12 Tips for Snorkeling for Beginners
Snorkeling is a fascinating hobby and one of the easiest ways to get a glimpse of the world that lies beneath the surface of the sea. It is something almost anybody can try, as opposed to scuba diving, which involves extensive training and minimal equipment.
Even so, most people’s first snorkeling experiences aren’t great.
It’s possible for you to have a less-than-pleasing experience or even put yourself in harm’s way if you’re worried, have a mask that leaks or fogs up, have uncomfortable fins, or have water go into your snorkel. Therefore, to ensure that you have the most enjoyable experience possible while snorkeling, here are 12 tips for Snorkeling for beginners that will assist you in avoiding the mistakes that beginners most frequently make.
Read about the best snorkeling mask. 6 Best Snorkeling Masks for Every skill
12 Snorkeling Tips for Beginners
Snorkeling, when done right, can be a simple and risk-free way to experience the beauty of the sea and a world that is very different from the one we usually live in. However, if you are a beginner, it may be difficult to figure out how to get started. So, without further ado, let’s go through a dozen simple techniques to help you overcome your fear of snorkeling and get started with self-assurance. There are 12 tips for snorkeling for beginners that we are discussing here:
- Assess Your Ability To Swim Before You Start.
- Get The Correct Snorkeling Gear
- Understand Your Snorkeling Equipment
- MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR SNORKELING EQUIPMENT IS PREPARED CORRECTLY
- HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCEAN’S SITUATION
- Have Conversations With Locals Regarding Snorkeling
- GO OUT FOR A SNORKEL EXAMINATION
- PRACTICE WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE’S A PROBLEM
- KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM THE SEA
- SNORKEL WITH AN EXPERIENCED BUDDY
- FOR YOUR FIRST TIME, GO ON A SNORKELING TOUR AND ENJOY IT
- AFTER YOU’RE DONE SNORKELING, MAKE SURE TO CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT
Assess Your Ability To Swim Before You Start.
Given that swimming makes up the majority of what you’ll be doing when snorkeling. It makes sense to assess your level of swimming proficiency at the present moment. Even if you aren’t the best swimmer in the world, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy the benefits of snorkeling. However, being aware of your capabilities will give you a better sense of how to go from this point on.
Even though salt water helps you float slightly better than fresh water [source],
This is a useful boost, and you must be honest. Are you confident you can swim around the ocean for an extended time without wearing protective gear (such as a life jacket, snorkel mask, or other similar items)? Would you not have to worry about not being able to make it back to land? If that’s the case, then excellent effort! Snorkeling is a sport that won’t be too difficult for a beginner to pick up.
Wearing a life jacket will make it easier to float, so you won’t have to worry about constantly keeping your head above water. In addition, if there is any problem (for example, if water seeps into your mask). It is simple to sit upright and take care of the issue while you are above the water. When you’re first getting started, this will go a long way toward ensuring your comfort and safety.
Get The Correct Snorkeling Gear
You will want to make sure you get the right snorkeling gear for your level of experience. There is a clear difference between snorkeling gear for beginners and gear for more experienced snorkelers.
(a). Snorkel Masks
When it comes to the snorkel mask itself, also known as the large goggles that protect your eyes and nose at the very least, the first and foremost vital decision to make is how well it fits. Does it have a good fit on your face? Are you able to move freely in it while maintaining a snug fit? And most importantly, does it prevent water from entering the structure? Because each person’s face and each mask are unique, you should probably experiment with a few alternative looks before making a final decision. A dry mask makes for a happy snorkeler.
(b). Snorkel Tubes
Next, you’ll need to add a snorkel, a tube that you hold in your mouth and sticks up above the waterline to help you breathe fresh air while swimming. For those who have never used a snorkel before, we always recommend a type of snorkel known as a “dry snorkel.”
Dry snorkels look a lot like traditional snorkels, which have a tube with a mouthpiece attached to them. However, dry snorkels have a one-way valve on the breathing tube. This valve is meant to keep seawater from getting into the tube when you don’t want it to. It also lets you breathe normally. They are very helpful, and the extra peace of mind they give people just starting to snorkel is priceless.
(c). Fins
Adding fins to your snorkeling gear might greatly assist a novice. On dry land, getting used to navigating with them can seem odd at times, but once you get out on the water, you’ll notice a significant improvement. You can move farther and faster, which enables you to cover more ground and gives you a greater sense of self-assurance in your ability to swim.
Rental Snorkel Equipment
If you aren’t quite certain that you want to continue snorkeling, renting the necessary gear may be the best option for you in the short term. In most cases, you can get started for about ten dollars instead of spending forty to sixty dollars to buy a nice basic mask and dry snorkel of your own (this is assuming that you will be going snorkeling more than a couple of times).
Understand Your Snorkeling Equipment
To have a relaxing and fun time snorkeling in the sea, you need to know how the different parts of your gear work together.
1. Snorkeling Mask
The first component you should become familiar with is your mask, particularly the strap it comes attached to. You should aim for a fit close but not too tight, and you’ll likely need to make some changes to get there.
Some masks have a ribbed silicone strap that pulls through a buckle on each side to adjust its length behind your head. On the other hand, some better masks will have a small button on each side that depresses the strap to move back and forth and adjust the fit. At least a few minutes should be spent adjusting the mask and trying it on until you find a comfortable fit.
2. Snorkel Tube
The next step is to familiarize yourself with the snorkel tube for a few minutes. The earliest versions of snorkels were essentially nothing more than a tube you were supposed to hold in your mouth while it floated freely in the water. However, newer snorkels certainly come with added luxuries that you will want to pay attention to, so keep that in mind.
It’s likely that your snorkel tube, rather than being free-floating, will have a clip that connects to the strap on your mask to keep it fixed to the side of your head. This is convenient so that you don’t have to worry about losing it or having it flopping around in a way that is uncomfortable to you. Because it is adjustable, the snorkel can be moved up or down, depending on what is most comfortable for your face. Invest some time in adjusting the snorkel so that the mouthpiece sits snugly in your mouth and the tube protrudes into the air when your face is in a downward-facing position.
If you make these modifications in advance, you won’t have to worry about trying to figure them out on the beach, in the boat, or even while you’re swimming when you get there.
4. MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR SNORKELING EQUIPMENT IS PREPARED CORRECTLY
To keep the mask surface clean in a specific way that repels fog. This is a common issue with snorkel or scuba masks that can really damage your experience. Snorkel masks benefit from just a little bit of preparation work.
We won’t spend too much time on the specific process now because we’ve already written out a helpful guide on cleaning and anti-fogging your snorkel mask that you can reference separately. However, you can easily clean and coat your snorkel mask with some common household items.
5. HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCEAN’S SITUATION
It is time to start thinking about entering the water at this point! This is a fantastic opportunity, but if this is one of your first experiences of snorkeling, you might find that it makes you feel a little uneasy.
Simply educating yourself on how to determine the state of the ocean is a simple way to get started, and the beach flags provide the most straightforward method for doing so. Most beachside hotels and public beaches around the world have a small flagpole with different colored flags that are raised throughout the day depending on how the ocean is.
- A green flag indicates that the ocean and current are relatively calm on that particular day.
- A yellow flag indicates moderate surf or currents and that extra caution should be taken.
- A red flag indicates that things look pretty gnarly and hazardous.
- If there are two red flags, access to the water has been cut off.
- A purple flag indicates that there may be potentially dangerous marine life nearby (maybe jellyfish or a lost shark).
This can change slightly depending on where in the world you are, which is why it’s never a bad idea to ask someone nearby to check it for you, but in general, it seems to be very accurate everywhere in the globe.
Even if no flags are flying, that does not necessarily indicate that the waters are calm.
Asking a person in the area, like a lifeguard or the proprietor of a dive shop, is a smart approach in this scenario; alternatively, you might look it up online, as many locations keep this kind of information updated throughout the day.
6. Have Conversations With Locals Regarding Snorkeling
Talking to locals about snorkeling in the region is the next step, and it’s always a great idea to do so whenever possible. Quite frequently, they can supply the information you would not have known otherwise but would now have access to.
Take, as an illustration, the possibility that there is a bloom of algae taking place, which you will want to avoid. Or perhaps it’s the time of year when jellyfish are most prevalent, or perhaps there was a shark spotted in the area not too long ago, and people are waiting for it to swim back to sea before they go back into the water. Some places are known for having dangerous currents, like Los Cabos in Mexico, where swimming is only allowed in a few places.
Or, on the other hand, they might know wonderful places to see tonnes of fish or the time of day when sea turtles show up (this was definitely the case in Curacao; they loved to hang out at the fishing docks around 2 o’clock in the afternoon). Getting information from others in the area can help you avoid problems and discover new things of wonder.
If you are staying at a hotel close to the water, the individuals working at the front desk or the hotel concierge will be excellent resources for information of this kind.
7. GO OUT FOR A SNORKEL EXAMINATION
Once you have your gear prepared and ready to go, the next step you need to take before going on your first real snorkeling trip is to make sure that everything works properly. Just go to the beach with a friend and dress right before wading out to an area where the water is about waist-deep.
(If you’re going to be wearing fins, the best approach to entering the water is to shuffle either laterally or backwards. If you wear fins and attempt to walk forward into the water while doing so, you will most likely end up belly-flopping. You can also carry your fins while you wade out into the water and then put them on once you reach a depth where you no longer need to walk in them.)
You can easily test how everything feels by dipping your head into the water and doing so from this vantage point. The practice of taking slow, even breaths and moving around a little bit can be quite beneficial. Is there a sense that everything is balanced on your face? Is there any possibility of a leak? If there are any issues, you can just stand up and make any necessary adjustments without worrying about treading water or anything else. If there are any issues, you can easily just stand up and make any necessary modifications. You will feel more confident moving forward once everything has been adjusted appropriately and is prepared to begin.
8. PRACTICE WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE’S A PROBLEM
Like any other activity, snorkeling can have problems. Most of the time, these problems are caused by either water getting into your mask or water getting into your snorkel tube.
1. Move to an area during your test snorkeling session where you can move around a little bit and do some actual swimming (but not so far that you won’t be able to stand back up again if you need to).
2. You may try to wiggle your mask a little to let a little water in, but you shouldn’t rip it off your face and let a lot of water in because it won’t feel great to have salt water in your eyes. Instead, try wiggling your mask around a little bit. You can judge how it feels and determine how much water must leak before it becomes a problem.
3. When you reach this point, you should get into the habit of pausing your swimming, treading water for a few moments (or just reclining back and floating in a life jacket), and then lifting the bottom of your mask so that the water can drain out before restarting.
4. You can also let a little water into your snorkel tube, but you should be careful not to breathe because drinking too much salt water can lead to significant lung difficulties. If you have a nicer snorkel, it may have a purge valve built below your mouthpiece. This purge valve will enable you to expel water from the bottom of your snorkel by allowing you to release a puff of air through the bottom of your snorkel. We recommend the Oceanic Ultra-Dry 2.
5. If your snorkel does not have a purge valve, you must practice pushing your head back slightly (but not so far as the snorkel tip hits the water) and forcibly blowing air into your snorkel. By doing this, you can release any water that may have become trapped inside. This ought to force the water out of the top of the snorkel tube, leaving you with an airway that is reasonably free of moisture.
6. Last but not least, if your mask ends up getting foggy (this test snorkel that you are doing will be a good indicator of whether or not this might be a problem, and if you then need to further clean your mask), practice treading water/floating and completely removing your mask from your face. This will be helpful if your mask fogs up. You may spit into the interior of your mask and then rub it around the lens with your fingers (yuck, I know, but it works amazingly well). After that, you can remove it briefly, give it a short rinse, and then put it back on.
If you give these scenarios some practice under controlled conditions, you’ll feel more secure about your ability to handle them if they arise while you’re snorkeling in the real world.
9. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM THE SEA
When you are ready to give snorkeling a proper go, you should start out close to the shore. You might think it goes without saying, but gaining the confidence to snorkel in situations where your feet aren’t touching the ground while still being just a few extra paddles away from a safe area can be accomplished by working outward from the beach little by little while still remaining within a stone’s throw of the beach.
If you are becoming overly uncomfortable at any stage, it is quite acceptable for you to return to the shallows and take a few deep breaths. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and steadily increasing your depth and distance, even by very small amounts, is a terrific way to maintain making progress toward a goal without overwhelming yourself in the process.
10. SNORKEL WITH AN EXPERIENCED BUDDY
Snorkeling is an activity that you should never do by yourself, no matter what, and when you’re just getting started, the person you snorkel with should be an experienced snorkeler if you’re going it alone.
To begin with, they will be in a position to keep an eye on you and assist you if there are any issues (and you will be in a position to return the favour once you feel more at ease). Another advantage is that they will be able to answer any queries you might have regarding strategy, equipment, or anything else that may come up. You’ll find that it’s the perfect mix of safety precautions and good advice that will help you as you get better at snorkeling.
11. FOR YOUR FIRST TIME, GO ON A SNORKELING TOUR AND ENJOY IT!
After becoming familiar with the fundamentals of snorkeling, going on a tour with a guide is likely to be the method that allows you to get off the ground (water?) the quickest. Not only will guides be able to provide you with an experienced snorkeling companion, which was the subject of our last piece of advice, but they will also be able to take you to places that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get to on your own, which will allow you to experience more amazing parts of the ocean. The fact that the coaches have a significant stake in ensuring that you do not get hurt provides an additional boost to your self-assurance.
12. AFTER YOU’RE DONE SNORKELING, MAKE SURE TO CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT
If you have purchased your own snorkel gear, it is imperative that you give it a comprehensive cleaning before each use. If you don’t do this, the salt water will wear down the components of your gear over time, and you risk losing the mask and snorkel’s ability to prevent fogging, keep out water, and perform other essential functions.
FAQs
Conclusion:
When you have never snorkeled, it is natural to feel apprehension about the activity. If you follow the procedures outlined above, though, you should be able to boost your confidence and prepare yourself for your first genuine snorkeling experience. Then, after you have finished your first snorkeling adventure, you should continue doing it! Finding opportunities to practice snorkeling is important because each time you do it well, you boost your confidence and continue having fantastic experiences.
Even if you just swim along the shore to work on your breathing or build your swimming ability so that you don’t need to wear a life jacket while you snorkel in open water, the time spent practicing will be well worth it once you get to the point where you can enjoy snorkeling with gliding manta rays or playful dolphins.
