Snorkeling Guides

Once you have your snorkeling equipment, it would probably be a good idea to know how to use it. The best way is actually to enroll in a Snorkeling Class at a local Scuba Diving Store. If that is not available to you, the Y.M.C.A., High Schools and Colleges may offer Snorkeling Classes. They usually will combine a Skin Diving course with a Snorkeling Course. Skin Diving is using snorkeling gear to go under the water whereas snorkeling is remaining at the surface the entire time. The equipment used for skin diving is still the same as for snorkeling.

Part of learning to use your equipment is preparing it for use. If your mask is new, there is usually an oily residue that is on the lenses which occurs in the mask’s construction. It is important that this residue be removed before use. If if is left on the lenses the mask will fog continously during use. There are solutions available which are specially formulated to help remove this residue from that mask lenses. If that is not available to you, common liquid dishwashing soap is also effective. Do not use any abrasive cleaners or scouring pads which could scratch the glass lenses. If using the liquid detergent, a little bit should be placed on the lenses. Rub this around with your fingers. Get every part of the inside lenses. Then while still rubbing hold the mask under the sink spigot with the water as hot as you can tolerate. Keep rubbing the mask lenses until you are sure that all of the dish soap has been removed. One way to find out is to give it the squeaky glass test. If you are able to make the glass squeak when rubbing your fingers accross it then that means that you have probably succeeded. It may take three or four attempts but I always recommend doing it a minimum of two times in succession. If you don’t get that initial coating off of the lenses no amount of defog or spit will help keep it clear while you are snorkeling. Yes you read that last sentence correctly. The term spit was used.

Before you enter the water you need to use a defog designed for use with scuba/snorkeling masks. Two very good ones are Sea Drops and Sea Gold by Mcnett. There are also defogging solutions used in other sports but read the label first. If it says something like “use in a ventilated area” then it would probably not be in your best interest to use that on your mask. The lenses of your mask may look and feel smooth but at an almost microscopic level the lenes are uneven and look porous. These uneven spots are able to trap water vapor which is what causes the fogging. The defog solutions (because they are liquid or gel), act to fill in those uneven areas which in turn does not give the water vapor anything on which to stick. Spit also works but not quite as well. (See video below) Usually it is best to apply the defog when the mask is dry and a little bit goes a long way. All of the defogs that I know of require that the mask be dunked in water a couple of times before actually placing the mask on the face. This is to get rid of the extra defog. Every time that you remove your mask a little bit of the surfactant is lost to either the atmosphere or water. It is therefore a good idea not to remove your mask during your snorkeling adventure unless absolutely necessary.

Proper fit with a mask is extremely important and you may want to peek at our video clip on How to Size a Snorkeling Mask. An ill-fitting mask can easily turn a snorkeling adventure into an adventure in snorkeling rather quickly. When putting on the mask make sure that no hair is trapped that may break the seal. You may have to make some minor size adjustments of the strap. You should not have to have the mask strap very tight. The tighter the strap, the more likely the mask will leak. You may also have to play with the positioning of the strap itself when you are wearing it. If you are getting a little bit of water getting into the mask at the bottom area, try positioning the strap a bit higher on the back of the head. This will pull the mask a little bit tighter to the lower portion of the face. People with excess facial hair (mainly those with mustaches) may find that it may be difficult if not impossible to get the perfect seal from a mask. There are a few options for those sporting moustaches. The first being to shave it off. The second option is to get used to the feeling of water in the lower portion of your mask. Some people do actually rub some silicone grease on their mustaches which does actually help. If you opt for this, make sure that the silicone grease is food grade silicone and definitely do not use any petroleum based gels. The petroleum based gels will degrade the silicone skirt. A word of warning though, since silicone grease is not water soluable it can be a bit time consuming getting it out of your moustache. Once you find the perfect mask with the perfect fit don’t loan it to anyone else.

The snorkel is always placed on the left side of the mask when you are wearing it. This has been the traditional position for years, thanks to scuba divers. The reason for this is that with scuba divers, the important breathing hoses that scuba divers use are usually routed along the right side of the diver. Having the snorkel on the left side reduced the chances of those hoses getting tangled in the snorkel. Some novice snorkelers tend to forget that they have a snorkel in their mouth but are quickly reminded when they accidently put their head too far under the water. Depending on the snorkel they are either reminded by a gush of water going down the barrel of the snorkel or the snorkel closing off completely as is the case with “dry” snorkels.

When breathing through the snorkel it is important that you seal your lips around the mouthpiece. The keyword is to breather THROUGH the snorkel rather than around it..

As far as your fins, once they are on, walk backward or sideways in them. Although it is humorous to see people walking forward while wearing fins it is strongly recommended that it not be done.

Reading the article on Entering and Exiting the Water with Snorkeling Gear are advised as well. Once you are in the water, streamlining your body becomes a concern. Avoid using your hands to help propel you through the water. The best place for your hands is to place both of them behind you in the small of your back or straight out in front of you sort of how Superman has them when he is flying. Having them behind you serve as a reminder on not using them to propel you through the water. Doing so will actually slow you down by creating more resistance. Instead let your fins do their job.

When using your fins, your kicks should be more of a straight legged style using the entire legs rather than just kicking from the knees down. (Notice photo 1, where legs are straight, but the knees are not stiff.) People who aren’t used to fins may have to consciously think about their kicks until it becomes second nature. If you are using the straight legged kick but find that you are bending your knees then you are probably kicking too hard and need to slow your fin strokes down. Eventually you will end up slighly bending at the knees but that is acceptable. Your feet should be in a position similar to one standing on tip toe if they were out of the water. This is contrary to how we normally walk on land but it put the fins in the correct kicking position. I have seen people who looked like a baby does when it learns to crawl. Crawling through the water will get you nowhere fast. This is often called the bicycle kick. Though it is humorous to watch it does use a lot of energy in a short period of time.

The snorkeling vest should be considered a necessary piece of snorkeling gear. It is normally worn pretty much deflated while you are snorkeling. Inflation of the vest should be for the purpose of resting. It should never be considered a life jacket. It will make you more positively bouyant but moving through the water with the snorkeling vest fully inflated the entire time will defeat the streamlining that you want to achieve. The video clip on Snorkeling Vests will show you the basics about how the vest is operated and how to put it on as well. The text, Snorkeling Vests, will give specific details on the vests.

You are moving through an environment that is 800 times denser than the air environment that we are in on a daily basis. Make your movements slower than normal as you move through it. When you are kicking make those kicks a bit wider and soon you will be gliding almost effortlessly taking in the underwater panarama feeling more a part of the underwater environment rather than an awkward spectator.

The more you snorkel the more fluid your movements will be, as you become one with the marine environment. Have fun!

Once you are done with your snorkeling adventure for the day, it is time to take care of the equipment that has been taking care of you.

Masks, fins and snorkels should be rinsed off in clean fresh water and any exposure suits such as lycra skins, neoprene wetsuits and your snorkeling vest should receive the same treatment. This is especially important if you were snorkeling in salt water. When the salt water dries, you will have salt crystals that may embed themselves into the material which may incur premature wear and tear on the equipment. Wetsuits should be allowed to dry in the shade rather than direct sunlight. Direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time will begin to shrink the suit.

When you are storing your gear until your next adventure, it should be clean and dry. Exposure suits should be hung on hangers when stored and the snorkeling vest should be stored partially inflated. When you clean these and the vest, use cleaning products that are made for cleaning them. Don’t put any of it in a washer or dryer or use regular laundry detergent. Detergents will prematurely age the suit as they are designed to pull oily stains out of clothing. They will pull the oils inherent in rubber goods making them less supple and subject to dry rot.

For specific and more detailed information on care and maintenance on your snorkeling gear, please read Snorkeling Gear Care & Maintenance.