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Hawaii Snorkeling
Snorkeling Technique
Snorkel Instruction
How to Snorkel
Snorkeling
for Beginners
Snorkeling Equipment
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Snorkeling
Technique - Snorkel Instruction
How to Snorkel
Remember, snorkeling is simple ….
When you are nine years old.
For the rest of you, snorkeling is easy. Just follow these
three tips
and pretend you are nine years old.
RELAX – RELAX – RELAX
I have taught many people to snorkel over
my years in Hawaii, including my two daughters. I have found
the above three words of advice to be the most important
of all. Having said that, here is the method I find most
effective for beginners.
Snorkeling
for Beginners
Snorkeling involves three basic pieces of
equipment; the mask, the snorkel and the fins. When you
come aboard the Royal Hawaiian Catamaran Snorkeling Cruise,
we provide basic snorkeling gear for average size adults
and children. For beginners who are uncertain or uncomfortable
I recommend starting with the mask alone. If you are happy
go lucky and fairly comfortable with new experiences by
all means, put the gear on and go snorkeling. It really
is easy.
First
try just the Snorkeling Mask
First, find a mask that fits your face. For
me personally, the most critical fit is the nose, I have
a big one. If the nose doesn't fit comfortably the mask
won’t work for me. For some people it is the width
of the mask and the width of their face that must match.
To check a mask for proper fit first wet the mask, then
put it on your face without using the strap. Once the mask
is against your face and you find it comfortable, inhale
through you nose. As long as you have made sure you don’t
have any hair in the mask it should securely suction to
your face. If not, you either have a leaking mask or a poor
fit. Check for hair and try again. If it does not suck tight
to your face try another mask. Once you have found a mask
that fits, adjust the strap to a length that will fit your
head high on the back of your head, not down around your
neck. The straps are all adjustable. Do not try to stretch
them excessively as they will just break or be uncomfortable.
At this point I recommend you try some swimming
with just the mask, no snorkel, no fins. Get in the water,
relax, and then put your head down and look around. When
you need a breath, raise you head. This will let you get
used to the feel of the mask.
This is a good time to master the most important
move in snorkeling. Just relax and lay flat in the water.
Don’t struggle or swim, just float. Toothpaste, spit
(sorry but it works), naupaka (a kind of Hawaiian beach
side leaf) and many other things, including special concoctions
you can purchase, can help keep your mask clear. Don't worry,
we clean and sterilize the masks and snorkels each trip.
My personal technique is to spit in the mask, rub it around,
rinse it out, and then keep a little water in the mask that
I can whoosh around to keep the lens clear.
Using
the Snorkel
Once you have mastered the mask, it is time
to add the snorkel. The snorkel is a curved tube that allows
you to breathe without lifting your face from the water.
It attaches to the left or right side, sometime depending
on the snorkels design. You will notice some snorkels are
angled so they point more vertical when in you mouth. I
recommend you rinse the snorkel and clear it of excess water,
then put it in you mouth with the flat part in front of
your teeth and inside your lips so you can bite down gently
on the little tabs. The snorkel tube should be just forward
of your ear.
Breathing
through your Snorkel
Take some breaths through the snorkel while
you are above or out of the water being careful not to lift
your head so high you stick the snorkel top in the water.
Get comfortable breathing through your mouth. Exhaling through
your nose will just fog your mask. Once you are breathing
comfortably and normally, slowly put your head down in the
water. Reach up and make sure the snorkel is vertical and
out of the water. Relax, breathe slowly and normally. If
you dive down or just accidentally fill your snorkel with
water you can exhale hard and clear the snorkel of water.
If this doesn't work just put your head up, take the snorkel
out of you mouth and clear the water. I do this many times
a day whenever I am snorkeling.
When
Snorkeling, Flippers are not necessary
Aboard the Royal Hawaiian Catamaran you will
notice the Captain almost never wears fins to snorkel. Unless
I am planning on covering a lot of ground or doing a lot
of diving to the bottom, I have found fins are not necessary
for me to enjoy my favorite style of snorkeling, laying
still and quiet on top of the water and really observing
what goes on below me. Unless I wear scuba fins, which fit
over comfortable booties, I mostly just get foot cramps
from wearing snorkeling fins. If I use them at all I usually
just use one, so I can switch it from one foot to the other.
Flippers
are good for swimming.
There are not so good for walking.
Fins can be added at any time. They should
be snug but not so tight as to cut off circulation. It is
best to put them on near or in the water as they are difficult
to walk in. When swimming with snorkleing fins you should
use long gentle strokes to move yourself along quietly,
without a lot of splashing. This will give you the best
opportunity to see the many creatures and features under
the sea. At this point you should have mastered relaxing
and floating and quietly observing the ocean environment
below. You are snorkeling in Hawaii, Wow! You are a snorkeler.
Congratulations!
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