im getting a new 2009 wolverine 450 sometime this is week and i would like to put a Snorkel or a breather on it… but i dont really know that much about it and i was wondering if anybody else knew how to do that….. so please any answers are helpful…. thank you.
Outdoor recreation would’ve answered your question, but Nitro did a good job of it.
Fins, mask, Snorkel, bcd, regulator, wet suit, weight belt, dive vest, dive bag . . . anything else?
What’s a dive vest? Is that the same as a BCD?
A timer/depth gauge and/or dive computer would also be a good idea.
Might also want to add a knife/cutter, compass, torch, reel, and surface marker buoy to that list, especially if you’re planning on diving with only your buddy.
And for the surface interval, towel, sun protection (sunglasses and shirt–suncreen rots rubber), lunch (or money to buy it on the boat)
Oh and let’s not forget the most important thing–a certification and logbook, so they let you on the boat in the first place.
Would like to book an excursion to the reef from Key West, FL. Husband is a weak swimmer but has snorkeled twice in sandy bottom beaches, with no more than 5′ of water. Has also snorkeled twice in cenotes of the same depth. He feels safe with a life vest, and either excursion I’m looking at provides that with instruction and hands-on guides.
Bottom line, which a safer, easier, experience for a non swimmer, Snorkel or snuba? This will be in open water which will be a different experience for him.
Note: I’m referring to sNuba – where you breathe through a scuba regulator that is connected to an air tank which floats on the surface – not scuba.
Neither are truly safe for a non-swimmer. Most excursions/tours will take for granted that you can swim when setting up snorkeling tours. They usually go to safe enough places, but really snorkeling over a tropical reef requires far more swimming skill than you seem to be describing.
I don’t want to disappoint you, but even the most tourist oriented dive trips will require that you complete their training to become a "certified" diver. That would include trips where you use a fixed air supply instead of an air tank.
I hate to sound too negative, but I am a realistic (and an ex-life guard, who has been an ocean swimmer for over 50 years), and I don’t believe that any open water trips are appropriate for people who would class themselves as non-swimmers. A life vest is a help, but believe me, not guaranteed to keep someone who is a non-swimmer safe. There are lots of other fun things to do in Key West. beers at Sloppy Joe’s are sort of a water sport, right?
are they scary how long do those thing last and is it fun!!
Oh and a full body massage out on th beach would be nice!!!
where would i look for these things!
u look sexy
As good as snorkling can be!
i am going to tunisa and am wondering if ui could Snorkel along the beach. i am going to hammamet yasmine. If so how far out wil i have to go?
well my dearest, i am sorry but i am not to sure of this answer, but love you anyway!
x x
I would like to buy a snorkel and mask, but dont no where to start, i would like a good one that wont leak,
The best mask for you is the one that’s most comfortable to wear. Everybody’s face is a different shape, so you should try on several masks to see which is most comfortable. A dive shop of any description will be your best bet for finding a wide selection.
To check whether the mask seals against your face, place it over your eyes and nose WITHOUT hooking the strap over your head, and inhale gently through your nose–if the mask sucks onto your face and prevents you from inhaling any further, it’s a good fit. You’ll need to clean the mask lens with white toothpaste before using it for the first time.
Snorkel selection is usually fairly straightforward. So long as it’s wide enough that you can breathe through it easily, it should be fine for you. For an average adult, the snorkel should be at least 20-25 mm (3/4 to 1") in diameter. Whatever model you buy, you’ll need to take deeper breaths than normal, to compensate for the extra ‘dead air’ space of the snorkel tube.
NB Most top-mounted Snorkel ‘splashguards/wave protectors’ etc. don’t work all that well, and if you skindive down under the water, the snorkel will flood regardless–so the extra bux for these attachments aren’t really worth it. If you have a lungful of air, a sharp ‘blast’ exhalation will clear any snorkel quite effectively.
Here’s a few specifics to look for:
Mask:
–Low volume (two-lens masks have a lower volume than single-lens masks)
–Tempered glass faceplate, not polycarbonate (glass stays clearer, and doesn’t scratch as easily)
–Silicone skirt, not rubber (silicone is softer, and less allergenic)
Snorkel:
–Silicone mouthpiece
–Drain valve (makes snorkel clearing easier)
–Simple, robust mask-strap attachment clip
Im planning a trip and want to scuba and/or snorkel. I do have my blood sugar under control.
There is nobody that will stop you from snorkeling, and you should be safe enough as long as you are Snorkeling with a buddy.
If you are insulin-dependent, the answer is generally no to SCUBA because of the increased risk of sudden loss of consciousness. In years past the answer was an unequivocable no, diabetes was considered an absolute contraindication to SCUBA training. Today, diabetic individuals that meet certain criteria MIGHT be allowed to SCUBA dive if they follow specific procedures. If you aren’t already certified, you will also need to have a medical exam and obtain a physician’s approval to participate in diving in accordance with that dive training agency’s standards.
Here are some links to articles on this subject:
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/faq.aspx?faqid=126
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=74
http://www.scubadiving.com/training/2006/12/diving-with-diabetes
I’m shopping for inexpensive eye wear and a snorkel (fins to be rented on site). Can I just get pool-style goggles instead of the bulky mask? Is it that important to have my nose covered?
If you just stay on (or not far below) the surface, you could get by with goggles. However, I think you may have problems with leaks if you attach a relatively heavy & bulky snorkel to the swim goggles. Swim goggles seal over a relatively small area compared to a dive mask, and part of the sealing mechanism is the tightness of the strap. A well-fitting dive mask will create a seal pretty much regardless of the strap tightness, and the strap is there mostly just to keep the mask in place.
When it comes to breathing, as long as you can focus on breathing exclusively through your mouth you shouldn’t inhale water through your nose. If you’re not used to breathing through a Snorkel or regulator, though, you could have a tendency to inhale some water wearing goggles. With some practice this probably wouldn’t be the main reason you would choose a mask over goggles.
Where a dive mask is absolutely necessary instead of goggles is if you plan to hold your breath and dive to any significant depth below the surface. I’m afraid I don’t know what that exact depth is, but 20 or 30 feet seems like a reasonable number to guess at. Both dive masks and goggles allow you to see better underwater by creating an air space around your eyes which allow your eyes to focus (without a mask everything appears blurry underwater). Air, like any gas, is compressible meaning as you apply pressure to it it will compress into a smaller volume. As you dive under water, the weight of the water above you applies pressure to air spaces in and around your body, which includes your goggles and mask. (As an aside, this is why you feel pressure/pain in your ears if you dive deep enough underwater since your middle ear contains an air space.) As the air around your eyes compresses it takes up less volume and since nature abhors a vacuum something else must give to try to replace that volume…which ends up being the soft tissues around and in your eyes. The result is what we call a "mask squeeze". Here is an image of a classic example of a mask squeeze: http://www.bsac14.org.uk/photo/masksq2w.jpg . While it looks terrible, it is usually a minor injury and will clear up on its own like any bruise. There is no permanent damage to the eye as long as the redness is limited to the whites of the eyes and does not affect the irises (colored portion).
The reason that a nose pocket exists on a dive mask is pretty much just so that the air space inside the mask can be equalized with the water pressure outside the mask. This is done by exhaling a little air into the mask through the nose. Equalizing the pressure is what prevents a mask squeeze. Since swim goggles have no nose pocket, there is no way to equalize the pressure inside the goggles and so a mask squeeze cannot be prevented.
Anyway, even if you don’t intend to do any significant breath-hold diving, I think you will probably be better off with a well-fitting dive mask instead of goggles because of the leak risk. The whole purpose of snorkeling is to see what’s below you, and if your goggles should leak all the time you won’t have much fun.
Good luck with whatever your choose!
Some friends and I are traveling to Siesta Key, Florida in a few weeks and wanna go snorkeling. Any suggestions?
Well, the best shallow-water snorkeling on the Gulf Coast is on Siesta Key at a place called Point-Of-Rocks.
While 99 percent of the beaches in Florida are pure sand and shell, this spot has an outcropping of flat limestone rock that covers several acres of shallow water. Fish congregate here to feed, which makes for some very interesting Snorkeling. The water here is usually exceptionally clear and calm, and crowds are light.
Good luck, and the link below is to a webpage about Florida beaches and about halfway down the page is an article titled: "Best Snorkeling Beach – Crescent Beach, Siesta Key" with all the info you need…