, then you will struggle to see the bottom. This means the snorkeling will again be very uninteresting.

•    The weather. Snorkeling requires calm weather for calm and clear water. If there  just been a storm, then chances are that the water will be churned up and you won’t be able to see very much

•    Does your snorkeling equipment meet the conditions you are going into? Smaller masks and longer fins are necessary for deep snorkeling dives.

Snorkeling fins are one of two most important bits of equipment. For beginner dives, fins which are comfortable and reasonably long are fine. For dives where you want to go beyond 10 meters deep, fins that are long and flexible are more necessary. Snorkeling fins can be either fully enclosed or can be strapped up at the back. In this case, the snorkeling fins require booties to be worn underneath. These are just neoprene boots which help when wearing fins.

Snorkeling masks need to be fully sealed, so that the water doesn’t leak into it. When choosing a mask, hold it up to the face, and suck in through your nose. If you can breathe in air, then it is not sealing properly, so find another mask. It is important that you find a snorkeling mask which is comfortable and fits well, because otherwise your experience becomes unpleasant.
Wet suits are also a good idea when snorkeling, because they help to keep you warm. Snorkeling in various areas can be cold, so if you find you are getting cold when snorkeling, consider a wetsuit. These range from 2 mm to 6 mm, and as it gets thicker you will be warmer. Hoodies are designed to cover the head, which is where the bulk of your heat is lost. It is a good idea to use one of these.
If you are using a wetsuit when snorkeling, then it is important to use a weight belt. These are designed to weigh you down when you dive. A wetsuit makes you float, so a weight belt counteracts this. Without a weight belt, it is difficult to go snorkeling because you can’t dive down very far.

Equalizing is an important part of snorkeling, because without doing it correctly you can severely damage your ears. When you are snorkeling down past a few meters, the pressure of the water on top of you builds up. To reduce the pressure on your ears when snorkeling, equalization is required. The easiest way to do this when snorkeling is to block your nose, and to try to breath out of it. Your ears should ‘pop’. Please do some more research before attempting this.

Holding your breath is a skill which can be acquired for snorkeling. There are many people who have had a lot of practice snorkeling and that can dive down to 40 meters, but this takes preparation and skill. There are many techniques which can be used to increase the time you can hold your breath.

Snorkeling is a cheap, awesome fun sport which I enjoy regularly. Take a look into snorkeling, and see how it goes. It really is worth the time.