Learn to snorkel and improving your Snorkeling Technique  

6 Easy Tips on How to Snorkel

Snorkeling is a tool used to access one of nature's most marvelous realms, and the ocean remains one of the best arenas for exercising our sense of discovery. The key to successful snorkeling is relaxation in the water. Snorkeling is as much psychological as it is a physical skill. Practice will improve your skills and comfort in the water.

a. Be sure the mask fits your face. Hold the snorkel mask up to your face clearing the strap from your face. Breath in through your nose. The mask should seal perfectly and stay on, without holding it, for as long as you breath in. If any air leaks in, water will also. Keep all hair out of the seal, if you have a moustache, use a good glob of vaseline, sunscreen or chap stick below your nose to act as a "gasket," or consider shaving the area.

The strap should fit snugly at the widest part of your head, towards the top of the back of your head. If it's at the base of your skull, water may seep in. If water does start seeping in while snorkeling, reach back and see if your strap has slipped down. Don't tighten the strap beyond "snug," being too tight causes leaking, as the seal can be broken.

b. Choose fins that are snug but not too tight. If they hurt or curl your toes especially, you may develop cramps while snorkeling. If they slip off your heels, they're too big. Better a little big than too small. Remember though they will slip on easier when your feet are wet.

1. Defog. No point going through all the trouble if you cant see anything. The heat of your face will fog your mask in minutes when the water is cooler than your body temperature. Products made for defogging work very good. You can also use dish soap or your own spit.

2. Practice breathing through the snorkel with your head out of the water before the real thing. Put the mask on your head (wear your strap slightly high on the back of your head and not too tight!). Breathe through the tube (put the mouthpiece all the way in your mouth) All snorkeling equipment is cleaned after each use, or ask for a brand new never been used mouthpiece.  When ready, practice floating in the face down and horizontal positions. Don't swim; just calmly float. You can practice at then end of the Costa Maya and Tsunami dock, there is a ladder and a natural aquarium under the dock.

3. Masks should remain reasonably dry on the inside, but they can accidentally fill with water. This usually happens when the strap has slipped down to far. A flooded mask can be easily cleared by raising the head, pulling the lower edge away from the mouth, and simply letting the water drain out. I like to leave some water in my mask (below eye level!), where it can be swished around for an instant defog.

The same applies to snorkels. A burst of air (similar to a dolphin blow) should clear a flooded snorkel, but breathe in cautiously afterwards just to make sure. If there isn't air available, then simply remove the snorkel from the mouth. Its helpful to practice deliberately flooding and clearing both mask and snorkel so to calmly learn these techniques.

4. To use your fins correctly, you must use an efficient kick. Try to keep your knees and ankles relaxed to prevent your leg muscles from cramping, and keep your fins below the water line. AVOID using a bicycling type kick, but instead think of your fins (especially the tips) as a beautiful flowing mermaid tail. Once you are proficient in this skill, you will notice that your fins propel you through the water. You will hardly need to use your arms and can let them rest easily at your side, or fold your hands over your lower back.

5. Once you have mastered using your equipment, practice controlling your movements in the water. You will feel more comfortable and calm in the water as you improve your maneuvering abilities and you will minimize accidental bump-ins with objects in the water such as other snorkeler's, reef elements, buoys, etc. It's easy to lose track of your location with your face in the water so look around for your guide and boat every couple of minutes.

6. Knowing your personal limitations is a vital skill often overlooked. Recognize them and remain alert to them. There is no good reason to push your limits. They will change with each snorkeling opportunity presented. Factors to consider are water temperature, surge, currents, and visibility. Your guide will make sure the area we plan to snorkel is safe.

A relaxed snorkeler can get more pleasure out of snorkeling and a greater appreciation of the environment. A calm snorkeler seems less threatening and when the aquatic wildlife realizes you are not a threat, they resume their normal routine, allowing you to experience their world.