What you need to know about snorkeling

Many people choose snorkeling when traveling to the beach, and LEFEET will introduce you to some tips about snorkeling!

Snorkeling is not only the activity of floating on the surface of the water. It contains a series of skills such as floating, diving, rising, draining, breathing, self-rescue and equipment selection, etc. In addition to the coordination of individual motor nerves, it requires an instructor and a series of courses of education and practice. Many of the practice skills must first take into account the dangerous conditions.

Snorkeling is a basic skill for freediving, but to be safer, more efficient, and happier, you still need to go through a special freediving course.

1. The origin of snorkeling can be traced back to ancient times when humans foraged for food and hunted for a living in the intertidal zone. It can also be said to be the first activity that brought humans into contact with the ocean.

2. Snorkeling skills are also the most basic skills needed to forage for food in desert island survival training.

3. Snorkeling can be done only with snorkeling equipment (i.e., snorkeling triplet - mask, snorkel, flippers)! Snorkeling or snorkeling in English (officially called snorkel dive or skin dive).

Main equipment

Diving goggles

Make it easy to see flora and fauna under the water. When you open your eyes in the water, you can see a blurred view; water is denser than air, and light will be refracted when it reaches the water. And the eye's focal length is adjusted according to the light in the air; therefore, the face mirror so that your eyes retain the cavity in front of you so that you have a clear line of sight. The biggest difference between face glasses and swimming glasses is that the former covers the eyes and the nose. This is because the pressure in the nasal cavity must be balanced to prevent squeezing when diving, so swimming glasses cannot be used for diving. The two most important points in choosing a mirror are fit and comfort, as well as other equipment. An unsuitable goggle may leak water and cause allergies, reducing the enjoyment of diving. To test the fit of a goggle, place the goggle gently on your face (you don't have to put on a headband) and breathe in through your nose. The goggle will fit snugly on your face until you exhale.

Breathing tube

When snorkeling, the snorkel is necessary equipment; you can float on the water's surface for a whole day without lifting your head out of the water. A typical snorkel is designed with an open end and an elbow with a bite at the other end. The upper part of the snorkel (the body) is usually a semi-rigid plastic tube, and the lower part of the snorkel is mostly made of silicone. A proper breathing tube should have an adequate curvature (to fit your own face shape), an inner diameter of about 2 cm, and a length of 30-35 cm. 

Flippers

Flippers, commonly known as flippers, are wide enough to provide you with a lot of power so that you don't have to paddle your hands to generate power, leaving them free for other tasks. There are two main types of flippers: heel-less and slip-on. Heeled flippers are generally used for warm water or snorkeling. Heel-less flippers are used in conjunction with dive boots. Large, rigid flippers are fast to use but prone to fatigue and cramps (for people with strong legs); small, soft flippers lack the power to push. Flippers come in different materials, designs, and features. The design of flippers includes:

• A keel is used to add stiffness and balance.
• Drainage holes reduce resistance to the flippers to increase efficiency.
• Deflector grooves allow horizontal gliding across the flippers to increase speed.

The choice of flippers depends on your body type, physical strength, and the environment you are diving in; the important things are comfort and fit.