How to snorkel

Video: How to Snorkel - Snorkeling for Beginners

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 4: Getting Started
Method 2 of 4: How to Learn to Keep Air Free
Method 3 of 4: How to snorkel
Method 4 of 4: How to Become Proficient in Snorkeling
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

Snorkeling is a fun and relaxing way to experience the vibrant, amazing underwater world. For snorkeling, take a clean plastic mask and a short snorkel to breathe as you float face down on the surface of the water. So you can see corals and underwater life without frightening the fish with your movements and without rising every minute to the surface to inhale. Just being on the water and being consumed by the species of the underwater world will be enough to get you away from everyday problems.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Getting Started

1 Get a snorkel and mask that you feel comfortable in. Try them on and tighten all the ties to make sure everything fits well. If possible, test them in water to make sure they don't leak.
- If you have poor eyesight, consider purchasing a specially designed mask to help you see better underwater without glasses, or using contact lenses. Disposable are great for swimming.
2 Put on the mask and tighten the ties until you feel comfortable around the eyes and nose. Make sure the tube is close to your mouth, but don't put it on yet.
3 Lie flat on the surface of the water on your stomach. Submerge your face in the water at a 45-degree angle.
4 Gently bite down on the mouthpiece of the pipe. Take it with your lips and put it in place with your lips.
5 Take slow, regular breaths in and out through the tube. Breathe through the snorkel calmly, deeply, and gently. Don't panic: if you want to, you can always raise your head above the water. Just relax and think about breathing. The sound of your breathing through the tube will be very noticeable. Once you get into the rhythm, then relax and enjoy the underwater view.
6 Put on your swim vest. This will make your stay on the surface of the water easier with minimal energy consumption. Many commercial snorkelling locations require bright colored vests to be worn for safety.

Method 2 of 4: How to Learn to Keep Air Free

1 Breathe meaningfully. In any such dive, you will definitely get water into the snorkel, sometimes this happens either due to swimming conditions, or due to numerous splashes, or when you lower your head too low under water. Learn to blow the pipe so that it won't distract you in the future.
2 Hold your breath and keep your head submerged by submerging the end of the tube. You will feel how water enters the tube.
3 Align your head on the surface of the water without lifting it out of the water. Make sure the end of the tube is in the air.
4 Exhale quickly and forcefully into the tube. This method of blowing the tube allows you to clean it of water.
5 Push out the remaining water with a second strong exhalation. By using this method, you will be able to clear the tube of water.
6 Hone your skill in controlling the passage of air. Sometimes you will breathe into the tube when you have no air at all in your lungs. If there is some water in the tube, you will need to inhale slowly and gently, keeping out of the water in your mouth, until you have enough air to blow through the tube. If there is too much water, you need to raise your head above the water and inhale through your mouth.
7 Learn to dive. Once you learn how to blow your snorkel, you can start diving underwater for a closer look at something graceful. Take a deep breath and dive into the water. When you need to inhale, level yourself on the surface, keeping your face underwater, blow through the tube as you have learned.

Method 3 of 4: How to snorkel

1 Put on your fins. This will strengthen your movements and be able to move forward much faster without creating a lot of splashes.
2 Keep your arms at your sides to reduce drag, and extend your legs so that your fins are also extended. Keep your feet close enough to each other.
3 Bend your knees a little and do slow but strong blows with your flippers. Keep these movements smooth and relaxed. Try to do movements from the hip, avoid blows from the knee, so you will only waste energy.
4 Aim more downward, less upward, while arching your back upward. The correct technique for such a swim allows you to move forward with downward strokes.
5 Keep your fins underwater while swimming. Try to avoid splashing as this will only scare the fish away and irritate other swimmers.
6 Stay on the waves. Snorkeling is best for calm water surfaces, but even there you need to learn how to adapt to the up and down movement of the waves.
7 Swim at a stable speed that is comfortable for you to reduce energy consumption. Swimming like this is not a race, and a good swim can last for hours.

Method 4 of 4: How to Become Proficient in Snorkeling

1 Choose the right place. Your best bet is to choose a location with a relatively calm water surface and a variety of vibrant underwater world. The shallow waters above the coral reefs are great, as well as deeper places that can be reached by boat. Ask the locals or check the travel guides to find better places that don't have a lot of swimmers.
2 Go swimming in sunny weather. Even with a mask underwater, it will be difficult for you to see if the weather is gray and cloudy outside. Choose a bright day when the water is clearer from silt. Storms muddy the water, raising silt from the bottom. So if it rained yesterday, you should probably postpone your swim for a day.
3 Learn to recognize different types of fish and corals. If you saw one fish, then you saw them all? It is not true if you understand what you see in front of you. Memorize the shape and color of the different fish species that live on the local coast, which will allow you to turn your usual swim into an interesting zoological excursion. If you see a fish that you do not know at all, then try to remember it and later find information about it.

Tips

Use sunscreen! You can spend hours on the surface of the water, and you will not avoid a painful skin burn if you do not use sunscreen. Even if it's cloudy outside, the reflectiveness of the water still enhances the effect of the sun's rays.
Be environmentally responsible. Try not to interfere with the life of the underwater world, including corals.Coral reefs are very fragile and it can take years for any coral you accidentally knock off your foot to grow back.

Warnings

Be aware of possible dehydration. Your body can quickly lose fluid at sea. If you plan to snorkel for hours, remember to take breaks to drink water. Whatever happens, don't drink salt water.
Avoid hyperventilation. An important aspect of snorkelling is calm, even breathing. If you hyperventilate, you can faint in the water, which can be very dangerous.
Know where you are. Following the bright fish, it is very easy to swim much further into the ocean than you planned. Avoid dangerous situations by thinking about how far you can swim.
Being in the ocean is never completely safe. Sharks, stinging jellyfish and other dangerous marine animals can be found even in touristy areas. There is also a ripping current that can take you out into the open sea, and huge waves that can throw you onto sharp rocks. Make sure you are confident in your swimming ability and never go snorkelling alone.