never snorkled

[pehlibaar]

Ok, so I don't swim but I do like to lounge around in the water at the beach. I've never been snorkeling b/c I always assumed you had to know how to swim to do this. Is this true? I see so many people on these boards talk about it and my interest is piqued. What is snorkeling? Is rented snorkel gear clean? How do you snorkel? Sorry if my questions are dumb!

[suezyq50]

No dumb question. Right from Webster: "a hard rubber or plastic tube through which a swimmer can breathe while moving face down at or just below the surface of the water." You also wear fins and/or a vest. The hardest part would be getting the breathing down.

I love to snorkel. I love seeing the fish so close. Many lines will offer excursions and give you a briefing. I am overweight, 57, and if I can, anyone can.

[Capt_BJ]

if you really can not swim then I do not recommend you try snorkeling.

 

Most new snorkeler's major problem is getting water in their mouth unexpectedly and this is simply a precursor to drowning . . .

 

look at the definition provided:

 

Right from Webster: "a hard rubber or plastic tube through which a swimmer can breathe ... "

 

I've been either an official or pseudo lifeguard for 40 plus years and have pulled out TOO MANY who 'thought they knew what they were doing' including many a snorkeler.

 

Anyone who starts the query with "I don't swim...." acknowledges their limitation and we best not try to push anyone beyond that

 

ALTHO

 

no one is EVER to old to learn.... check with your local YMCA and I'll bet you can find a good swimming teacher and you could become 'safe' in the water with just a few lessons. You don't need to be able to swim a mile but a hundred yards is not unreasonable. THEN you could look into snorkeling. NEVER count on a 'safety vest' to keep you alive. Most will not even turn you face up should you have a problem in the water .... face down = drown . . .

 

Am I passionate on this topic? You betcha. I started teaching swimming when I was 15 and I know ANYONE can learn. AND I know people die everyday within 1 foot of safety because they don't know how. Today - I don't go in my own pool if I am home alone 'cuz you just never know.....

[pehlibaar]

if you really can not swim then I do not recommend you try snorkeling.

 

Most new snorkeler's major problem is getting water in their mouth unexpectedly and this is simply a precursor to drowning . . .

 

look at the definition provided:

 

Right from Webster: "a hard rubber or plastic tube through which a swimmer can breathe ... "

 

I've been either an official or pseudo lifeguard for 40 plus years and have pulled out TOO MANY who 'thought they knew what they were doing' including many a snorkeler.

 

Anyone who starts the query with "I don't swim...." acknowledges their limitation and we best not try to push anyone beyond that

 

ALTHO

 

no one is EVER to old to learn.... check with your local YMCA and I'll bet you can find a good swimming teacher and you could become 'safe' in the water with just a few lessons. You don't need to be able to swim a mile but a hundred yards is not unreasonable. THEN you could look into snorkeling. NEVER count on a 'safety vest' to keep you alive. Most will not even turn you face up should you have a problem in the water .... face down = drown . . .

 

Am I passionate on this topic? You betcha. I started teaching swimming when I was 15 and I know ANYONE can learn. AND I know people die everyday within 1 foot of safety because they don't know how. Today - I don't go in my own pool if I am home alone 'cuz you just never know.....

 

Thanks for the honest post. One of the main things I wondered was if I needed to know how to swim to snorkel. I do plan to take swimming lessons soon, always handy to know!

[TrqoisWtrs]

Well, I know there were a few places along the shore in Hawaii where I just went and sat in the water and put my snorkel and mask in and just looked at all the little critters swimming around the rocks. But don't know if you could call that snorkeling or swimming. :)

[markstudy]

I'd buy a cheap mask or goggles and just look around underwater while you are sitting in the shallow water at the beach. If you go to a good beach in the Caribbean, you can see fish if you just bend over and stick your head under the water. Plenty to see in 2 feet of water for a beginner.

 

But don't mess with a snorkel. The snorkel makes it tricky for people who don't have a good sense for breathing through their mouth and not through their nose. It gets complicated for non-swimmers who are not use to having their head under the water.... and it can be dangerous.

 

Also...far too many snorkel trips drop you off the back of a boat, and even though you have a life jacket on, you could panic by jumping off into water over your head.

 

Snorkeling is the greatest. And you don't need to be a strong swimmer,but you need to learn to swim, and you need to learn to snorkel in a pool before you jump into the ocean.

 

[zoncom]

See if you can find some swim lessons to really be safe. When snorkeling you cannot stand on the bottom or you will kill the coral(reef). So much of it has been lost to people standing on it. I got caught in an undertow off shore at Cozumel yrs. ago while snorkeling. If I didnt know how to swim I would have drowned. Its worth the effort to have a sports skill for the rest of your life. Enjoy.

[Capt_BJ]

AMEN

 

 

one of the few times in the years I've been on this board that someone didn't try to argue that a non-swimmer could snorkel safely!!!!!!

 

my record for teaching a person to swim is 1 hour . . .

 

seriously. I met a kid in a hotel pool who could not swim. Asked him - and his parents - if he wanted to learn. 1 hour later he could swim - not dog paddle - across the pool and back.

[pehlibaar]

AMEN

 

 

one of the few times in the years I've been on this board that someone didn't try to argue that a non-swimmer could snorkel safely!!!!!!

 

my record for teaching a person to swim is 1 hour . . .

 

seriously. I met a kid in a hotel pool who could not swim. Asked him - and his parents - if he wanted to learn. 1 hour later he could swim - not dog paddle - across the pool and back.

 

Wanna come on my cruise?

[grumpyjr88]

You definitely want to get some basic lessons before snorkeling. It's very safe, however, I think there is too much potential to panic if you don't have any swimming skills at all.

 

I've only been snorkeling once and it was one of the most amazing experiences ever! You have plenty of time so go get a couple lessons and you'll be fine. :)

[Murrhers]

Hi! I had a water fear and can do the dog paddle and some basic moves to keep myself afloat.

 

My first snorkeling experience was a cruise excursion in Key West. Believe it or not they took us out to the reef in the middle of the gulf and off we went! The water was a little rough, but we had snorkeling vests on. I was somewhat intimidated, but my DH is a big guy who floats and I held his hand and was OK.

 

Once I did that, I had no trouble snorkeling anywhere after that, but the waves sometimes make me queezy.

 

My DH talked me into scuba diving,(I'm 58) and we just got scuba certified, and did my first ocean dive last week.

 

If I can do it, so can you. BUt I agree that you should get some rudimentary swimming lessons, and I'd even try the mask and snorkel in the pool first. You'd be surprised what you can do if you want to!

 

Have fun!;)

[lcmslady]

I absolutely agree with everything that's being said although I'm not sure I agree with the learn to swim in an hour.

 

I took Adult TOW and I can float and dog paddle but don't ask me to jump into water over my head - because I wouldn't step off the side of the pool into the deep end, the instructor advised me to not go any further. So, Captn BJ - want to go on my cruise in January and teach me to swim??

 

I'm fine in water that's not over my head. I've gone snorkeling in 6 ft of water and actually went off the coast of Aruba but had my BIL right there. I don't know if I would snorkel in water over my head unless someone was right there with me.

 

You're never too old to learn something new and this is a skill that could save your life.

[vonster]

Ok What if you can swim to go here and there but cannot float for a long periods of time...

and your excursion takes you to slightly deep areas ?/ do they usually give you floating thingys? around your waist? anything?

 

anyone knows?

 

and what is a snorkelling vest?

[cmtom89]

Ok What if you can swim to go here and there but cannot float for a long periods of time...

and your excursion takes you to slightly deep areas ?/ do they usually give you floating thingys? around your waist? anything?

 

anyone knows?

 

and what is a snorkelling vest?

 

If you don't float well, then you definitely will want a vest or belt. A belt will wrap around your waist to help keep you afloat. A snorkeling vest will resemble the look of a life vest that can be inflated (via a mouth tube) to whatever level you need to keep you afloat comfortably.

 

I can usually just lounge in the water and float with almost zero effort, DH sinks like a stone. We both snorkel extensively. You float on top of the water and use your feet (fins) and sometimes your hands to move through the water. To me, swimming is a more concerted effort to move from one location to the other. Snorkeling is about the slow, peaceful enjoyment viewing the underwater life.

 

Every snorkel excursion that I have ever been on (dozens and dozens) provide vests or belts for bouyancy. Some/many even require that you wear a vest.

 

Snorkeling does not usually require the ability to swim long distances, but as others have stated, you do need the basics of swimming.

 

Happy snorkeling!

[Islandbear]

Go for it. Pick an easy tour that has vests or belts and ask for some extra attention from the crew and have fun. We all have to start somewhere.

 

There is no better motivation to learn to swim than snorkeling. Jump In!

[baldercash]

Some good advice, there is a huge difference between staying afloat, doing the dog paddle and swimming.

As has been noted its fine when you have no problems a pool is dangerous enough but open water is far worse, a wave, under tow, strong current, caught in the surf, inhaling a bit of water, mask flooding, swimmers coming too close, or just being startled by a fish or the realization you are in deep water and fatigue can cause a novice to panic and that will compound quickly. You panic you, you stop swimming, you struggle then drown it only takes a few seconds.

I am always amazed how people can sink in the ocean I have a hard time getting under the surface compared to fresh water!

 

If you are a novice swimmer you need to be monitored closely and not by 4 staff with 50 people in the water that are scattered all over. You need a strong swimmer watching you.

Even at the beach if there even is someone in the tower on most islands I would speculate their life saving skills are suspect.

 

I jumped in and pulled a guy out of the deep end of a hotel pool in the islands once and there were at least 10 people watching him and none knew he was downing not even his wife because he wasn't screaming he was just struggling and going to the bottom and pushing up but just couldn't break the surface for a gasp. He had less then 10 seconds left I figure when I got him. He bought me free drinks for the rest of the week but was totally pissed that no one knew he was in trouble and that they just watched.

That is the only person I have rescued but over the years I have aided many "swimmers" who were "struggling".