The Great Snorkelling Myths Debunked

 

Oh crap, I forget the tube thing

You don't need to be able to swim to go snorkelling!

Many snorkelling safari companies and tours claim that anyone can go snorkelling and that being able to swim is a benefit and not a necessity. Yeah right...! The only way that such a claim could ever be true is if you plan to snorkel in the bath. The truth is that if you cannot swim you cannot snorkel. The ocean is potentially a very dangerous place and heading into its embrace without the most basic skill of swimming is simply asking for trouble. So don't believe the snorkelling company idiots that tell you otherwise, they're setting you up to drown. Wanna snorkel? Then learn to swim!

You don't need to be fit to go snorkelling!

No one is suggesting that you have to be an Olympic athlete to go snorkelling. That said though, if you cannot walk up a flight of stairs without breaking out in a heavy sweat and wheezing like an asthmatic hippo, then it would be fair to say that snorkelling is not really for you. Snorkelling - at least the more exciting, energetic variety rather than the easybreath full-face mask wearing bobbing about stuff - takes effort. Your breathing will be limited by the snorkel, you will use muscles that you didn't realise you had and your body will have to deal with cold water, currents and waves. It's worth noting that the majority of people who drown while snorkelling have two things in common, they can't swim very well and they are unfit. So if you have to pop several pills before meals, need an inhaler to help you breath and start sweating like a sumo wrestler in a sauna when reaching for the TV remote control then you'd best think very carefully about donning the old mask and flippers and diving into the big blue. Wanna snorkel? Learn to swim and work on your fitness.

You only need a cheap mask and some flappy-paddle things for your feet to go snorkelling!

Snorkelling is in fact snorkel diving or skin diving and differs from SCUBA diving in many ways, not least in the fact that you don't need several burly men to carry all your equipment around but don't think that all you need to enjoy a snorkelling adventure is a cheap bright green mask and a pair of rubber swim fins from the nearest tourist shop. Cheap means cheap it doesn't mean good. In fact cheap means crap... If you buy crap stuff you'll have a crap experience. This doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune, just invest wisely. A decent mask can cost as little as £30, a decent snorkel no more than £20 and a decent pair of fins around £30-40. Chuck in a rash vest and wetsuit for good measure and you'll probably spend no more than £200. OK, that can seem a lot but think of it this way. A cheap snorkelling set will probably set you back £30 and will probably fall apart in a week. This means that you'll probably have to buy a new set every year. A decent set of gear will probably last you ten years, perhaps even a lifetime if you look after them. So in the long run it will work out cheaper and you will of course have a much better experience. Wanna snorkel? Learn to swim, work on your fitness and invest in some decent equipment.

Less is sometimes more

You don't need anyone else with you to go snorkelling!

Ah yes, the great “I can do this all by myself” myth. There is of course nothing to stop you snorkelling alone apart from the fact it is idiotic. Let's think about this for a second. Do you know any sport, activity or past time that is more enjoyable to do solo. If you do, you probably need to get some friends and very probably a girlfriend! Going snorkelling alone is not only less enjoyable it is foolhardy. If you get into trouble who's going to help? Who's going to raise the alarm? In fact who knows where you are and what you are doing? Wanna snorkel? Then learn to swim, work on your fitness, invest in some decent gear and never, ever snorkel alone.

Snorkelling can only be done in hot climates and warm seas!

It's true to say that snorkelling is a lot easier when the sun is shining, the water is warm and the pristine white sand beach is littered with beautiful people wearing very little. However, just because it's cold, the sea is a bit rough and those beautiful people are a bit blubbery around the middle and you wish they'd put their bloody clothes back on, doesn’t mean you can't snorkel. After all it's not the stuff above the surface that should be interesting you anyway, it's the stuff beneath the water. So ignore all the twaddle about snorkelling being a tropical island sport and get adventurous. Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, England, Northern France and a great many other colder climes offer some superb snorkelling. Of course you are going to need to wear a bit more than a pair of speedos if you're planning on diving beneath these waters, but don't let that put you off, a decent cold water wetsuit isn't that expensive and you could even invest in a drysuit. Trust us on this, coral reefs and shoals of brightly coloured fish are great but cold water kelp forests and rocky shores can be just as interesting so don't always follow the crowd. Be different and dip you toes, so to speak, in the less snorkelled locales. Wanna snorkel? Then learn to swim, work on your fitness, invest in some decent gear, never snorkel alone and be adventurous in your choice of destination.
 

Eric and his friends found the local marine life very interesting

Snorkelling is just for children and old people!

If you believe this then your name is probably Brad. You no doubt have a PADI instructor's certification card in your pocket, wear t-shirts emblazoned with military logos and bore everyone rigid with your belief that you would have been a Colonel in the Green Berets by now if it hadn't been for your congenitally flat-feet and saggy man breasts. Thinking that snorkelling is some sort of “sissy” younger brother of diving says more about the thinker than it says about the thought. It's as ludicrous as thinking that women can't be diving instructors, men can't be nurses or that the Ama divers just do it to show off their breasts. Snorkelling can be sedate. It can be exhilarating. But it never has been and never will be the “sissy” brother of anything. It is a sport that is accessible, requiring only a modest investment in equipment and can open up the wonders of the marine world to young and old alike. But like everything it is not for everyone. If you can't swim, can't handle breathing through a tube, are scared of water touching your face or have an unswerving belief that men should wear camouflage clothing festooned with lots and lots of badges at all times, then snorkelling really isn't for you. If however you can swim, are reasonably fit, aren't afraid of getting your face wet and are not a gold-plated twat called Brad then don't belief all the myths and dive in. You won't regret it. 

She's tougher than you Brad and she's supposed to have breasts

 

Think You've Got Insurance To Snorkel? Think Again.

Going on a trip? Then you'll need to make sure that if anything untoward happens, you have insurance. Fortunately there are a whole host of men and women in swanky suits on the other end of your internet connection just waiting to offer you platinum cover insurance at rock bottom prices. Just click and pay and you're covered..... It's so easy. Ah if only it were so. Any seasoned traveller will be well aware that when it comes to insurance, the devil really is in the detail or to be more precise, it's in the microscopic small print. A recent article in the British Daily Mail newspaper highlighted the fact that a great majority of “cheap” insurance policies offered by insurers really aren't worth the paper they are printed on. We all know about the problems of excess payments and the fact that most insurers don't cover “hazardous activities” such as skiing, rock climbing and diving without you paying an extra premium, but few of us are probably aware that the swanky suited insurance salesmen also won't cover you for activities such as using a jet ski or going on one of those banana boat things. The article even pointed out that some policies were voided if you hurt yourself snorkelling.

Now many people consider snorkelling a sedate, unadventurous activity, that is fun for all the family. Some companies that offer snorkelling tours even suggest that because, in its most basic form, snorkelling only requires you to float on the surface, those undertaking the activity don't even have to be able to swim. So why wouldn't an insurance company cover you for bobbing about with your face in the water? Well one reason may be that, as we have pointed out before, snorkelling companies that say you don't need to be able to swim to be able to snorkel, are full of brown smelly stuff and shouldn't be trusted with their own safety let alone that of your children or elderly grandmother. Even at it's most sedentary, there are inherent dangers in snorkelling. You can suffer severe cuts from sharp coral and rocks, you can be bashed off the same coral and rocks by wave action and suffer bumps, bruises, broken bones and fractured skulls. A great number of seemingly innocuous marine life are armed with venomous spines and barbs. And. A great many more can tear huge lumps out of you. Then of course there are those uninsured jet skiers and fat people on banana boats speeding about the place with carefree abandon. Most of whom couldn't spot a terrible haircut from three feet (mainly there own) let alone a small head bobbing around in the waves. And it doesn't stop there. Snorkellers can suffer severe sunburn, they can develop hypothermia, get dragged out to sea by strong currents and finally, even if you can swim, you can still bloody well drown.

All of these are worst case scenarios of course, but that's what insurers work on. They are taking a gamble, albeit a calculated one, that you are a sensible person who isn't going to do anything silly and therefore put yourself and their livelihood at risk. Let's face it, if insurers just went on the idea that they would insure anyone to do anything then they'd have to charge premiums so high that no one could afford them and therefore go out of business 24 hours after they started. There is another reason though and that is that insurers are not only taking a calculated risk on you not doing anything silly whilst on holiday, they're also taking a calculated risk that you will be so thrilled by the cheap cost of your insurance that, even if you could find it, you won't bother to read or for that matter, understand the small print. They didn't get those swanky suits by paying claims now did they?

So what can the average snorkeller with an average pay packet do to ensure that they have insurance cover that allows them to partake in their sporting hobby? Well here are what we call the four Cs that we use to make sure our insurance is worth the paper it's printed on.

Cheap is cheap, it doesn't mean it's any good. No insurance provider would offer gold-plated insurance at bargain basement prices. So if it's cheap it's probably rubbish – we won't touch cheap insurance. That doesn't mean that you should go out and buy an insurance policy that comes in a 14-carat, diamond encrusted cover but you should make sure it is the best you can afford and provides reasonable cover. Try to avoid any policy that doesn't provide "no excess" cover as well. It's pretty pointless if your two-thousand pound camera gets stolen and you have to stump up the first thousand pounds before the insurer begrudgingly gives you the rest.

Comprehensive is best. Make sure the cover is comprehensive. In another words it covers you for most, if not all, eventualities that can go wrong on the trip from having your wallet stolen on the beach to covering medical costs if you should have an accident. Also check that in the event of a serious accident your policy covers transfer and repatriation costs otherwise you may find yourself facing a bill that would bankrupt a small country. Finally, make sure that if you are snorkelling, diving or bouncing about on a banana boat, that the insurance provides full cover or whether you have to pay an additional premium.

Check the small print. We know that insurance cover is boring and that policy documents sometimes seem to be written in a foreign language but we cannot stress the importance of checking the details. Insurers are in the business of selling you a policy that they hope you don't need and if you do need it, they have an army of legal eagles in the background whose job is to build in clauses to the policy to prevent payouts. For instance, if you are going scuba diving you might think that you have adequate insurance since the policy highlights diving as one of the activities covered. But a quick check of the detail might reveal that you are only covered to a certain depth (usually 30m), that you must hold a valid certificate of proficiency from a bona fide diving organisation for the dive being undertaken, that all the equipment you're using is adequate and in good order for the dive, or that you are under the direct supervision of qualified diving instructor. You might also find that no insurer will cover you if you dive within 24 hours of flying or vice versa. Some insurers will also refuse cover if you dive whilst suffering from a cold, flu or obstruction of the sinuses or ears. Some insurers will also not cover anyone under the age of 12 and all will void your cover if you dive whilst suffering from any medical condition that is likely to impair your fitness to dive. And that list of conditions is very long indeed. Most general insurance companies will also not cover you for diving below 50 metres, cave diving, night dives or diving solo.

Consider single activity insurance. Many people have annual multi-trip insurance or insurance that is provided by having a specific credit card or bank account. If this is the case, check that this insurance covers you for snorkelling or diving etc. If not, you might want to consider taking out activity specific insurance. This is insurance that covers only the specific activity such as snorkelling and is additional to the insurance you already have. A number of specialist insurers will provide pretty comprehensive cover for diving, snorkelling and freediving activities anywhere in the world. If you're a member of a snorkelling or diving club, check out your governing organisations advice on insurance as most, such as B.S.A.C, will be able to point you in the right direction.

There you go, we hope these four tips help. They certainly work for us but there is one last thing you should keep in mind when buying insurance. Swanky suited salespeople are just that, salespeople in swanky suits. They are there to sell you stuff and that stuff might not be what you want or in fact what you need. So buyer beware.

Spencer's Snorkelling Safari Tours. They Kill Tourists, Don't They?

Hanauma Bay

For some reason, Hawaii is fast becoming a watery graveyard for snorkellers. Although snorkellers drown with all too depressing frequency in Belize, Florida and on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, more people drown whilst snorkelling in Hawaii than anywhere else in the world. And a lot of people have become very concerned. In fact, not so long ago, spurred on by the sheer number of people dying in the ocean, one Hawaiian politician even proposed making it illegal for snorkels to be sold or hired without safety valves. The reason for this proposed law was the fact that some snorkellers who had drowned on the paradise island had aspirated water through their snorkels. A safety valve, common on most snorkels, would therefore prevent this and by consequence the snorkeller wouldn't drown. 

 

Cobblers! You might think, and you'd be right. The addition of a safety valve would certainly do no harm, but the idea that so many people were drowning because they were aspirating water through their snorkel was fanciful at best.

In fact we pointed this out at the time in our post“Purging The Danger Out Of Snorkelling”.

What? You didn't read it! Shame on you.

Anyway, recriminations aside, the point we made in that post was that making it illegal to sell or hire a snorkel without a safety valve was missing the point by a very, very long way. 

 

In order to explain why we think this we first have to introduce you to a few characters who sadly infect the world of snorkelling and diving. The first is a type of diving instructor/divemaster that we call Brad. Now regular readers, and at the moment that clearly doesn't include you, will know that we have a particularly strong hatred for Brad.

Brad is a moron that equates being a sport diver with being a member of an elite special forces unit. Brad likes to wear lots of badges, works out at the gym every day, shouts abuse at newbies and harangues his students for regularly not making the grade and if you have the misfortune to go diving with him, he will get you killed. In the world of snorkelling however, there are no Brads. Instead there are what we call Spencers'.

Spencer doesn't wear badges or shout a lot, he can't be bothered with all that. He likes to wear bright surfer style t-shirts and shorts, never bothers to wash his hair and is so laid back it's often difficult to ascertain if he's conscious. Just like Brad though, Spencer will get you killed. He won't mean too, it's just that he's an idiot and unfortunately for tourists everywhere, he's an idiot that runs a snorkelling tour company. So let's go and meet him.

Tourist: “Hello, I'd like to book a snorkelling tour, but I'm a little bit worried as I am not a very good swimmer.”

Spencer: “No problem Mate, it's only snorkelling. Anyone can snorkel.'

Tourist: “Right. So being a poor swimmer is not a problem then.”

Spencer: “Of course not, In fact you don't even have to be able to swim. It's snorkelling. Anyone can snorkel.”

Tourist: “That's great, the kids will be pleased. They're quite young you see and still can't swim.”

Spencer: “Bring 'em along mate. The more the merrier. I think I've got some kiddies masks out the back somewhere.”

Tourist: “What about my wife? She's paralysed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair. Will she be able to snorkel?”

Spencer: “Absolutely. Anyone can snorkel. Will just stick her in a life jacket. We've got some special snorkelling jackets somewhere, they'll keep her face down in the water rather than head up. That'll stop her head bobbing up see. She'll get to see more then.”

Tourist: “Oh great. I've got my parents with me as well. They're quite old and my father has a heart condition. Would they be okay to snorkel?”

Spencer: “Of course they would. It's only snorkelling. Anyone can snorkel, I mean it's not like diving. Now that's dangerous – do you want to try diving by the way.”

Tourist: “Errr... Didn't you just say that was dangerous?”

Spencer: “Well it's more dangerous that snorkelling I suppose. But I got a mate over at Ocean Commando Diving Tours. His name's Brad and he reckons he can teach anyone to dive in ten minutes – you don't even have to know how to snorkel.”

Tourist: “Err.. Maybe another time. I think I'll just stick to the snorkelling for now.”

Spencer: “Well fair enough. Your loss. Right here's some fins, a few masks and a couple of snorkels. That'll be three hundred bucks – for an extra twenty I'll throw in a six pack of beer and for an extra fifty I'll even come with you.”

And there you have it, in a short imaginary conversation with Spencer, you can see the real reason why so many people drown while snorkelling. It's easy. Anyone can do it. You don't even need to be able to swim. Pre-existing medical conditions don't matter either, after all it's just snorkelling. All you have to do is float on the surface and look down – how hard can that be?

What? You don't believe that snorkelling tour operators would take non-swimmers snorkelling? I'm afraid you'd be wrong about that. In fact most of that imaginary conservation was not that imaginary at all! We just perused the web pages of snorkelling tour companies based in Hawaii, Belize and Australia, looked at there FAQ's page and cobbled together some of their answers to some very basic questions. Have a look at the Q&A's below. All are taken from genuine snorkelling tour operator's websites. Note most of the sites are based in countries that use American spelling; so snorkelling becomes snorkeling.

Do you have to be able to swim to snorkel?

Actually you DO NOT NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SWIM in order to snorkel with us. Seriously! We offer floatation devices like snorkel belts that will keep you afloat without you even having to do anything. No swimming skills required!

I am a weak swimmer and have never snorkeled before... Can I still do a snorkeling tour?

Yes you can do a snorkeling tour with us. We’ve had non-swimmers and non-snorkellers become happy first time swimmers and first time snorkellers. We have life vest that a weak swimmer/non snorkeller can put on, around them and that will give them sufficient buoyancy to stay afloat and have an awesome snorkel experience. Be sure to inform us of this so we can speak to you and keep an extra eye on you when you are in the water.. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance… we are at your service.

I am not a strong swimmer and my wife doesn't swim at all. Is this something we can do?

Definitely! All you do to snorkel is float on the surface and look down at the beauty below. You might be surprised at how buoyant you are in salt water. It’s quite different than a lake or a pool. We also have plenty of flotation devices such as snorkel vests and foam pool noodles for extra floatation to put you at ease so that you can enjoy the view. Standing on the ladder is a great place to start. Once you feel comfortable, you can paddle off.

I have never snorkeled before. Can you teach me?

Our speciality! We are frequently recommended for beginners and non-swimmers as we specialize in small groups. Everyone on board gets lots of individual attention and help.

What if I can't swim?

Our tours are designed for non-swimmers up to experienced divers. For those who need a little extra help, no worries. Relax. We have taught thousands of people to snorkel including non swimmers, people who are afraid of the water, even paraplegics.

So there you have it. According to a lot of tour operators being a poor swimmer or not being able to swim at all are no barriers to snorkelling. Age, infirmity, heart problems? Yep they're no problem either. Anyone can snorkel. Surprisingly though, that advice flies in the face of the advice given by lifeguards, doctors and the emergency services. All of whom agree that being a strong swimmer and being comfortable in the water is a necessity if you are going to snorkel. Inexperience, an inability to swim, poor fitness or underlying medical conditions are common traits in drowning victims. Yet some snorkel tour operators still seem to ignore this. At the height of summer, with so many inexperienced snorkellers/non-swimmers in the water - fins thrashing, masks being knocked, selfie sticks prodding and poking everywhere – the risk of someone getting into difficulty and panicking are blatantly obvious. Is it any wonder then that so many people drown whilst snorkelling? 

 

Snorkelling is not as easy as you might think. It is a skill that needs to be learnt and practiced, you'll use muscles you've probably never used before, your breathing will be compromised by having to inhale and exhale via a tube. Waves and currents can drag you back and forth. Cold, fatigue and cardiac stress due to immersion in water can all have catastrophic effects. So if you are going to snorkel this summer do yourself and your family a favour, make sure you are fit enough, make sure you know how to clear your mask and can handle breathing through a snorkel and above everything else make sure you can swim. Oh and don't ever believe Spencer when he says anyone can snorkel because they can't but alas anyone can drown! 

Further reading

stand up or die Civil Beat / Hawaii's snorkelling deaths

How to not suck at snorkelling

A small selection of operators who offer snorkelling for non-swimmers, there are many more.

Caveman Snorkelling Tours

Sea Fun

Sea Quest

Four Winds

 

Purging Danger Out Of Snorkelling Isn’t The Answer

The Dangerous Snorkelling Club doesn’t do safety. It would be hypocritical for us, by want of our name if nothing else, to talk about rough water snorkelling one hand and on the other to pull out the clipboards and high visibility vests and waffle on endlessly about ocean safety yada-yada. Besides, we know that a lot of people look at our name and recognise that we have our tongue firmly in our cheeks. We also know however, that other people see the name and with a sneer ask: “what’s so blooming dangerous about snorkelling then?” Interestingly the answer to that question is - quite a blooming lot mate!

Did you know for instance that between 2009 and 2013 seventy-nine people died as a result of snorkelling in Hawaii alone? In fact, the 79 snorkelling-related drownings make it the leading cause of accidental death among the 369 categories of injuries tracked by the Hawaiian Health Department over that five-year period. The Hawaiian State Legislature is so shocked by this figure that they are considering a draft bill to ensure that all snorkels, rented or bought in Hawaii, are fitted with safety valves. Now, whether you consider snorkelling dangerous or not, 79 deaths in five-years is a hell of a lot and it begs the question: what on earth are snorkellers in Hawaii doing and more importantly, what are safety valves on snorkels going to do about it? To find this out you need to look at the original report that began with the tragic death of two snorkellers and was broadcast on KITV way back in August 2014, click here. 

  

The report focused on the opinions of two people; one was Jim Howe of the Honolulu Ocean Safety Division who said: "Nearly every one of these folks that perishes is 55 or older.” "These incidents happen in 3 feet of water or less, and they could have literally stood up." Howe went on to say: "You're using muscles that you maybe haven't used and it is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced to do it safely.” The second person the report featured was one Kurt Taguma, manager of Maui Sporting Goods (an odd choice) who said he was unsurprised to hear of the recent deaths and believed the men may have fallen victim to inexperience and a swift-moving current, a notorious feature for that particular patch of reef. Taguma then went on to mention that he always recommends that customers at his store buy a snorkel with a safety valve on it. Really…. Why? Sadly the report didn’t answer that particular question, which was a puzzling, as we couldn’t see exactly how such devices would have helped. The two men in the report who sadly drowned were in the thirties, but as Jim Howe said, most are 55 or older. The incidents are happening in shallow water, may involve strong currents and almost certainly involve inexperienced snorkellers. To really find out what’s happening here it’s worth looking at some research that was published in the Medical Journal of Australia Insight. Click here for the full paper.

The research found that between 1994 and 2006 there were 140 deaths related to snorkelling in Australia. Four principal cause-of-death categories in snorkellers were identified, each with unique and separate preventive implications: cardiac-related causes (proven or suspected), surface drowning (largely in inexperienced snorkellers), drowning after extended breath-hold diving (almost exclusively in experienced divers), and trauma. The greatest numbers of snorkelling-related deaths were attributed to, or thought likely to be associated with, cardiac causes. People, particularly those of certain age were having heart attacks in the water.

 

The second major category of deaths was among relatively inexperienced snorkellers who drowned. Many such deaths occur in novices who aspirate water from their snorkel because of a lack of skill. Others are unable to cope with adverse sea conditions (rough or strong currents). These victims are often, but not always, poor swimmers. 

 

So aspirating water through the snorkel was identified as a cause of death in some inexperienced snorkellers and in such cases the addition of a safety valve (and we cannot be sure about this) may have helped. Faced with 79 snorkelling deaths in just a few years it is understandable for the politicians of Hawaii to be overcome by “good intentions” and instantly create a new box to tick, but even the most basic understanding of the research suggests that such a simple solution ignores far more significant factors such as health, experience and swimming ability. Snorkelling is strenuous and in rough water and strong currents fatigue sets in quickly. The ocean is cold, waves can smack you onto rocks and sea life isn’t always friendly, in short it can be dangerous out there and don’t think that a simple valve on a snorkel is going to keep you safe. Perhaps John Mizuno, who proposed the bill recognises that too when he explained "In addition, we should probably put amended language to have the renters or the sports goods store that's selling them, have some type of disclaimer explaining to that person, the consumer, that they should take precautions.”  Of course the trouble with disclaimers and warning signs is they tend to be ignored, Hawaiian beaches are littered with warning signs but people still do silly things – you can’t legislate for that. 

Just because you tell someone not to do it, don't think they won't!

We do however agree with John Mizuno’s sentiment. We believe and always have, that in the world of recreational sports your personal safety is your own responsibility and no one else. If you can’t swim don’t think you can snorkel, if you get out of breath climbing a flight of stairs, guess what? You’ll get out of breath swimming and if you have never, ever, done snorkelling before don’t suddenly think you’re Jacques Cousteau and head for deep water. We are the Dangerous Snorkelling Club and we don’t do safety, but we are not The Insane Snorkelling Club and our advice to novices is simple, snorkelling is fun and rough water snorkelling is even better but no amount of equipment, gadgets and safety valves is ever going to be a substitute for experience. So if you want to be a little safer out there, learn to walk before you run!

For an interesting look at the dangers in Hawaii click here