In the United States, many Americans need travel time. They schedule vacations for the spring and summer time as a means to relax and spend time with family and friends. It’s a way for Americans to escape the stresses of work, and reality a bit. They travel to warm climates where all of their worries melt away. They relax on sandy beaches, they try new foods at restaurants, and they take in the sites of their new vacation destination. However, there are some warm climate activities individuals can participate in while on vacation. They are scuba diving and snorkeling. These two activities are actually fairly common. In fact, in the United States alone, there are around 3.5 million scuba divers. Scuba diving and snorkeling are water activities you should definitely try on your next vacation. Here’s what you should know about scuba diving and snorkeling.
Scuba Diving
Learning how to scuba dive doesn’t just begin with scuba diving lessons. Yes, scuba diving lessons (classwork, e-learning, etc) are imperative to embarking on a safe dive, but there are also other aspects of diving that you should focus on as well. The first aspect is comfortability. You should be comfortable with the gear you’re wearing, from the mask to the weight of the tank. You’ll learn all about scuba diving gear, their functions/purpose, and how to set up the equipment in classes, but it’s important that you’re comfortable wearing each piece. If you’re not comfortable, you create the risk of not have a fun or successful dive. Once you get comfortable with your gear, it’s typically smooth sailing from there. And, fun dives all around!
After making sure you’re comfortable wearing gear, your scuba diving instructor will take you through the steps of the dive. You’ll learn about what to do, what to expect, and safety and precautions. Although the information may be vast, your instructor will go at a pace that’s comfortable for you. Patience and practice is key. Remember this, the more you practice and if you’re patient with yourself, you’ll master any sort of dive.
Now, there are regulations to diving, after you’re comfortable and ready to embark on a dive. First, there are prerequisites that you must meet. You have to be 12 years of age or older in order to dive in open water. This is for safety reasons. Others are too young, and diving can be very dangerous for them. Additionally, if you have any health conditions such as epilepsy, you will not be able to dive. As unfortunate as this is, it’s all safety precautions. However, if you meet the prerequisites the open water will be yours soon enough!
Many vacation destinations have excellent scuba diving shops and instructors. Do not be afraid to visit more than one! It’s important that you find a shop and an instructor that you’re comfortable with and trust. Once you find the shop and the instructor, you can schedule a day and a time to take your dive. Or, you can talk to the instructor about availability and when groups are going out diving. Instructors want you to have the best, most unique experience. They want you to see and experience the beauty of the ocean, so they’ll really make it worth your while.
It’s important to note that you should always find someone to dive with, a “buddy.” You can look out for one another, while also having a fun time.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is different than scuba diving. You do not dive below the ocean’s surface. Instead, you swim on top of the water, and you look down at what’s going on in the water around you. You do not need training in order to snorkel. You simply need to know how to swim, and you need equipment such as a snorkeling mask and foot fins. It is important to note that if you are an experienced swimmer, you can dive somewhat while snorkeling, you’ll just need to hold your breath!
Snorkeling is just as fun as scuba diving, because you get to experience the beauty and wonder of the ocean around you. Are you ready to scuba dive or snorkel?