Why are there no snorkeling sites/forums?

[gypsyjim]

Most photos I've seen posted be snorkelers were taken shooting down, which usually doesn't make for as interesting a picture. All of Dave's shots could be just as easily taken on scuba because he made the effort to get down below and compose interesting shots.

I bought my original Sealife digital uw camera as much for snorkeling as for scuba trips. Was getting decent vacation pics with the disposable Kodaks, but way too often only one shot at a time as the pressure would jam them so that I couldn't rewind and so could not take a series of shots of the same scene. Frustrating to be in a position where I could work on the composition, and had the breath control to linger long enough at depth to do it, but have to surface to get the camera box to free up!

 

[smile47]

NOTHING BEATS FREEDIVING IN A KELP BED,when I'm finished my dive I like to free dive in the kelp beds on the way in.Its quiet and once in awhile a yellow-tail will be feeding on the outside edges.hang out and be real quiet,you'd be surprise what you can shoot.what a nice way to end a dive. papaa dave

 

[smile47]

here hear,I agree 100%

 

[gypsyjim]

Not snorkeling when it happened, but was diving threw the kelp off Monterey back in 80's when a seal swam in and kissed my mask! Talk about an adrenalin rush! Had been snorkeling but decided to re descend, to get below the kelp as I was getting tangled up.

Those kelp beds were like a forest under the sea, and so full of life! Light coming down threw that kelp in rays like I was deep in some giant prehistoric forest! Never got a chance to go back, but I still have images of that forest in my mind 20+ years later!

 

[The Chairman]

This thread has really turned into a GREAT one... and it's all about snorkeling! I love it!

 

[gypsyjim]

Keep the thread alive, there are a lot of snorkelers out there who would love to have a place to meet and discus their part of this sport!

 

[David Wilson]

Keep the thread alive, there are a lot of snorkelers out there who would love to have a place to meet and discus their part of this sport!

I wholeheartedly agree and I've tried to start new snorkelling threads myself as well in this forum. It would be great if any lurking snorkellers could give posters a little "pat on the back" for their efforts by contributing a brief message of appreciation and support when, say, any snorkelling trip reports or any snippets of information about snorkelling are posted. We still need a "critical mass" of people prepared to respond when a new posting appears. I know that's what would always happen on the Vintage Diving Equipment forum, but it's much less frequently done here. Let's get into the habit of keeping the conversation going when a snorkelling thread appears. I'm passionate about snorkelling and can't resist talking and writing about it, but I do need somebody to exchange ideas with!

 

[marcaumarc]

Most photos I've seen posted be snorkelers were taken shooting down, which usually doesn't make for as interesting a picture. All of Dave's shots could be just as easily taken on scuba because he made the effort to get down below and compose interesting shots.

One real advantage of snorkeling, though is the light/color can be much better if you aren't very deep.

 

[gypsyjim]

Spotted another discussion about snorkeling in a SB thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/introductions-greets/291333-introduction-james.html , and it got me thinking about this thread and how to keep it alive. There are a lot of snorkeler and scuba/snorkel also fans, and if snorkeling fans keep posting trips, tips, questions and photos here then this thread will stay active and alive, and reach an increasing audience as more snorkelers see it.

 

[ImParticipating]

OK, OK... I'm de-lurking, after years of reading Scubaboard. Geez. No pressure.

I'm yet another avid snorkeler. Although I'd love a a dedicated snorkeling subforum here on Scubaboard I'd be just as happy if all snorkelers were a little more vocal here in this "freediving-snorkeling" forum. To encourage you I'll even have a go at this scary talking thing myself!

Regarding the lack of a dedicated snorkeling forum: I'd prefer either a Scubaboard snorkeling sub-forum or this combined forum rather than a dedicated snorkeling forum on another website. There can be quite a bit of overlap between hardcore snorkeling, freediving and even scuba, so it's great to find posts from all groups when I'm using Scubaboard's search function. Plus dedicated snorkeling websites seem to stagnate and die off.

As David and Dave have said so well (thanks guys!) although info on freediving can occasionally be helpful for snorkelers, it's not necessarily relevant at all. During the years that I've been reading Scubaboard this freediving forum has helped me less than the scuba and spearfishing sub-forums, even though I'm not a spearo or diver.

I'm a little different to many snorkelers: I spend as little time on the surface as possible (I'm mostly around 1m deep but I regularly dive down to a max of about 4m); I'm wetsuited and weighted so I can "dive" for up to 2.5 hours in cool water and even have lengthy dives in winter; and I've spent thousands of dollars on gear. But I still consider myself a snorkeler, not a freediver! I'm underwater for different reasons to freedivers - coz it's easier for me to take photos when I'm not being tossed about by waves, and coz I can swim faster just below the surface where my dolphin kick doesn't meet air, and coz down is where the beasties are.

Long freediving fins aint gonna help me when I'm cruising over the reef with only one foot of water above and below, or when I'm helicoptering in one spot taking photos down at 3m. And although I'd love an apnea suit I have enough trouble doffing my 7mm!

But none-the-less I still find freediving posts quite useful, coz I'm kind-of half&half. So it wouldn't kill me to keeping sharing this forum with freedivers BUT I do wish snorkelers were a little more active. Despite the recent snorkeling posts (yay) for the last few years it seems like snorkelers have been pretty quiet in here. I know I haven't said a word! I don't know whether that's coz we're intimidated by freedivers, or whether most snorkelers don't have much to say.

Anyway... thanks for making me feel welcome enough to become a member at last. Keep this up and I might even stop being ashamed of my snorkeling-ness.

Author's note: I've heavily edited this post, which initially wished for a dedicated snorkeling forum. But overnight I excitedly wondered what threads to start now that I'm an active member. And I realised that lots of my questions have a better chance of receiving answers in a combined forum with freedivers. If the two forums were separated I wouldn't know which one to post in!