Please be gentle with a total newbie

[tanyanubin]

I went snorkeling twice at Xcaret. Both times I was clueless, and floundered around, choking and flailing. But it was absolutely thrilling and beautiful and exciting. I'm going again in a few weeks. I've got a kind of stupid question: Can you go under the water with a snorkel? Will the tube fill up and drown you? I'm sure there's some way to accomplish this, but no one showed us how to use them, they just rented them to us. How would we go about diving down below the water without drowning? Any pointers? Thanks so much!

[TrqoisWtrs]

To dive down while snorkeling: Take a deep breath and hold. Dive down. Then as you come back up and break the surface of the water, exhale really hard and shoot the water out the tube with your breath. Sometimes a few dribbles will be left in the bottom of the snorkel, so just take a careful inhale so you don't suck in any water.

 

Does that make sense? Have fun! :)

[TheVegasMan]

Wear fins when you do this, the bigger the fins the better the push you'll get both when diving and returning to the surface. Muscle sinks, fat floats, the lower your body fat % is the easier it will be for you to free dive.

[xSandman3`]

Remember the golden rule...blow before you suck. When you come back up, blow out the water, then breathe in.

If you can, find a pool and practice. Get your own snorkel gear with big ol' fins and a good snorkel and go nuts.

[swom]

What about the dry snorkels? Don't they help prevent water from getting in the tube?

[kwfl]

I love the replies to your question! The first was the simplest and most approprate, however I have to laugh at the "blow before you suck" golden rule!! But so true also!!!

One idea that new snorkelers often overlook is SCUBA diving! You do not need to be a pro at snorkeling-just a proficient swimmer to try!

I am a SCUBA Instructor. My parents are not even good snorkelers :)

My father cannot learn to SCUBA due to his glaucoma, but I taught my mom (and boy, how I wish I let someone else teach her!!) She was the WORST student I have ever had! But if that woman can learn to dive, so can you.

My parents are not boat people, and never felt secure on boats here in the US. They most often got sick on them and felt insecure. While snorkeling, they would drink their share of shots of the ocean!

The first day I took my mother out, she was amazed that she didn't swallow salt water while diving- I thought, "Why would you have swallowed it while snorkeling?"

We made two dives and she never got sick. She never swallowed any water. And when she came aboard her first remark was "I inhale all the air I want through regulator-why I need snorkel? Snorkel takes water!"

Never try to explain this to your mother when she has already obviously found out a way that's right...

But my point is- if she could SCUBA, so can you! And you may very well see many things you would not have by only snorkeling!

[John Y]

To dive down while snorkeling: Take a deep breath and hold. Dive down. Then as you come back up and break the surface of the water, exhale really hard and shoot the water out the tube with your breath. Sometimes a few dribbles will be left in the bottom of the snorkel, so just take a careful inhale so you don't suck in any water.

 

Does that make sense? Have fun! :)

 

One way to deal with the "dribbles" is to press the tip of your tounge to the top of your mouth and breathe around the sides of it. That way any water left in the tube does not hit the back of your throat when you inhale. In most people, water hitting like that will cause them to cough and sputter - not good whan diving.

 

A good way to accustom yourself to mouth-breathing through a snorkel is to wear swimmer's goggles instead of a diving/snorkeling mask. Stand in the shallow end of the pool, bend over to put your face in the water and breathe through the snorkel. You will very quickly get use to mouth breathing and the sensation of water in your nose. Being in the shallow end lets you easily stand and sputter when you get it wrong, then try again.

[scubadiver888]

What about the dry snorkels? Don't they help prevent water from getting in the tube?

swom,

 

This is a good question. The answer is not really. The concept is that if you are hit by a wave, there is little chance you will get water in the snorkel. However, if you dive under the water it might not be so dry.

 

It is best to assume the 'dry' feature is not that dry and use it like any other snorkel.

 

tanyanubin,

 

I'd also add that snorkels with a purge value are easier to clear. Over time the purge valve wears out and you need to buy a new snorkel but the ease of clearing makes them worth while in my opinion.

[xSandman3`]

swom,

 

Over time the purge valve wears out and you need to buy a new snorkel but the ease of clearing makes them worth while in my opinion.

A new purge diaphragm is like 5 cents...you don't have to buy a new snorkel. Write the manufacturer and they'll probably send you a few of them for free.

[scubadiver888]

A new purge diaphragm is like 5 cents...you don't have to buy a new snorkel. Write the manufacturer and they'll probably send you a few of them for free.

Good to know. Thank xSandman3. Mind you, I usually break or lose my snorkel before the purge valve wears out. :o

[xSandman3`]

I only ever use a snorkel when I'm teaching, cuz PADI says I have to.

[Boytjie]

I only ever use a snorkel when I'm teaching, cuz PADI says I have to.

 

Isn't it like a wearing helmet when biking: you only really need it when you fall off? :rolleyes:

[scubadiver888]

I only ever use a snorkel when I'm teaching, cuz PADI says I have to.

I only ever use a snorkel when I'm in training cuz PADI says I have to. :)

[mamasue]

I only ever use a snorkel when I'm teaching, cuz PADI says I have to.

 

 

Me too... I hate the things!!!

[tanyanubin]

wow---so much info...thanks so much everyone! I'll try hard to practice. At least I know that it's possible to go under the water. I didn't even know that before.

[scubaran]

wow---so much info...thanks so much everyone! I'll try hard to practice. At least I know that it's possible to go under the water. I didn't even know that before.

 

Hi,

 

Be aware, diving down under the water with the mouth piece in your mouth works great, I do it all the time, but it takes PRACTICE. The ocean may not be the best place to do this. If there's a pool around that's best. However, the way I did it for years is to lift my head until my mouth cleared the water, spit out the mouthpiece, take a couple of big breathes (reduces the co2 in your blood keeping back the choking reflex), dive down, and when you surface, shake the water out of the snorkel and put it back in your mouth. There's nothing that says you have to "keep" the snorkel in your mouth when you dive down. It's less steps but having it fill with water and choke at the surface after coming back up isn't great either. Also remember when you practice, you need some air in your lungs and a fast, quick exhale to blow the water out of the tube (imagine you have a stuck pipe and you're blowing out a plug, hard/fast). Then a light breath on the first inhale in case there's any water still left. :p

 

Randall

 

P.S. I hate snorkels for scuba, but do carry a stowable one in the BCD pocket for surface swims and emergencies like buddy out of air (give them my octo and I use the snorkel (happened more than once, guess newbies don't always understand the 3'rds rules all the time)).

[Erdovi]

I was alittle curious about using the snorkel. My young daughter and I will be snorkeling for the first time. Just off the shoreline. My daughter is alittle worried about breathing with the snorkel. She asked if she could just hold her breath and just use the face mask and fins. Is it safer for her if she learns to use the snorkel or is it more of a personal preference? Unfortunately we don't have time to practice at home first.

[TheVegasMan]

I was alittle curious about using the snorkel. My young daughter and I will be snorkeling for the first time. Just off the shoreline. My daughter is alittle worried about breathing with the snorkel. She asked if she could just hold her breath and just use the face mask and fins. Is it safer for her if she learns to use the snorkel or is it more of a personal preference? Unfortunately we don't have time to practice at home first.

I practiced in a swimming pool before going snorkeling for the first time. That is not required, but it helped me. If you have a bathtub you can do it at home. Just get on your knees next to the tub, insert your face and breathe through the snorkel. This will get you used to breathing through the snorkel while your face is underwater.

 

If you don't have you own snorkels, and you're going on a boat snorkel trip, ask for a snorkel early on and just breathe through it while the boat goes to your first snorkel site.

 

She could go without the snorkel and just turn her head and breathe. In choppy water this might be a bit more difficult.