Snorkeling entails using a small tube to breathe through while your face is under the surface of the water. Add a face mask to the process and you’re down under and away. Combine both with some swim fins and Tobago’s vast range of undersea delights await.
Given snorkeling’s simplicity its easy to overlook it as a pure form of entertainment, recreation and exercise. But ask any SCUBA enthusiast what gave them the push over the edge to take up sport diving and most if not all all might mention ‘snorkeling’. That said there are some aspects to it that might be missed if one’s the type to jump in first and ask questions later.
In the end though it all comes down to two things; level of comfort in the water and the quality of the mask, fins and the snorkel. Allowing that you do swim, the choice once past that, is whether to buy or to rent gear. As we totally offer good rental snorkel gear here in Mt Irvine Bay Watersports, let’s just move right on to what you want to look for – whether buying or renting snorkel kit. Cos the considerations are the same.
The mask plays a huge part in how good your first snorkel experience turns out. You want to get one with a silicone skirt, one that fits your facial structure. Colour of skirt isn’t that critical, so just find the
shape that fits and only then decide to go with black or clear (transparent). There is a historical discussion that black silicone hides/keeps algae from forming in the skirt but that may be irrelevant
for the person who washes and secures her kit.
The snorkel tube should be approximately 16”/40cm long from mouthpiece to top (vent) and ideally feature nothing else. The simplest connection from your mouth to the vent also offers the quickest way to clear and obtain air. You’d also need a robust strap to secure the snorkel to the mask. Good snorkel keepers typically are made from the same material as the skirt of the mask.
Fins for snorkeling aren’t the same as fins for diving. While SCUBA enthusiasts can (in a pinch) employ a pair of ‘snorkel fins’ borrowed of a buddy, snorkelers may not have a good outing finning a stiff pair of
‘professional’ blades. Good snorkel fins are short, getting longer as experience and needs dictate. They also float, less so again as your subsea experience broadens.
Fins should be full foot and not fitted as tight as a shoe; reason being you’re not walking in them so the forces that come into play in the water are diff to how a shoe behaves on land. General rule of thumb
states that if your toes just peek out the front and your instep doesn’t pinch you’re good to go.
Non-swimmers can snorkel. We come now to oh-so-common scenario where you’re going snorkeling and somebody near and dear wants to go but they aren’t all that happy going in the deep. In fact they outright cannot swim. The outcome may still be positive. If you’re that person, obtain a suitable flotation device/swim aid and get some practice nearshore. You’d be surprised. Pleasantly so. Note: If you are at Mt Irvine Bay Watersport we take it as an apostolic challenge to initiate newbies to the art of snorkeling. Come. We’ll get you down.
Lately there has been a proliferation of fullface masks integrating the snorkel into the facial assembly. We do not like, do not recommend these. Cos, if it does take water the novice swimmer may never find that
happy place all snorkelers should enjoy. There are low volume masks, which may be translated as lower volume, since mask design has trended to lower profiles and minimising resistance. The truly low volume masks however do cost more and may not last as long. If you’re recreational snorkeler, just buy the ‘normal’ one on offer.
If your budget allows, do consider a wetsuit. It affords protection from cold water and the odds bits of marine life that have evolved defense strategies – like sea urchins. For those who want to take
flotation aids most anything from boogeyboards to the common pool noodle will work just fine. In another post I’ll explain why your body provides enough flotation while snorkeling.