Snorkeling is a relaxing and fun way to enjoy the beautiful, colorful views of the deep ocean. Snorkeling is done by using a transparent plastic mask and a tube or short hose to breathe while floating on the sea surface with the face down. This way you can gaze at the coral life without scaring the fish with your movements and without having to look up to catch your breath every minute. Floating and melting with the underwater scenery is enough to escape the obstacles in life that we face every day.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Getting Started
Step 1. Take a snorkel and a mask or goggles that you are comfortable with
Try attaching and adjusting the strap until it fits. If you can, try the appliance under water to make sure it doesn't leak.
If your eyes are minus, you can wear a mask that is also minus to help you see underwater without glasses
Step 2. Put on the mask and pull the straps over your eyes and nose comfortably
Make sure the snorkel tube is close to your mouth, but don't insert it just yet.
Step 3. Float flat in the water with your belly down
Place your face in the water at a 45 degree angle.
Step 4. Gently bite the mouth part of the snorkel
Seal or cover the mouth with your lips and guide the snorkel into position.
Step 5. Inhale and exhale slowly through the tube
Breathe slowly, deeply and carefully with your mouth through the snorkel. There's no need to panic: you'll always be able to keep your head above the water if you want. Stay relaxed and watch your breath. The sound of breathing through the snorkel will be quite audible. Once you get the rhythm, relax and enjoy the underwater scenery.
Step 6. Put on the float
This will make it easier for you to float on the surface of the water. Many commercial snorkeling sites require the use of buoys for safety reasons.
Method 2 of 4: Learn to Keep Your Air Ducts Clean
Step 1. Breathe carefully
On any snorkelling adventure, you will find yourself in a situation where seawater enters your snorkel tube, sometimes because of waves or large waves of water, or because your head is in the water too deep. Learning to clean your snorkel will keep it from getting too much into your snorkelling activities.
Step 2. Hold your breath and place your head under the water, diving at the end of the snorkel
You will feel the water enter the snorkel tube.
Step 3. Point your head towards the surface of the water without lifting it out of the water
Make sure the end of the tube is in the air this time.
Step 4. Quickly exhale or blow on your snorkel
This method will remove almost all of the water in the snorkel tube.
Step 5. Remove any remaining water with a second hard blow
By repeating the first method you should be able to clean all the water from your snorkel.
Step 6. Master the control of the airways
Sometimes you use a tube when there is no air in your lungs. If there is only a small amount of water, take slow, careful breaths without letting the water enter your mouth until you have enough air to blow. If the water is too much, you will need to lift your head out of the water and breathe while biting the mouth of the snorkel.
Step 7. Learn to dive
Once you've mastered how to clean your airways, you can try diving into the water for a closer look at something interesting. Take a deep breath and swim down. When you need to breathe, swim to the surface, keeping your face underwater, and clean the snorkel tube the way you practiced.
Method 3 of 4: Swim Using a Snorkel
Step 1. Put the fins on your feet
Wearing fins will strengthen your movement and you'll go faster without shaking off too much water.
Step 2. Raise your arms to your sides so you can move forward without dragging and extend your legs until the fins are pointing backwards
Keep your feet close together.
Step 3. Kick slowly and forcefully with the fins, with your knees slightly bent
Keep your fins smooth and relaxed. Try moving with your hips to use your thigh muscles and avoid kicking with your knees as this will drain your energy.
Step 4. Kick further down and less up and arch your back up
The snorkel technique to allow you to move forward is a downward stroke.
Step 5. Keep the fins underwater when kicking
Try to avoid making a splash of water, as this will scare away the fish and may annoy swimmers around you.
Step 6. Float with the waves
Snorkeling is good in calm water, but even then you'll have to learn to adjust your movement to the ups and downs of the waves.
Step 7. Swim at a steady pace to keep your energy up
Snorkeling is not a race, and a good snorkeling session can last for hours.
Method 4 of 4: Getting a Good Snorkeling Experience
Step 1. Choose the right place
You can snorkel in an area where the water is quite calm with lively and tame marine life. The shallow water over the coral reefs is great, as are the deeper spots that boats can access. Ask locals and check guidebooks to find spots that are less crowded with other visitors.
Step 2. Do this activity on a sunny day
Even with a mask, the scenery in the water is not very visible when the weather is dark and cloudy. Snorkel in the middle of a sunny day when the water is clear and not muddy. Storms tend to ooze mud and make the water cloudy, so if it rained last night, you may need to postpone your adventure for another day.
Step 3. Learn to recognize fish and coral
Knowing one fish, knowing all? Not necessarily if you don't know what you're seeing. Memorize the shapes and colors of the fish that live on the local beaches and you'll turn your swimming time into a water zoological survey. If you see a fish you don't recognize, try to remember its body color pattern and look it up in books or the internet afterwards.
Tips
- Put on sunscreen! You may be on the surface of the water for hours on end, and you can burn your skin if you don't wear a strong water-repellent sunscreen. Even if the sky is cloudy, the reflectivity of the water will amplify the power of the sun's rays.
- Ecologically responsible. Try not to disturb any marine life you see-including coral. Coral reefs are very fragile and any piece you remove or destroy with careless feet can take years or decades to grow back.
Warning
- Be careful. It's easy to follow a shimmering fish and suddenly you've gone too far from your planned area. Avoid dangerous situations by being aware of how far you have gone.
- Don't get dehydrated. You can lose a lot of fluids at sea. If you plan to snorkel for hours, make sure you take a break for a drink. Whatever you do, don't drink salt water.
- Avoid hyperventilating or rapid breathing. Breathing slowly is the key in snorkeling. Hyperventilating with a snorkel can knock you out in the ocean-this is very dangerous.
- Being at sea would not be completely safe. It's possible to meet sharks, stinging jellyfish and other dangerous marine animals even in spots visited by many tourists. There are also strong currents that can push you into the open sea and big waves that can throw you into sharp reefs. Make sure you are confident in your swimming skills and never snorkel alone.
