Snorkeling really can be one of the most affordable, easy, and enjoyable hobbies for individuals and families to enjoy as they spend time with each other. In addition to opening a window to the beautiful world of underwater sea life, snorkeling is also a great cardiovascular, non-impact sport that can get you looking and feeling your best. Although the following article can not hope to replace the lessons you would learn in a hands-on snorkeling course, it should provide enough advice and information to help you get started on your own snorkeling adventures.

Picking out your equipment is the first step you need to take as you prepare for a safe and enjoyable snorkeling experience. There are four main pieces of snorkeling equipment that every snorkeler needs. These include a mask, a snorkel, fins, and a vest. Other gear like wet suits, under water cameras and water shoes might make your experience more enjoyable as well, but they are not as essential as the four basics that we'll go over right now.

Two of the most important things you need to consider when you pick out a mask are the material and the fit. In the early days of snorkeling, many masks were made of black rubber. Unfortunately, that material has a tendency to stretch out and crack with age (a process known as dry rot). It also blocks light from entering the mask's interior. Silicone, on the other hand, lets more light into the mask and is very resistant to dry rot. That's why many snorkelers prefer to buy silicone masks when they invest in their own equipment. Silicone masks will be more expensive than black rubber masks, but they are well-worth the investment. Once you find a selection of masks made from the material you want, it's time to turn your attention to the fit. Just as there are different kinds of faces shapes, there are different kinds of masks on the market to accommodate them. To make sure that you buy or rent a mask that fits your face, go through the following steps when you pick it out.

First, try the mask on without using the strap. As you place it on you skin, make sure that there is no hair caught between the mask skirt and your face since it will break the seal and make it impossible to test the mask. Also check to make sure that the skirt doesn't creep to close to your lips because their elasticity can make the seal break when your expressions change from relaxed lips into a smile.

After you have checked for loose hair and skirt size, it's time to test the effectiveness of your seal. If the mask fits snuggly on your face, it should stay in place on your skin after you inhale slightly through your nose. To test the seal further, bend over with your face parallel to the floor to see whether the seal is stronger than the gravity pulling on the mask. If the mask stays in place, you've probably found a winner.

The next step to selecting the proper snorkeling mask is testing the strap. To do this, place the strap on the crown of your head. Contrary to popular belief, the strap should NOT feel very tight because this can cause indentations in the skin and even headaches. A tight mask strap means the mask will probably be more prone to leak as well. Consequently, find a strap that feels comfortable, not tight.

As your breathing tool during snorkeling, the snorkel itself is one of the most important pieces of equipment you can buy or rent. Although there are a lot of things to consider when you buy a snorkel, like the model, style, color and price, the most important thing you need to think about is the bore size. The bore refers the diameter of the tube that is attached to the mouth piece. If the bore is too small, you'll feel like you are trying to breathe through a coffee stirrer which is not a pleasant feeling with your head under water. On the other hand, if it is too big, you won't be able to expel your carbon dioxide completely through the snorkel and you will be breathing in regurgitated, or pre-used, air.

Fins are an important part of your snorkeling equipment because they are the means for propelling yourself through the water. Without fins, you wouldn't be able to go very far or very fast and snorkeling would take more than twice the energy that it does with fins.

There are many different things to think about when you buy a pair of fins. Like the other pieces of snorkeling equipment we've discussed they come in many different styles, colors, sizes and prices. The most important thing you need in your fins is a good fit. If your fins are too tight, your feet are more likely to blister or cramp. If they are too loose though, you won't be able to use the fins effectively and you may even lose them if they come off your feet.

Another factor that most new snorkelers aren't aware of is stiffness. The stiffer a fin, the more power you will get out of each kick, but the harder it will be to mover them through the water. Consequently, if you don't have very strong leg muscles, you might want to start out with a flexible fin that is easy to use.

Once you are in the water, fins will make life a million times easier, but you have to be careful how you move with them while you are still on land. For example, if you are moving over dry land in your fins, it is much safer to walk sideways or backwards in them than forward because you are less likely to trip over them.

A snorkeling vest is not the same thing as other recreation life jackets. Rather than staying inflated all the time, many snorkeling vests remain empty during most of your time in the water. Since they are used primarily for resting, it is easy to inflate and deflate them. For comfort, you may want to buy one with a crotch strap. This will help keep the vest from riding up in the water and getting in your way. Many snorkelers recognize that a vest is one of the mandatory pieces of equipment you need to take on these entertaining outings.

Now that you and your equipment have reached the water, it's time to review some basics on snorkeling posture, swimming, and breathing. View a video about common snorkeling mistakes.

The ideal snorkeling posture is to make your body as streamlined as possible. To do this, keep your hands behind your back rather that stretched to your side or the front of your body and your legs stretched out behind you. This reduces the resistance your body will create as you move through the water which consequently makes movement easier.

When you kick, use straight-leg kicks that start at your hip rather than your knee. You can still have relaxed or slightly bent knees, but you will get further with every kick if you keep your legs more straight than bent. If your knees are bending a lot, it is usually a sign that you are kicking too hard or you need to slow down. Snorkeling may seem awkward at first, but the proper technique will become more natural over time. As with many other activities, practice makes perfect so don't get discouraged.

As far as breathing is concerned, it is essential that you breathe through the snorkel and not around it. To do this, you need to seal your lips around the mouth piece. Also, keep your head high enough above that water to keep air flow moving in and the water out. If you have a dry snorkel it will safe guard you against swallowing salt water with submersions and unexpected waves, but it will also cut off air flow until the snorkel returns above the water line.

Since you have invested so much time and money into picking out the perfect snorkeling equipment, you will naturally want to make it last a long time by caring for it properly. Consequently, after every snorkeling adventure clean your equipment and dry it. This is especially important if you've been snorkeling in salt water because salt crystals deteriorate your equipment. If you air dry your equipment rather than using a towel, let it dry in the shade rather than the sun to avoid bleaching. And, if you want to wash wet suits and other exposure gear, don't use laundry detergent since it will pull out the natural oils and make the material more prone to dry rot.

This hub was getting rather longish so I decided to make another hub about snorkeling safety.