Recommendation on snorkel set for non swimmer that gives lots of power ?

[Rich Keller]

If you are just doing this on vacation and are going with a charter they should have the equipment you need as part of their operation so there would be no need to buy, pack and haul around extra items. Making sure the mask fits properly would be your main concern, just about any snorkel and fins will do for what you need them for.

 

[captain.tuna]

Thanks for the replies I am actually going for a few swimming lessons prior to going.

Does anyone have any recommendations between the oceanic vortex V12 and the Mares Raptor?

Thanks

yea. learn to swim first. then have a guide to teach ya the proper techniques of clearing snorkel and breathing and preferably skin diving too. try not to compromise the lack of skills with solutions from little gadget. things can still fail, ultimately it's still ya confidence in water that will save ya.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I don't know how to swim. And I freedive, spearfish, scuba, kayak, etc.

I actually "swam" around in Monterey Bay for 6 straight hours yesterday.

Don't get split fins for snorkeling. A nice solid fin like a Mares Avanti should do well. Make sure to try them on for sizing. Improperly sized fins can be kicked off or lead to foot cramps.

Dry snorkels are tricky. Some can actually jam shut in really rough waves. Not good. I was once in a washing machine wave and my valve jammed shut, which was worrisome. Now I dive with a simple regular snorkel.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[captain.tuna]

fuzzybabybunny, that is quite a feat. do share how ya dealt with finning and breathing when ya first started.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

fuzzybabybunny, that is quite a feat. do share how ya dealt with finning and breathing when ya first started.

It's a fallacy that "anyone can swim." It just so happens that the vast majority of people can swim, but there are certain physical properties that make swimming much more difficult for some people.

I'm very dense. With a lung full of air, body completely relaxed, I will float in a equalized position that is vertical with my legs under me and my head 2-3 inches BELOW the water. If I let out even 1/16th of the air in my lungs I'll start sinking nonstop. My legs are anchors and the overall density of my body is such that I'm still negative. So I constantly require muscle and energy and propulsion to get to the surface and remain there. And this is from someone who is 110% comfortable in the water.

I'm short and stocky. I simply do no have the span to effectively create good, energy-saving amounts of propulsion.

So, technically I can swim, but the duration of my swim unaided by any equipment is essentially worthless and in no way can it be considered effective for life saving purposes.

I had a very very hard time passing my SCUBA swim test. I barely eaked by. Yet I excelled at all other things.

So with this in mind, you can see that equipment to help augment my body is very useful.

- Fins give me the propulsion that I need without the extreme energy expenditure.

- A snorkel allows me to be slightly negative and below the water but still be able to breathe effortlessly.

- Things like weights and wetsuits change the buoyancy and density characteristics of my body to more easily swim. Buoyancy is huge. With just my body, I'm stuck with the buoyancy that I have which does me no good in the water. With equipment I can adjust it to match that of a normal human being.

SO, when I first started I had zero problems with finning and breathing because the equipment helped me so much. In fact, I would go so far as to say it "empowered" me (note that I had always failed at regular swimming). And being a sinker, I was always way more comfortable under the water than on top, so diving was natural. In fact, being able to finally dive however deep I wanted and to stay in the water however long I wanted without eminent death awaiting me was amazing.

Breathing from the snorkel is something that needs to be learned. You don't go in knowing how to effectively clear your snorkel, so I used dry snorkels for many years until I learned to effectively clear. I still like them though - in super choppy water it is very nice to not have to constantly hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth, breathe in a measured pace, tilt your head back to clear, etc.