As the son of a Veteran, I am proud of the fact that my father served in the military. His actions helped to preserve the foundation on which this country was built. This pride extends to uncles, cousins, neighbors and friends who also served in the various branches of the military. They chose to offer their service in a capacity that we civilians can scarcely imagine. We have cried with those whose loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their very lives in the line of duty. While we remember the heros who died for our country we often overlook our living heros. Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are two campaigns where military personnel have returned with injuries received during their military service. These heros, may or may not, be able to make a smooth transition back to the lives they had before their injuries. The musician now missing a hand. The former athlete now confined to a wheelchair. The parent unable to hold their child with two arms. The road to recovery is more often than not long and not without struggle. This is not without mental anguish to themselves as well as those who love them.

There is a program that has been gaining noteriety being run by a dedicated staff of volunteers that are determined to make a difference with injured service members. This is but one of their passions, their second passion is SCUBA diving. They have combined these passions into what is now the SUDS program. SUDS (Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland is the result. The program is for injured service members of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to help improve their lives. The program allows injured service members to learn to Scuba Dive and earn their scuba certification through SDI (Scuba Diving International).

One of our major scuba manufacturers, Oceanic, has decided to jump on board and support SUDS. Oceanic has introduced the USA Patriotic line of scuba and snorkeling gear. Masks, fins snorkel and bags in red, white and blue and stars and stripes. Oceanic has committed 7% of the sales from the USA line to be given to the SUDS program. That is a wonderful commitment from a company that is not too proud to recognize, thank and reward those Veterans who have done so much for us. SnorkelingOnline has decided to join in by committing an additional 13% of sales from the Oceanic USA line purchased through us. In purchasing items from the Oceanic USA line, you will not only be showing your patriotic side, you will also be thanking and helping those who gave so much of themselves for the ideals of this great nation.

As the son of a Veteran, I am proud to see this and to be a part of it. To all the Veterans and to those still serving “Thank You.”

The Oceanic USA Line will be released the week of May 14, 2012

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Support the Soldiers with the Oceanic USA Line

While cruising on You Tube, I found an awesome video on a boat of snorkelers who ran into a pod of orcas with a baby. Throughout my travels, I have never seen in the wild, orcas. For us to see them, we would have to go to our local aquarium, which ours is the Shed Aquarium to see these beautiful creatures. Enjoy the video.

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com While Snorkeling Found Orcas in New Zealand

picture by aquatic adventures

Who doesnt love and respect National Geographics, most of us grew up with them and sat close to the tv when we were little with our mask and snorkel on and could not wait until we could jump in the water with the beautiful underwater creatures. Here is an awesome video about the humpback whales with their calves that were found in the Silver Bank, Dominican Republic. The Silver Banks is one of the few areas in the world that you can legally get in the water with these mammals and they are always near by from January through April, but hurry as permits are limited. Visit Aquatic Adventures for more information.

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Snorkel With Humpback Whales in Silver Banks

Just when you think there is no more kindness in people, something good happens. Have you ever lost something and thought it was gone forever? Most of us have and its not a good feeling. I have recently read two articles that showed both extremes, the good and the bad and taught me a good lesson.

The good – Dale Rohlf from Oahu, Hawaii, in his spear time, he enjoys putting on his snorkel and mask and heading into the ocean looking for lost treasures. Dale is different from others; he will actually try to hunt down who the owner is of the treasures, mainly jewelry. All the hotels know who he is and who to send people to when they have lost jewelry while swimming or snorkeling. This article proves what lengths Dale will go to in order to return items to people, Snorkeling in Hawaii, Found Class Ring from 1936.

The bad – Kiri Malli from Sri Lanka spends much of his time at Polhena beach snorkeling for lost jewels. Kiri is trained to look for people on the beach in distress trying to find lost jewelry and that is when he moves in and pretends to help, he is also trained to remember the exact spot the jewelry was lost. He admits to making sure the people dont find the item and later, after they have left, he goes back to the spot puts on his mask and snorkel and finds the jewelry. Unfortunately, unlike Dale in the previous article, Kiri will not be trying to find the owner he does this strictly for profit. Read more at Hunting For Gold at Paradise Beach.

The lesson to be learned here is not to wear jewelry while snorkeling. There is a good chance you will lose something and a very slim chance you will ever get it back.

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Treasures Found Snorkeling, The Good & Bad

 When we think of the word crystal, we normally associate it with fine glassware. So putting crystal into the name of a snorkeling mask, one would assume it would be referring to the lenses. This is not the case with the Cressi Big Eyes Evolution Crystal. The “Crystal” in the title is not referring to the lenses of the mask at all, it is referring to the silicone mask skirt. We already know that silicone is a better material to use in mask skirts, but what makes the crystal silicone so special? The Crystal silicone is actually softer than conventional silicone. This means that the mask will conform to a wider variety of facial features and facial sizes. The Crystal silicone is also more resistant to the ugly yellowing that happens to silicone over time and the clarity of the Crystal silicone gives a less closed in feeling. Using a softer silicone can have its drawbacks because the mask skirt still has to be able to support the frame and lenses of the mask. Cressi added internal ribs at strategic support points to compensate. The Crystal silicone is also used in the mask skirt which makes it virtually invisible on the head. If you were the least bit cloudy on Crystal Silicone, I hope that I have made everything “Crystal” clear. Purchase your Cressi Big Eyes Evolution Crystal mask today, you wont be disappointed!

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Cressi – Silicone vs Crystal Mask

Wow, I watch a lot of videos on snorkeling, but Steve Simonsen knows videography, snorkeling and St. John. This video makes you want to book the airline ticket and head to Gallows Bay Resort in Cruz Bay, St. John. He also shows the underwater world in Trunk Bay, Waterlemon Cay and Hawksnest in St. John. Enjoy this video as much as I did, grab your snorkeling gear and see you in St. John!

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Snorkeling in St. John

picture by Cabo Adventures

One hump or two? While Cabo San Lucus is a popular snorkeling destination, now there is something new besides snorkeling every day. Camel rides. Yes, I said camel rides. How wild would that be, riding high atop a camel while taking in the breathtaking scenery of the shoreline of Los Cabo. How often do you get a chance to ride on top of a camel and unless you are going to spend some time in the desert on another continent, you most likely would never have the experience.

Cabo Adventures is now offering camel rides along the beach and includes a guided tour, a ride in an off-road trucks that takes you into the Baja outback, a snack consisting of local cuisine (beans, salsa, and hand-made tortillas), tequila sampling (yum) and a camel ride along the beach of Rancho San Cristobel, located along the shoreline of Cabo.

There are two people to each camel, one in front and one in back of its one hump. What a great way to break up your time while on vacation in Cabo, snorkeling, camel rides, beach parties, sun, more snorkeling. Can you tell I love to snorkel? The next time I am going to book a trip to Los Cabos, I will first make sure the camel ride on the beach is on my list. You dont need anything special for camel riding but dont forget your snorkel gear!

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Snorkeling in Los Cabos, Try a Camel Ride Too!

The only time a dry snorkel is dry is when it is in your mouth. If, while snorkeling, you take the snorkel mouthpiece out of your mouth, there is absolutely nothing that will keep water from entering through the mouthpiece. A purge valve is a one-way valve which is designed to remove residual water from the snorkel by a simple sharp exhalation.

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Why Do Dry Snorkels Have a Purge Valve if They Are Dry?

Whether you are buying your first snorkeling mask or a replacement, one of the decisions that you might be faced with is whether you might like a mask with a purge valve or not. A purge valve is a one-way valve that allows the snorkeler to clear the snorkeling mask of any water that may have come in without having to take the snorkel mask off. The purge valve in the mask is not new to the snorkeling and scuba diving industry. They have been used in various mask styles for over 40 years.

Fit is important in a snorkeling mask but even the best fitting mask may at one time or another end up with a little water getting on the inside. This can be caused by improper strap placement, the mask strap being too tight or too loose and hair breaking the seal or even just from smiling. Whatever the reason, the result is the same. There is water in your mask and you don’t want it to be there. Taking the snorkeling mask off to dump the water though the most common solution isn’t always the best way to get rid of it. Ideally, for a mask without a purge, you would place the palm of one hand on the upper frame of the faceplate exerting some pressure and exhale through your nose while tilting your head back.

Masks with a purge valve are cleared in a slightly different manner. Holding the mask firmly in place you exhale through the nose with the head tilted forward. In both instances of clearing the mask, the air from your exhalation rises to the top of the mask and since you are not allowing that air to escape, it has to push the water out of its way to find the easiest area to exit. Most masks with purge valve these days, have the valve located in the nose pocket of the mask skirting. This placement is probably the most ideal as, when you are snorkeling, this would be the lowest point of the mask.

Purge valve masks do require a bit more care than masks without purge valves. It is important to keep the purge valve clean and free of sand and grit, which can interfere with the purge valve’s proper function. Also, as disgusting as it may be, we often end up having more than just air coming out of our noses when we exhale. Rather than dwell on that particular aspect, let’s just say that rinsing your mask and using a soft bristled toothbrush will help to keep purge valves functioning well.

The size and shape of one’s nose may have some bearing on your decision between a mask with a purge and a mask without a purge. Many of the purge valves used do take up some of the space available in the nose pocket which some noses need. If the mask is used for skin or scuba diving, some purge valves can interfere with the ability to equalize ears using the Valsalva maneuver or may require slight modifications on how to equalize.

Those with mustaches usually experience water in their mask no matter what. Masks with purge valves would be more of a benefit in those instances as the purge valve would be used more often without having to keep tilting the head back.

There are many other features and benefits that the various masks offer besides purge valves. For tips on selecting the right mask for you go to our guide titled as well as the other articles and videos designed to make you a more informed shopper.

What do we, at Snorkeling Online snorkel with? We vote thumbs down for a snorkeling purge mask. It is not worth the trouble and it can easily break in which you would have to purchase/replace the mask.

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Purge Valve On A Snorkeling Mask Worth It?

We need to get some clarification here. There is no such thing as a snorkeling goggle. Goggles are used for skiing, swimming and sometimes flying. They are also used as safety eyewear in various work applications. They are not used for snorkeling or scuba diving. The dictionary defines them as “Large spectacles equipped with special lenses having protective rims to prevent injury to the eyes from water, strong wind, flying objects, blinding light and even flying objects.” Though water is mentioned, the goggle meant by that definition is a swimming goggles..

The swim goggle is designed to seal against the inner or outer areas of the sockets only whereas the snorkeling and scuba masks include the wearer’s nose. A swimmer may use a snorkeling/scuba mask but a snorkeler or scuba diver may not use swim goggles. Though it may sound unfair there is a very good reason for this distinction.

When dealing with snorkeling, skin diving or scuba diving, Boyle’s law of physics regarding pressure affects on air spaces. I won’t confuse you with the mathematics behind it but would rather explain it with what actually happens if swim goggles are used for these applications.

When we talk about pressure, in reality we are talking about weight. When you apply pressure to an object you are applying weight. If the object that the pressure is being applied to is compressible, it will compress.  This is true of air when water pressure is applied to it. Water is 800 times denser than air and when we go below this denser environment, the weight of the water is going to affect the air spaces in both the goggles and the snorkeling and scuba mask. The deeper we go, the more weight (pressure) the water will place on these air spaces. The effect is that the goggles and masks are pushed tighter to the face. This phenomenon is called a “squeeze” which can run anywhere to mild discomfort to outright pain. An analogy would be the difference between a gentle hug and a bear hug.  Now I said this pressure affects both swim goggles and snorkeling and scuba masks but I haven’t really given any concrete reason as to why goggles are not to be used when snorkeling or scuba diving.

Or have I ????

Before you stick your nose up in the air and pooh-pooh at what has already been said, I do want to point out that the reason was indirectly alluded to in the second paragraph of this article. I could let you sniff around for it or call out the bloodhounds to find the relationship but I will, instead, point your nose in the right direction.

It is the fact that snorkeling and scuba masks both enclose the nose whereas the goggles do not. Having the nose enclosed allows skin and scuba divers the ability to add air into the mask to equalize this pressure. Adding air by simply exhaling a bit through your nose will alleviate the discomfort.

Now I must admit that the mask squeeze will only affect scuba divers and skindivers (also called breath hold divers or freedivers) and not those who choose to remain solely at the surface (snorkelers). The reason for snorkeling masks rather than goggles in this instance is based again on the nose being enclosed with the mask.

Snorkelers, use a snorkel. This allows them to breathe while having their face submerged. It also keeps them from having to constantly lift their face out of the water to get another breath of air. Having the nose enclosed is a great reminder to inhale through the mouth rather than the nose. Click selection for more information on selecting the right snorkeling mask and click fit to see a short video on how to check for proper fit.

Now go out and impress all of your friends with this new-found knowledge and help spread the word far and wide. Shout it from the mountaintops and from sea to shining sea. GOGGLES ARE FOR SWIMMING (wait for echo) NOT FOR SNORKELING!

You are now free to resume your normal lives.

Written by www.SnorkelingOnline.com Goggles vs Masks – What’s The Difference?