Should I work on my swimming before trying snorkeling?

[Leego]

Hey, guys! I'm back with more questions about working towards scuba diving!

If I am still a novice swimmer, should I focus on just getting the basics of swimming, treading, and diving before trying snorkeling? What are the best snorkel options for a beginner?

So I've gotten another offer to do a 10-month volunteer project, and I'm hoping that if my interview went OK and I get accepted, I will be leaving for Bear Brook park in January to train to be a teacher, and do environmental stewardship work. The good news is, I'll be living in a log cabin in a park with a lake! The bad news is, I'm not used to swimming in a lake, so I would prefer to have a swimming partner. The other possible bad news is that when I get there, it's going to be freezing cold! And by the time it really warms up, I may be on two-week trail maintenance stints for three months!

Either way, I'm happy just to get the experience, and the main reason I'm in a hurry to learn how to scuba dive is so I can go to Commercial Diving/Underwater Welding school in 2019, but really, that's just one career path that I am interested in. I will still swim for the fun and adventure of it, and would happily take a job with the National Forest Service, or anyone, really, either way.

I would say that I am a novice swimmer, I suppose. I can, either via backstroke, sidestroke, breaststroke, or freestyle stroke, swim to the end of a lane and back without much trouble. I can dive down, too, but I still need to get better at treading water, and am not really comfortable in water that goes over my nose. I'm willing to be brave and give it all a shot, but I also don't want to overestimate myself in something as unfamiliar and risky as swimming. Or at least it's risky for me because I'm not used to it.

I was going to get a snorkel, socks and fins online, but they seem to get pretty expensive, and I'm not even sure if I'm going to have room for them in my backpacks or be able to even use them yet. I don't know if they will even fit. Also, I'm trying to save as much money as possible for my trip, so I'd rather save my big expenses for when I get there.

 

[TMHeimer]

--Make sure your swim strokes are technically proper.
--For nose water problem practise on land closing the airway passages for both nose and mouth. Of course with a mask on water will rarely get around the nose, but you may lose your mask. Water will always go in the nostrils, but this does no harm. Maybe stick your nose in sink water to mentally get used to it.
--Several ways to tread. Consider drownproofing (easy to google) if you are very negatively buoyant.
--for warmth, obviously a wetsuit w/and hood. How thick depends on how cold the lake is and your own cold tolerance. It will make you a lot more buoyant and swimming down (to the bottom?) may not work unless you add weights, but as a novice swimmer this may not be a good idea.

 

[tursiops]

Yes, to the question in your title.
Take a swimming class, use an instructor, get a coach.
Don't try and learn to swim or snorkel or dive on the the internet. You are more likely to learn bad habits (and perhaps unsafe habits but certainly inefficient habits) than getting proper instruction.

 

[Leego]

If there is a lifeguard or swimming lessons at the local YMCA or the lake and I have time, I would probably make more progress to learn from them.

I'll research into wetsuits and treading techniques then, and hold off on the snorkel gear and what-not. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Chip Elliott]

I agree with all of the other statements. Strong swimming skills are needed for snorkeling in open water. Stamina, proper strokes, what gear you need, a snorkeling vest, etc. is all instrumental in keeping YOU safe.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree. While you probably won't use your arms much with normal snorkeling, diving down, etc., you can go like a rocket with fins and a proper swim stroke--in case you want to or have to. Thus having fins (mask & snorkel) close by at all times is a main point in the Rescue Diver course.

 

[tcphil]

The swimming lessons will also help with water over/in nose. Yes it feels uncomfortable at first, but getting past that is pretty important to both safety and enjoyment when snorkeling.

 

[diversteve]

I'd buy a mask that FITS...getting it in the face with cold water can take some getting used to. Don't worry as much about brand, style, etc. get one that doesn't leak. A good test is apply it to your face (dry) and inhale - shake your head, move your jaws - if it stays on it's a contender.If you have one, try it with a snorkel also. That's one thing I'd definitely buy for myself - good snorkels start around $25.

Snorkel masks are often lower volume than inexpensive dive masks so easier to clear. You can also invest in a good low-volume dive mask that will work for snorkeling also and carry over into rec diving if you pursue that.

They also sell inexpensive snorkel floats/vests but some make it harder to descend. Some have an inflator/deflator which helps. Here's one less expensive option - there's many others. http://www.leisurepro.com/p-blrsvlk...id^157354257433-sku^BLRSVLK@ADL4LP-adType^PLA

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes good advice. I'd stay away from those cheap mask snorkel sets you find in beach shops or maybe WalMart. A dive mask that fits is great for snorkeling--I used one for decades snorkeling before getting diver cert.

 

[ScubaDadThree]

Hey, guys! I'm back with more questions about working towards scuba diving!

If I am still a novice swimmer, should I focus on just getting the basics of swimming, treading, and diving before trying snorkeling? What are the best snorkel options for a beginner?

So I've gotten another offer to do a 10-month volunteer project, and I'm hoping that if my interview went OK and I get accepted, I will be leaving for Bear Brook park in January to train to be a teacher, and do environmental stewardship work. The good news is, I'll be living in a log cabin in a park with a lake! The bad news is, I'm not used to swimming in a lake, so I would prefer to have a swimming partner. The other possible bad news is that when I get there, it's going to be freezing cold! And by the time it really warms up, I may be on two-week trail maintenance stints for three months!

Either way, I'm happy just to get the experience, and the main reason I'm in a hurry to learn how to scuba dive is so I can go to Commercial Diving/Underwater Welding school in 2019, but really, that's just one career path that I am interested in. I will still swim for the fun and adventure of it, and would happily take a job with the National Forest Service, or anyone, really, either way.

I would say that I am a novice swimmer, I suppose. I can, either via backstroke, sidestroke, breaststroke, or freestyle stroke, swim to the end of a lane and back without much trouble. I can dive down, too, but I still need to get better at treading water, and am not really comfortable in water that goes over my nose. I'm willing to be brave and give it all a shot, but I also don't want to overestimate myself in something as unfamiliar and risky as swimming. Or at least it's risky for me because I'm not used to it.

I was going to get a snorkel, socks and fins online, but they seem to get pretty expensive, and I'm not even sure if I'm going to have room for them in my backpacks or be able to even use them yet. I don't know if they will even fit. Also, I'm trying to save as much money as possible for my trip, so I'd rather save my big expenses for when I get there.

Make sure you can swim several hundred yards ( across an Olympic sized pool and back again several times), That is a Basic Course requirement. You have to be comfortable in the water before attempting Scuba. If you think snorkel, boots (not socks), and fins are expensive, check out the BC, Regulator, and Dive Computer. Scuba is not cheap to get into.