Snorkeling Tips - How to Snorkel
Snorkeling is one of the most popular activities when people are on holiday. In this article we want teach you how to snorkel by giving you great snorkeling tips. Being able to enjoy the underwater world with all of its marine life in a relatively easy and affordable way by snorkeling is very attractive to most people. We explain how to snorkel in an easy way.
Scuba Diving is another amazing way to see marine life. As easy and safe scuba diving is these days, it is still out of reach for some people. Snorkeling is a perfect solution for people to still see fish, coral, and other marine life if they cannot do scuba diving.
Learn more about scuba diving in our PADI Open Water Course article
Snorkeling is easy and safe, however, accidents can happen. Also, not everyone is comfortable to try out snorkeling for the first time. Here we explain how to snorkel with some great snorkeling tips. Even if you are already an experienced snorkeler, you might improve by some of these how-to snorkel tips.
Learn more about scuba diving in our PADI Open Water Course article
Snorkeling is easy and safe, however, accidents can happen. Also, not everyone is comfortable to try out snorkeling for the first time. Here we explain how to snorkel with some great snorkeling tips. Even if you are already an experienced snorkeler, you might improve by some of these how-to snorkel tips.
What is Snorkeling?
What is snorkeling is a question I get a lot, especially from people that want to know the difference between snorkeling and scuba diving. Snorkeling is a relatively easy way to look underwater and see aquatic life.
Snorkeling means that you wear a snorkel mask to be able to look at marine life underwater, you use snorkel fins to swim easier while breathing through a tube called a snorkel. Depending on the temperature of the water you might also wear a wetsuit to stay warm.
To snorkel you swim on the surface with your face down in the water, slowly swimming using only your legs. Your snorkel is above the water making it possible for you to breathe without lifting your face from the water.
Some people confuse snokeling vs scuba diving and the wonder what the difference is. Read more about the difference between snorkeling vs scuba diving here.
Snorkeling means that you wear a snorkel mask to be able to look at marine life underwater, you use snorkel fins to swim easier while breathing through a tube called a snorkel. Depending on the temperature of the water you might also wear a wetsuit to stay warm.
To snorkel you swim on the surface with your face down in the water, slowly swimming using only your legs. Your snorkel is above the water making it possible for you to breathe without lifting your face from the water.
Some people confuse snokeling vs scuba diving and the wonder what the difference is. Read more about the difference between snorkeling vs scuba diving here.
Is Snorkeling safe?
Snorkeling can be very safe, however, accidents do happen from time to time. To make sure snorkeling is safe for you, we recommend to follow these important snorkel rules:
- Make sure you can swim and be able to stay afloat in one spot
- Always snorkel with a buddy in case you need help
- Never snorkel too far from your starting point
- Remember to look up sometimes on the surface, reorientating yourself
- If needed please wear a snorkel vest for extra buoyancy
- Never touch aquatic life, some can be very sharp and poisonous
- Book your snorkeling with an organized snorkeling tour guided by professional snorkel guides
- Never snorkel in unknown waters
- Be warry of currents and tides
- Always tell someone that you go snorkeling, let them know a time in and time out of the water and the location where you go snorkeling
If you follow these safety tips then snorkeling can be a safe activity to enjoy the underwater world. Snorkeling is never 100% safe, even if you follow these snorkeling tips. It is therefore important to not try snorkeling if you are not confident in the water.
Do you need to sign any paperwork for snorkeling
It depends if you need to sign any paperwork for snorkeling. If you go snorkeling solo or with your buddy (more recommended), then you don’t need to sign any paperwork. But if you decide to go snorkeling under the supervision of a snorkeling tour, then usually you have to sign a snorkeling liability release form. You can download a PADI Snorkeling Liability Release form here to get an idea of what is on this form.
Snorkeling Gear
Knowing how to snorkel is important for your safety, your snorkel experience, or improving on your already snorkeling skills. First of all your need the right snorkel gear. You need snorkel fins, a snorkel mask, and a snorkel to breath through. On top of that, you can add a snorkel vest for extra buoyancy, rash guard or wetsuit, fish identification slates, and maybe an underwater photo camera or a GoPro to film cool videos while snorkeling. Keep reading as we explain the best snorkeling gear in more detail below.
Snorkeling Site
Once you have the right snorkeling gear is it important to plan the right site where you want to snorkel. Make sure you choose a safe snorkel site with easy access and exit points. We recommend that you do some research beforehand and ask for snorkeling tips from the local people that live in the area. Try and choose a good snorkeling site with lots of marine life to see. Fish, corals, and even wrecks can be found and looked at while snorkeling.
Being prepared
Now that you picked your snorkeling site and your snorkel gear you are ready to enter the water. We recommend that you bring spare snorkeling equipment. There is nothing more frustrating than when you are ready to have fun with snorkeling that you found out last minute that your mask strap broke and you can’t use it. Being prepared with some extra spare snorkeling equipment can save the day by changing the mask strap and continuo the day.
Here is a list of spare snorkeling equipment you should have:
Extra’s to bring for safety:
Here is a list of spare snorkeling equipment you should have:
- Spare snorkel mask
- Spare snorkel
- Spare snorkel fins (optional)
- Spare Fins Strap (if you use open heel snorkel fins)
Extra’s to bring for safety:
- Sunscreen
- Drinking-Water
- First aid kit
How to avoid sunburn while snorkeling
One of the more common problems with snorkeling is something that many underestimate and that is Sunburn!
You can get easily sunburned while snorkeling and that is because you are on the surface with no sun protection at all. On top of that, the water also reflects the sun so this is a dangerous combination for sunburn.
You can get easily sunburned while snorkeling and that is because you are on the surface with no sun protection at all. On top of that, the water also reflects the sun so this is a dangerous combination for sunburn.
We highly recommend you to get good sun scream protection that is also good for the reef. Normal sunscreens can have chemicals that can damage the reef so we recommend reef-safe sunscreen.
How to snorkel
When you are ready to hit the water, you want to get the most out of your snorkeling experience. Here we want to share the best how to snorkel tips with you:
How to snorkel is not hard with the right technique. Snorkeling is very fun and you can see so many beautiful things underwater.
- Snorkel with a flat body face down on the surface
- Try not to use your arms.
- Have your arms together or next to your body to be streamlined.
- Breathe in and out slowly, deeply, and relaxed.
- Then very gently kick your fins to move in a direction
- Try to not go fast, go slow and watch the details of aquatic life
- Check every minute or so on your buddy, the time and where you are
- Try and get some great underwater photo’s and video’s with your camera
- Enjoy this experience to the max. Remember to watch the small details and go slow
How to snorkel is not hard with the right technique. Snorkeling is very fun and you can see so many beautiful things underwater.
Do you need to know how to swim to snorkel?
For the question: Do you need to know how to swim to snorkel? We can give you the answer: YES! This is where most snorkel accidents happen. Most people that cannot swim will not try out snorkeling, but we do see people that are weak swimmers trying out snorkeling.
Snorkeling with fins and a mask is a bit easier than normal swimming. This can give weak swimmers a false sense of security. Now they swim out, barely staying afloat, they get exhausted from using the wrong swimming technique, maybe get caught in a current and that is where a snorkeler gets in trouble.
Therefore, it is why very important that you need to know how to swim to snorkel. You don’t need to be an athletic swimmer to snorkel but you should feel comfortable in the water. Don’t worry if you are a weak swimmer, just take some good swimming lessons from a professional swim teacher and then try snorkeling after getting your swimming certification. In the end, almost everyone can enjoy snorkeling if you get the right swim lessons beforehand.
Therefore, it is why very important that you need to know how to swim to snorkel. You don’t need to be an athletic swimmer to snorkel but you should feel comfortable in the water. Don’t worry if you are a weak swimmer, just take some good swimming lessons from a professional swim teacher and then try snorkeling after getting your swimming certification. In the end, almost everyone can enjoy snorkeling if you get the right swim lessons beforehand.
How to swim while snorkeling
We recommend you to relax. Have your arms streamlined next to your body or hold your hands in front of you. It is extremely important that you not touch anything while snorkeling.
Then assuming that you use fins, we recommend you use “scissor kicks” if you are a beginner snorkeler. Scissor kicks mean that you move your legs and fins up and down like a scissor. This is a very effective way to move forward while snorkeling. Try not to do this to stiff. Relax your muscles in your legs to prevent cramps while snorkeling. Just gently kick up and down to move forward.
Another swimming technique you can use for snorkeling is the “Frog Kick”. Using the Frog Kick is more for advanced snorkelers. In this case, instead of moving your fins and legs up and down, you move them from side to side. Try and picture a frog swimming and then copy that with your legs. If you do the Frog Kick the right way, you will save a lot of energy which makes your snorkeling experience a bit better.
Then assuming that you use fins, we recommend you use “scissor kicks” if you are a beginner snorkeler. Scissor kicks mean that you move your legs and fins up and down like a scissor. This is a very effective way to move forward while snorkeling. Try not to do this to stiff. Relax your muscles in your legs to prevent cramps while snorkeling. Just gently kick up and down to move forward.
Another swimming technique you can use for snorkeling is the “Frog Kick”. Using the Frog Kick is more for advanced snorkelers. In this case, instead of moving your fins and legs up and down, you move them from side to side. Try and picture a frog swimming and then copy that with your legs. If you do the Frog Kick the right way, you will save a lot of energy which makes your snorkeling experience a bit better.
Eco-Friendly Snorkeling
This is the most important part to pay attention to when snorkeling. The best snorkel sites are usually in shallow water. In shallow water you can see a lot of the reef, the light is better in shallow water and you will see more colors in shallow water.
This sounds all great, but the problem with snorkeling in shallow water is that you can easily touch the reef. Even if you try not to touch the reef it might happen accidentally. Touching the reef is extremely bad for the reef and any life that lives on it.
Corals are living animals and more then 25% of all life in the ocean depends on these coral reefs. If you (accidentally) touch the reef you can kill the coral and fish that depend on that area. This is a problem sometimes with new snorkelers as they don’t know this or even worse they join snorkel tours where the snorkel guides even recommend you to touch certain aquatic life. This is very bad and you should report them to the local authorities, as touching the reefs are in most countries illegal. Try and take care of the reefs, corals, and fish and do eco-friendly snorkeling.
Corals are living animals and more then 25% of all life in the ocean depends on these coral reefs. If you (accidentally) touch the reef you can kill the coral and fish that depend on that area. This is a problem sometimes with new snorkelers as they don’t know this or even worse they join snorkel tours where the snorkel guides even recommend you to touch certain aquatic life. This is very bad and you should report them to the local authorities, as touching the reefs are in most countries illegal. Try and take care of the reefs, corals, and fish and do eco-friendly snorkeling.
How to clear a snorkel mask
How to clear a snorkel mask is very important as when you use a snorkel mask you will get some water in your mask from time to time. How to clear a snorkel mask is a big obstacle for a lot of people, but it is surprisingly easy to clear from water.
First of all, always breathe through your snorkel and not your nose. Your nose is enclosed in your snorkel mask, you can breathe out through your nose, but if you try and breathe into your nose you might get that bit of water from your mask into your nose. This can an uncomfortable feeling and you might have to cough.
First of all, always breathe through your snorkel and not your nose. Your nose is enclosed in your snorkel mask, you can breathe out through your nose, but if you try and breathe into your nose you might get that bit of water from your mask into your nose. This can an uncomfortable feeling and you might have to cough.
To clear a snorkel mask is easy. When you get some water into your mask you touch the top (frame) of your mask with your fingers. I use 2 fingers with 2 hands on each side. You can also use one hand if you prefer. Then I take a breath into my mouth and then exhale through my nose. This will blow out the water and that is how you clear a snorkel mask.
Learn more on how to clear a scuba mask here
If you can’t clear your mask for whatever reason then just lift your head out of the water. But If you have to do this every time then maybe get a better fitting mask, practice how to clear a snorkel mask technique more before continuing snorkeling.
Insiders tip: Purchase a snorkel mask and practice clearing it from water in for shower before trying out snorkeling.
Learn more on how to clear a scuba mask here
If you can’t clear your mask for whatever reason then just lift your head out of the water. But If you have to do this every time then maybe get a better fitting mask, practice how to clear a snorkel mask technique more before continuing snorkeling.
Insiders tip: Purchase a snorkel mask and practice clearing it from water in for shower before trying out snorkeling.
How to clear a snorkel
Besides getting water in your mask you will also get some water into your snorkel from time to time. Especially is your snorkel is not fitted the right way or there are some waves on the snorkel site, you can get some water into your snorkel. Therefore it is important to learn how to clear a snorkel.
To clear a snorkel you start by always breathing in slowly through a snorkel. This makes you feel a bit of water and gives you time to be able to clear the snorkel from water. If you get a lot of water in the snorkel and/or your breathe in too hard, you might risk getting this water into your lungs and that can cause couching.
If you detect some water in the snorkel you should slowly take a big breath in. Then you exhale forcefully out through your mouth. We call this the blast method. This should push all the water out and this is how you clear a snorkel.
Clearing the snorkel from water is easier with snorkels that have an exhaust valve at the bottom. I use the The Scuba Pro Escape Snorkel. I love this snorkel and it is very easy to clear from water:
If you detect some water in the snorkel you should slowly take a big breath in. Then you exhale forcefully out through your mouth. We call this the blast method. This should push all the water out and this is how you clear a snorkel.
Clearing the snorkel from water is easier with snorkels that have an exhaust valve at the bottom. I use the The Scuba Pro Escape Snorkel. I love this snorkel and it is very easy to clear from water:
What to wear snorkeling
We already discussed what to wear snorkeling at the beginning of this article, but let’s go a bit more into what to wear snorkeling.
Choosing the right snorkeling gear can make a huge difference in the enjoyment of your snorkel day. Indeed, you can already enjoy snorkeling with basic snorkeling gear. But by investing a little bit more in your snorkeling gear you can have a much better experience.
Choosing the right snorkeling gear can make a huge difference in the enjoyment of your snorkel day. Indeed, you can already enjoy snorkeling with basic snorkeling gear. But by investing a little bit more in your snorkeling gear you can have a much better experience.
Full Face Snorkel Mask vs Normal Snorkel Mask
A full face snorkel mask is a great new option to choose for snorkeling. The benefit of using a full face snorkel mask is that you have a fantastic vision and easy breathing. This makes snorkeling even more attractive to more people. Besides the better vision and breathing, they also look very cool.
What is important to know is that a full face snorkel mask is designed for easy snorkeling conditions. You should only use them on a snorkel site with no waves, currents and you should more float and watch the reef in a small area instead of swimming around.
If you have to swim far, into currents and waves then we highly recommend using a normal snorkel mask with a snorkel tube. This had to do with your breathing pattern. It is not good to breathe heavily in a full face snorkel mask.
If you have to swim far, into currents and waves then we highly recommend using a normal snorkel mask with a snorkel tube. This had to do with your breathing pattern. It is not good to breathe heavily in a full face snorkel mask.
Also, be very careful buying a fake or copied full face snorkel mask as these masks have not been tested properly and you can get injured using them. We recommend these 3 Full Face snorkel masks from Subea, SEAC, and Head Sea. These full face snorkel mask manufacturers have done extensive testing on their masks and provide their test results and safety regulations on their websites.
Normal Snorkel Mask
Normal snorkel masks can also be used for scuba diving. A snorkel mask is small, light, and easy to travel with. You can rent a snorkel mask in most places in the world where you can snorkel. But these snorkel masks have been used by many people. Especially with COVID-19, we recommend you to buy your own snorkel mask. This is more hygienic.
Another reason why we recommend investing in your own snorkel mask is that it usually creates a better seal, this prevents water from entering the mask. This also makes it more comfortable to wear and you will get the best vision underwater.
Another reason why we recommend investing in your own snorkel mask is that it usually creates a better seal, this prevents water from entering the mask. This also makes it more comfortable to wear and you will get the best vision underwater.
Mask Defogger
Nothing is more annoying when you go snorkeling then when you have a foggy mask. A foggy mask prevents you from seeing clearly through the mask. Not only does it limit your snorkeling experience it can even be scary for some people to snorkel with less visibility.
We recommend to always use rub toothpaste the night before snorkeling into your mask. Wash out the toothpaste with fresh clean water the next day. Always carry a mask defogger with you that is even more effective on defogging your mask.
Snorkel
You have 3 kinds of snorkels. One is the basic tube. These snorkels are popular with freedivers and scuba divers as they are more streamlined. However, basic tube snorkels are missing the exhaust value explained above. Therefore for snorkeling, we recommend a snorkel with an exhaust or purge valve. The third option is a snorkel with an exhaust valve for easy clearing of water and a Dry Top Protection, preventing water from entering the snorkel accidentally or purposely.
Do you need fins to snorkel?
Do you need fins to snorkel? The answer is yes and no. If you are a good swimmer you don’t always need snorkeling fins. At some snorkel sites, it is even against the local law to use snorkeling fins. The reason why is because inexperienced snorkelers tend to touch the reefs with their fins. This can cause great damage to the reefs.
On the other hand, having snorkeling fins greatly improves your swimming and is important for safety. We do recommend you use snorkeling fins if possible, just make sure you never touch the reef and damage it. Also, check at your snorkel site if you are allowed to wear fins or not. So which snorkeling fins to choose from? We highly recommend these snorkeling fins:
Snorkel vest
If you are a good swimmer and you are comfortable in the water, then you don’t always need a snorkel vest. However, using a snorkel vest can greatly increase safety. Especially if you are new to snorkeling. You can easily inflate your snorkel vest by blowing into a tube and this will make you positively buoyant at the surface.
We recommend you to invest in a snorkel vest if:
- You are new to snorkeling
- You want to feel safer while snorkeling
- You are an experienced snorkeler, but you want to safe energy and make it easier to be on the surface
- You want extra protection for sunburn
- You want your kids to be as safe as possible while snorkeling
Kids snorkel set
Snorkeling is a great activity for kids. Especially if they are good swimmers. Kids learn very fast and introducing kids to the underwater world through snorkeling is fantastic for their development. Kids love to see fish and corals and you can teach them why they are important to our planet.
Kids are smaller than adults, so a lot of snorkeling gear won’t fit them. You can get some awesome Kids Snorkel Sets. These Kids Snorkel Sets include snorkel gear in smaller sizes. Perfect for children.
How to clean a snorkel mask
It is important that after you invested in your snorkel mask that you take good care of it to be able to use it for many years. Snorkel masks are well designed, but if you don’t clean them well they quickly become moldy. Not only is this mold nasty to look at, but it can also cause the latex to get damaged, resulting in a leaking snorkel mask.
There are 2 ways you can clean a mask:
The first way is free and easy to do. Just make sure that every time after you used a snorkel mask you rinse it with fresh water. Some people say that you need to do this after every time you went snorkeling in saltwater. We recommend doing this every time you used it for snorkeling, it doesn’t matter if it was salt, fresh, or swimming pool (chlorine water). Rinse it for at least 30 seconds or more. An extra tip that we want to give is to use normal soap in combination with fresh clean water to clean your snorkel mask.
The second way that you can clean a snorkel mask is to use a professional mask cleaner. GEAR AID Sea Buff Dive Mask Cleaner is a fantastic mask cleaning solution. This snorkel mask cleaner removes residue, dirt, algae, and other debris in dive masks with this powerful formula; ideal pre-cleaner before applying anti-fog.
There are 2 ways you can clean a mask:
The first way is free and easy to do. Just make sure that every time after you used a snorkel mask you rinse it with fresh water. Some people say that you need to do this after every time you went snorkeling in saltwater. We recommend doing this every time you used it for snorkeling, it doesn’t matter if it was salt, fresh, or swimming pool (chlorine water). Rinse it for at least 30 seconds or more. An extra tip that we want to give is to use normal soap in combination with fresh clean water to clean your snorkel mask.
The second way that you can clean a snorkel mask is to use a professional mask cleaner. GEAR AID Sea Buff Dive Mask Cleaner is a fantastic mask cleaning solution. This snorkel mask cleaner removes residue, dirt, algae, and other debris in dive masks with this powerful formula; ideal pre-cleaner before applying anti-fog.
Conclusion Snorkeling & How To Snorkel
Snorkeling is an amazing activity to do on your holiday and spare time. We hope that by reading this article you learn more about how to snorkel. Remember that snorkeling is relatively easy, accessible, and an affordable way to enjoy the underwater world and all of it’s amazing Marine Life.
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Marcel van den Berg
PADI Platinum Course Director
PADI Platinum Course Director
SCUBA DIVING TIPS
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Disclaimer
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
All content on this website and URL are owned by Sairee Cottage Diving PADI 5-Star IDC Center S-36452
Copyright 2017 - 2022 | All Rights Reserved