How to Snorkel Safely

Learning How to Snorkel Safely SCUBA divers do not of course just SCUBA dive. Snorkelling is a great way to kill some time between dives, particulalrly on a liveaboard if you are out diving on a reef or such like. It is important to know how to snorkel safely in order that you can enjoy snorkelling properly without putting yourself and others at risk.

Below are our top tips for showing you how to snorkel safely.

13 Steps Showing How to Snorkel Safely

NEVER attempt to snorkel unless you know how to swim. You will never be able to learn how to snorkel safely unless you are a swimmer.
Do not dive into the water head first while you are wearing a dive mask. This is very dangerous as the glass in dive masks is not designed to take the impact of diving into water in such a way.
Never snorkel on your own. Just as with SCUBA diving, you should always buddy up with someone in case you get into difficulty.
Do not use ear-plugs when you are snorkelling underwater. Ear-plugs can get stuck in your ear and cause damage to your eardrums as the pressure underwater increases.
Never hold your breath for long periods under the surface. If you hold your breath for too long you could blackout and drown.
Never dive below any depth at which equalizing the pressure in your ears is not longer possible. If you cannot equalize, you can damage your eardrums and potentially cause permanent damage to your hearing.
Learning how to snorkel safely can often mean learning to snorkel comfortably. Always get out of the water if you start to feel tired or cold.
Never dive beneath the water if you have a cold or are congested. Colds and congestion can affect your ability to equalize and can lead to ear and hearing damage.
Relax. If you want to learn how to to snorkel correctly you should relax while you are doing it. Relaxing during your snorkelling will give you a greater appreciation of your experience and more awareness of potential danger.
Be sure to cover up to protect yourself from the sun. This includes slapping on sun protection cream so that you can snorkel safely and do not burn up.
Make sure that you drink plenty of water before you snorkel. The sun, salt water and the physical exertion of snorkelling can cause you to dehydrate quickly.
NEVER touch any marine creatures that you come into contact with. Aside from causing damage to or interfering with the creatures you meet, you could end up getting stung or bitten.
If you are snorkelling from a liveaboard or day boat, be certain that there is a diver’s flag flying to let other boats know there are snorkellers/divers in the area.

How to be Safe Snorkelling To be certain that you know how to snorkel safely, it would be a good idea to find out about a training session with a certified diving instructor.

A suitably qualified diving instructor can teach you some techniques that can make your snorkelling experience safer and more enjoyable. An instructor can also teach you how to snorkel with less effort and at the same time what to look out for whilst you are in the water.