What is snorkeling? How to snorkel? Complete Guide
What is snorkeling? When people go near the ocean or another body of water, some of their favorite things to do include swimming, diving, surfboarding, and bodyboarding. Other popular water sports include kiteboarding and windsurfing. On hot days, they can beat the heat by engaging in any of these activities, which help them burn off some excess energy and keep them from overheating. Snorkeling is yet another enjoyable sport that can be done on the water that a lot of people enjoy.
Snorkeling entails swimming with a mask and a snorkel in one’s mouth while submerged in water. Snorkeling can also be referred to as “mask snorkeling.” The wearer of the mask, which is in the shape of a tube and fits into the mouth, can breathe underwater without having to repeatedly come to the water’s surface for fresh air thanks to the mask.
Spending Some Time to Relax
After a stressful week at work, many individuals find that taking a break at the beach on their day off is the perfect way to relax and decompress. Others, though, are looking for something a little more challenging, which is why they are interested in more extreme water sports. That is precisely what snorkeling entails.
Snorkeling allows people to explore marine life under the ocean’s surface while enjoying the refreshing water. People who can snorkel can visit shallow coral reefs and other sites with much marine life easily accessible with goggles and a snorkel. Snorkeling allows you to observe marine life and other forms of aquatic life without the hassle of learning how to scuba dive, making it one of the most appealing activities for people who want to see marine life but don’t want to get their feet wet.
Scuba Diving Vs. Snorkeling
Both scuba diving and snorkeling offer participants the chance to temporarily disconnect from their surroundings and experience the sensation of being submerged in water. Both require a love of the water, an adventurous spirit, and the ability to swim. Snorkeling, on the other hand, does not require you to carry all the heavy equipment or undergo the considerable training necessary to become a licensed scuba diver.
Imagine taking a day off, going to a local scuba diving facility, or traveling on vacation to some tropical place and entering the water armed with nothing more than goggles, a snorkel mask, and fins if you need them. Find your way to the ocean, dive in, and explore the underwater world to see anything from fish and coral to sea anemones.
How does snorkeling work
Snorkeling is an enjoyable recreational activity that provides a good opportunity for a little fitness. You don’t need any training to accomplish this; you only need some goggles, a snorkel mask, and swim fins if you want them. It is not necessary to be an expert swimmer or snorkeler to have a good time in the water on your day off or while on vacation; all you need is the ability to breathe through a snorkel and some basic swimming skills.
The ability of snorkeling to be quite calming is one of the primary draws that attract individuals to the activity. Simply drifting through the water and taking in the sights of the marine environment is enough to make us forget about the challenges we face in our daily lives.
How to learn to snorkel
The question is, what exactly is the key to an effective snorkeling technique? It couldn’t be easier. Simply taking some time to relax is the single most critical step. The key to making the most of your snorkeling experience and getting the most enjoyment out of it is to learn how to snorkel without getting out of breath, tired, or cramped.
Do not be alarmed if the thought of breathing underwater through a tube gives you the willies if you are starting because it will become completely natural to you after only a few practice sessions. Practice using the snorkel in calm, shallow water, like a pool or a sandy beach, if you’re just starting out. Your odds of success will increase significantly if you do this.
Start by floating on your stomach, with your face submerged in the water at a 45-degree angle. This is the starting position. Your lips should form a seal around the mouthpiece when you gently bite down on it. Having the snorkel in a place like this is a big help. When using a snorkel, it is important to exhale before breathing in through the tube in case water is present. The general rule of thumb should be followed here.
It would be best to breathe normally and slowly through the tube to test the snorkel. When breathing through the snorkel, do so in a measured, in-depth, and cautious manner. There is no need to become overly concerned because you can always choose to keep your head above water. Just try to unwind and focus on becoming more aware of your breath. It should become easy to hear your breathing even through the snorkel barrel if properly adjusted.
When you first learn how to snorkel, you will quickly discover that maintaining your position with your head above the water can be very taxing. The wonderful thing about using a snorkel is that it enables you to rest on your back in the water while maintaining full stillness at the surface. This is possible even while you are inhaling through the snorkel. Your next objective is to become proficient in this fundamental aspect of snorkeling. The significance of this resting position lies in that it will assist you in conserving energy during the lengthy snorkeling excursions you will be participating in.
Technique for clearing the snorkel
You must put your knowledge of how to properly use the snorkel through some tests before going out into open water. Put your head down into the water, so the snorkel completely submerges when you come up for air. For the time being, you mustn’t breathe at this stage. Keeping your lips wide while holding your breath could look strange, but it is simple. Remember that you should never take a breath when you feel water has gotten into the snorkel.
The subsequent step is to empty any water that may be trapped inside the snorkel. After you have brought the snorkel up above the level of the water’s surface, you will be able to do this action. If you want to learn how to snorkel properly, you should never exhale while your snorkel is submerged in water. This is because when you run out of air, your natural reaction is to inhale; when you do so, you end up taking in water instead of air.
Therefore, bring your head above water without pulling it out of it, and exhale swiftly and forcefully into the snorkel, crisply and directly. This will cause the water in the snorkel barrel to be blasted upward. This blasting technique for emptying your snorkel will remove almost all the water inside it. A second, more powerful blast can eliminate any trace of water that may have been left behind.
How to use a snorkel underwater
It is important to keep in mind that water can enter the snorkel even if your head is not completely submerged in the water when you are using it. Sometimes, water may get in because of the surf’s circumstances or an excessive amount of splashing. Therefore, one thing to remember is to take your breath slowly and deliberately. By repeatedly using the blast method, you should be able to expel any water that makes its way into the snorkel.
Even if there may be some water left in the snorkel, breathing air past the water is possible if you inhale gently and practice airway control. You can do this to keep inhaling until you have enough oxygen for another blast. You have mastered airway control and the correct technique for clearing your snorkel when you can breathe past the small amount of water in your snorkel.
The only thing left to do is practice the snorkeling skills that were discussed earlier, and the process of clearing your snorkel will become second nature as you get more expertise.
When first beginning to learn how to snorkel, it is important to bear in mind the following guidelines:
- Maintain a consistent and comfortable swimming pace to save some of your energy.
- It would help if you tried to simplify your life as much as possible. Maintain a stance with your arms at your sides.
- You are taking very careful breaths via your snorkel to prevent choking on any water that might get in there.
Always remember that the more you experiment with and use your snorkeling gear, the more proficient you will become, especially when you are just starting out. Therefore, be patient since the proper method for snorkeling, which includes breathing via the mask and employing fins, will eventually become natural. The goal is to loosen up and have a good time blending in with the natural habitat of the water.
When you’re done with your snorkeling trip, it’s important to remember to clean and store the gear properly. Check out our snorkeling gear instructions for more information on properly maintaining your gear every time you go out snorkeling.
FAQs
Conclusion
As long as the snorkel is kept above the water’s surface, the snorkeler can stay submerged with their face down for an infinite amount of time. Snorkeling does not offer any advantages to breathing when diving; as a result, a new diver may only be able to stay submerged for 45 seconds to 1 minute. A snorkeler with more experience might stay submerged for between one and two minutes at a time.
