Beginner Snorkelling Tips: How to Snorkel (Like a Fish)
For those without experience, snorkelling can be surprisingly daunting. Snorkelling is not a normal day-to-day activity for most people. Some individuals can go a lifetime without ever even putting on a snorkel. This can create uncertainty, or at least a desire to learn before entering the water.
And why not learn beginner snorkelling tips? There are a lot of elements at play. From the sea itself to the equipment you’re using, there are lots of elements to think about when snorkelling.
Once you know what you’re doing, snorkelling is about as difficult as walking, but like all things, proper technique must be learned.
Fortunately, snorkelling is very beginner-friendly. Unlike diving, which requires more in-depth training and understanding, snorkelling can be carried out by anyone in decent physical health who can swim. Many people travel and snorkel for the first time without ever doing any research or taking any kind of lesson.
By reading this article, you’re already ahead of the majority of first-time snorkelers. Today we’ll look at how to snorkel, with some quick snorkelling tips for beginners.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #1: Hire or Buy the Right Equipment
The quality of the snorkelling equipment you use makes a big difference. Cheap masks can offer poor visibility and leak. Badly designed snorkel sets might make it difficult to swim and maintain a good breathing tube angle. You’ll want to make sure (if there are options available) that you invest in good quality snorkels that fit. It will make your life a lot easier and you’ll feel a lot more comfortable in the water.
Other items that are helpful but none essential are flippers, wetsuits and buoyancy aids. If you’re a good swimmer, buoyancy aids aren’t necessary but they can be fantastic for those who don't swim too often. Essentially, they allow you to easily float on the surface so you can pay attention to direction and what’s around you without thinking about keeping yourself buoyant yourself.
Flippers are another item that we’d recommend, even if you’re a good swimmer. They add extra propulsion which dramatically increases your mobility underwater. Finally, wetsuits are always going to be important in very cold waters, but even in warmer waters, that can make you more comfortable and make your snorkel more enjoyable.
A great snorkel, flippers, a wetsuit and a buoyancy aid for not-so confident swimmers. The perfect setup for snorkelling beginners and our top snorkelling tip!
Warning: It is recommended you avoid full-face snorkel masks, as they can lead to a lack of oxygen and loss of consciousness.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #2: Snorkel From a Beach (Not a Boat) on Your First Attempt
Snorkelling from a beach can be important for first-time snorkelers. This is because it means you can easily practice snorkelling and get used to the water and the experience while also being able to stand up and gain your footing if you’re struggling.
Jumping in the deep end (literally) and heading out to deep waters on a boat means you’ve got no support beneath you if you need it. If you’re a decent swimmer, the chances that you’ll have issues are unlikely, but a practice beach snorkel is definitely recommended if possible. Even in the situation where you’re going on a tour that means you’ll be heading out to deeper water, try to find the time to practice in shallower coasts before you go.
If you can’t do that, and you’re worried, speak to your tour operator about acquiring a buoyancy aid to offer additional support, or source one yourself.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #3: Snorkel in a Calm Location
Rough seas, crashing waves and strong undercurrents can not only be difficult to snorkel through, but also dangerous for most swimmers. Snorkelling beginners should always snorkel in calm and quiet sea conditions that offer no obstacle to safety. If you’re concerned that you’re first-time snorkel experience is going to risk your safety, don’t just take the plunge.
Snorkelling accidents and incidents are exceptionally rare, but they’re also more common than other factors that may cause you concern, like the idea of a shark attack. On average, 17 people die snorkelling per year in the USA, while one is killed by a shark.
We do not highlight these stats to scare anyone off snorkelling, but instead to make it clear that snorkelling does carry risks that should be prepared for. Done properly, snorkelling is one of the safest recreational activities you can enjoy and is not dangerous, but opening yourself up to risks like choppy waters or bad weather combined with a fire-time snorkel experience increases your chance of problems. Be aware of your own safety.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #4: Know Your Limits, Test the Waters & Take Your Time
As we’ve mentioned above, it’s important to keep yourself aware. This is not only to keep yourself aware, but also to make sure you actually enjoy your snorkelling and that you don’t spend the whole swim trying to keep yourself upright.
It’s important for first-time snorkelers to keep in mind their own limitations, and to not attempt to push past boundaries to keep up with others or appear more competent than they actually are. Humility is an odd recommendation, but it’s going to mean you have a much more satisfying snorkel. Take your time, don’t push yourself too fast, and if you’re not active in your day-to-day life, be aware that swimming can be a high-intensity cardio activity, so don’t wear yourself out quickly either.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #5: Take in the World Around You
Getting comfortable on your first-time snorkel is a really good piece of advice, but if you spend your entire time watching for problems, you’ll never want to snorkel again!
After you’ve spent a bit of time learning to use your snorkel and getting introduced to the water, make sure you put your attention into focusing on what you’re actually looking at and absorbing the sights of the underwater kingdom. We normally snorkel to discover undersea life or landscapes, and often these are pretty spectacular.
From encountering reef sharks to seeing your first live coral, your snorkel trip could become a cornerstone memory and something you cherish forever. Make sure you don’t spend your entire snorkelling trip figuring out how to be the best possible snorkeler!
You’ll get better at snorkelling as you go, with more trips and more experiences. Good enough is good enough for now. You don’t need to be a perfect snorkeler, diving around and speeding off into the distance to enjoy your time in the water.
Stop and smell the seaweed.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #6: Know What to Do If Something Is Wrong
In the event you encounter a problem, it will be extremely helpful to know how to react to the situation. Panic in the water is your number one enemy. Staying calm and responding as needed is the best way to make sure your first-time snorkel is everything you want it to be.
Here are a few action points to help you:
Stay in your group: If you get into trouble, your group can help you. Signal to them to come over. They can provide extra buoyancy and support while you sort yourself out. We recommend that all beginner snorkelers go with a group or a buddy if possible.
Defog your snorkel: If you’re struggling to see because your snorkel is fogging up from your breath, the best thing you can do is spit on the eyepiece and rub it in. It helps stop fog forming. In future, if you’ve had issues with fogging, you can use special defogging solutions prior to your trip to stop it happening.
Empty excess water: If water has got into your mask, move to the surface, remove your mask, empty the water and put your mask back on.
Secure any leaks: If you find your mask is regularly taking on water, you’ve properly got a loose seal. If you invested in good snorkel gear as suggested, it’s likely to do with a few things that you can deal with in the water. First, make sure hair is out the way and that there is nothing that could be getting in the way of the seal around your face. Avoid facial expressions like smiling, as this can also break the seal. Make sure you wet the seal before applying the mask to create suction and don’t tighten your mask too much, as this can actually put creases in the rubber surface that prevents it from gripping properly.
Take deep breaths: Breath in your lungs makes you more buoyant, and buoyancy makes it easier to deal with any issues, like water in your mask. Keep your breath slow and deep while you sort yourself out.
Blow water out the snorkel: If you find you’re getting splashes of water in your snorkel, short and sharp blows out the tube force droplets back out the exit point and stop them getting into your mouth.
Taken on water? Stay calm: If you take on water, such as if a wave splashing your snorkel tube or you accidentally let water spill over the top, try to stay calm. Rise to the surface and get the water out while keeping your body movements fluid and your buoyancy stable. If you’re in a group, this is the time to make sure somebody comes to give you a hand.
Beginner Tip for Snorkelling #7: Think About How You Swim & Use Proper Technique
Snorkelling is not like diving. You don’t need to really think about techniques very hard, but there are a few snorkelling tips we can offer to help you get the most out of your experience.
The first is to press your tongue to the roof of your mouth between breaths. This creates a block between your airways and your mouth. Try it now, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth and try to breathe. You can’t! Pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth means that if water does splash into your snorkel, it won’t get into your throat and choke you. Instead, it will collect under your tongue, which means you can easily surface and spit it out without incident.
The other advice we offer is simple swimming instruction while snorkelling. Use your feet as propulsion and your arms mainly to steer your direction. Make sure all your movements are done under the water. This way you won’t splash around. Not only is this great for your snorkelling, as you won’t accidentally get water caught in your breathing tube, but you’ll also cause minimum disturbance to any wildlife you’re encountering on your snorkel trip, too. The result is usually that you don’t scare animals away!
