Snorkeling 1st time off of a boat

[Joel2693]

It's my 1st time snorkeling off of a boat. How far do you snorkel away from the boat distance wise. I also have this fear I will get left behind

 

[FF / EMT]

It's my 1st time snorkeling off of a boat. How far do you snorkel away from the boat distance wise. I also have this fear I will get left behind

Swim upstream or into the current, that way you can drift back, if your charter isn’t doing a roll call of some sort, find a different charter, many charters put a throw line with a floaty out that you can grab onto.

 

[dmaziuk]

It's my 1st time snorkeling off of a boat. How far do you snorkel away from the boat distance wise. I also have this fear I will get left behind

Where are you snorkeling: open ocean with high currents and no land in sight? If that's the case, I would bring a PLB. Otherwise buy a signal mirror + whistle combo and carry that just in case.

 

[DivingLane]

Talk to the person that is giving the instructions and all that as you pull out of the harbor. Once they take a break from their first introductions and instructions, go up to them and tell them you are new and nervous, and to please keep an eye on you once the group jumps in the water. Don't forget to tip them well after if they did a good job!

 

[Angelo Farina]

I understand your concern. It can become truly dangerous.
My wife, who was acting as supervisor of the trip, once lost one snorkeler at Maldives.
The search lasted a couple of hours, finally she managed to find him, thanks to the hawk eye of one member of her Maldivian staff...
After that episode, my wife refused to get again the same task.
Snorkeling from a boat in the open ocean is truly dangerous, possibly much more than scuba diving.
I do not think that tipping her (which indeed she had certainly refused and get offended) could have caused a different outcome, reducing the risk.
The idea that paying a tip you will be kept more safe is also truly dangerous (and quite disgusting for my anti-tip taste)!

 

[dmaziuk]

I do not think that tipping her (which indeed she had certainly refused and get offended) could have caused a different outcome, reducing the risk.
The idea that paying a tip you will be kept more safe is also truly dangerous (and quite disgusting for my anti-tip taste)!

It's a different culture: in the US and "South of the border" here these kinds of jobs pay well below minimal wage and tips are an essential part of income.

 

[Angelo Farina]

It's a different culture: in the US and "South of the border" here these kinds of jobs pay well below minimal wage and tips are an essential part of income.

I fully understand the need to give tips for allowing these people to survive.
My point is that it is wrong to assume that giving a larger tip one gets a risk reduction!
Some activities are dangerous, and one should search for REAL risk reduction methods.
The idea that tip money can provide real risk reduction is quite disturbing to me. It just provides the PERCEPTION of being "followed better"...
A DANGEROUS perception, which can result in skipping over real safety measures, such as, in this specific case, getting a PLB or other safety electronics devices suitable for being retrieved while lost in the sea.
Other simple and effective risk mitigation tools are a whistle, a mirror, one of those tall inflatable buoys, etc.
Here more info on these tools:

Lost at sea? Increase your chances in getting found again - Alert Diver Magazine | DAN Europe

When you find yourself too far away from the dive boat/shore, a DSMB and whistle can help to attract attention, but these 2 devices may...

alertdiver.eu

 

[johndiver999]

People are probably making a bigger deal out of this than it needs to be. Just pop your head up every minute or two and look for the boat. If you are getting too far, swim to the boat or start yelling. A whistle is not such a bad idea. Snorkeling with a beacon for the first time off a boat is a little extreme.

 

[MidOH]

Just keep an eye on your boat, and an eye on your group. Don't be the last on back on board.

Snorkel boats couldn't complete a head count to save thier lives. So don't count on one. They will leave you behind. They're high as a kite.

 

[DivingLane]

I understand your concern. It can become truly dangerous.
My wife, who was acting as supervisor of the trip, once lost one snorkeler at Maldives.
The search lasted a couple of hours, finally she managed to find him, thanks to the hawk eye of one member of her Maldivian staff...
After that episode, my wife refused to get again the same task.
Snorkeling from a boat in the open ocean is truly dangerous, possibly much more than scuba diving.
I do not think that tipping her (which indeed she had certainly refused and get offended) could have caused a different outcome, reducing the risk.
The idea that paying a tip you will be kept more safe is also truly dangerous (and quite disgusting for my anti-tip taste)!

Who said tip to reduce risk?