Making Snorkeling a Great Experience

Snorkeling and skin diving are adventures that take place in the outdoor environment, usually in the ocean or in a lake. Because these environments cannot be controlled, and because people make mistakes, accidents can and do occur. However, the number of snorkeling and skin diving accidents that happen each year is relatively small.

Almost all diving problems and accidents are avoidable when good judgment and safe diving practices are followed. In most instances, they key is prevention, by recognizing problems before they occur or as they develop.

Sunburn is undoubtedly the most common problem that affects snorkelers and skin divers. It's easy to forget that the sun is beating down on your back as you're absorbed in watching a beautiful reef scene below you. As the warm water laps over your body, you just don't realize how badly the sun is burning your skin.

Sunburn is easy to avoid, either through the use of waterproof sunblock or by wearing a dive skin or wetsuit. Even a T-shirt will provide protection for your back, although it won't protect the back of your legs or arms. Be sure to cover up so that you don't ruin your vacation through too much sun.

Caution should be used when applying waterproof sunblock to your face to avoid getting it too close to your eyes. Many of these lotions and creams will strongly irritate your eyes if you accidentally get it in them. Be sure to wait until the sunblock has dried completely before putting on your mask or going in the water.

Although snorkeling and skin diving are relatively easy sports to enjoy, they do take physical effort. In addition, spending time in the water and the sun will subtly rob you of energy, especially if the water is cool. It's easy to become tired even though you're having fun.

To avoid exhaustion, if you're not in great shape, it's important to limit your time in the water and gradually lengthen your exposure in the water over several days. Start out with short exposures, depending on the water temperature.

In warm tropical waters, don't spend more than an hour at a time in the water without taking a rest on the beach or boat. In colder waters, a half hour to forty-five minutes can be a long time. Whatever you do, if you start getting chilly, get out of the water at the first opportunity.

If you find yourself getting exhausted in the water, and you're far from shore or the boat, there are several things that you can and should do. If you're really tired, and don't think you can make it back to the beach or the boat, drop your weight belt immediately. This will help you to establish positive buoyancy. In almost every case where a diver has drowned and they were wearing a weight belt at the start of a dive, the diver had failed to drop the belt when they became exhausted. The cost of the belt is insignificant compared to your safety.

If you are wearing a snorkeling vest, add just enough air to the vest to make yourself positively buoyant, but only after you have dropped your weight belt if you are wearing one. Relax, catch your breath, and slowly start swimming back to the shore or boat. For divers who are equipped with a boogie board or other float, get up on top of the float and rest until you have enough energy to swim back to safety.