How To: Snorkel

Why the Love?

Every one has a reason for loving something.  Mine was that it was the only thing I had.  That one sure thing.  I loved it because I had nothing, and it cost me nothing.  At times I had no idea what was going to happen to me, or where I was going to be.  The shore is always there!  Rain or shine( the water is always calm beneath the surface), day or night( bring a waterproof flashlight).

If you're lucky enough to live by the water you should take advantage of it.  I got stranded on a tropical island. Not like cast away.  More like : don't speak the local tongue, not of local decent

in a closed culture community, of the decent of the oppressor and, also of the unwelcome alien population, no jobs (really, I really, really tried, even applied for law enforcement),  out of money, nowhere to go( small island), on the other side of the planet from my jungle (literally), no cash to even call and forget about going home, and not welcome, not at all, but very, very, lucky to have been on a beautiful tropical island, with the right gear. 

My struggle is another story and please, no pity, the experiences made me stronger. Plus I got a dog after awhile. She loved to follow me to the beach( great swimmer, part lab).  Not to mention I was lucky enough to experience some of the most beautiful coral reef ever.  Wouldn't have changed it for the world!!!

What you'll need

• A body of water

Approach your body of water.  Find a comfortable spot to equip yourself.  A rock, tree, or just the sand.  I like to sit at the water's edge, with my feet a few feet, into the rolling tide, face licking dog at my side.

• Goggles/Mask

Rinse/clean off your goggles, face them down towards the ground.  Spit into the goggles.  Yes that's right, spit.  If you don't milk enough saliva from your cheeks you may have to spit a couple of times (Not from your lungs or throat eww..).  You can use your finger but if you can find some young leaves they work, oh... so much better.  There was crawling ivy at my beach on the island.  Break the young leaves in half, rub the raw wet edges into your spit.  Push it all around the window/s like a brush be generous.  If you try to just slide the spit around like butter in a frying pan it won't stick to the goggles well.  Skipping this part will fog up your goggles after a few moments.

Fancy frog skin, or other very expensive coated, goggles do exist.  Some even have vents, all these things allow the windows not to fog.  Unfortunately I can't afford them. Usually you can find very inexpensive(under $20) sets mask & snorkel in the kid/toy section of the local chain supermarket (WARNING: may be pink, neon or contain sparkles). 

• A snorkel

Clean/rinse off your snorkel.  Especially the mouth piece!  The inside of the tube is also very important!!  A proper snorkel holds your mouth open and is held in place by your lips, even more so your teeth.  Imagine, an unwanted guest has moved into your snorkel, you take your last hard deep breath, right before you dive.  Let's not forget, your snorkel is not only occupying your mouth but also holding it open, and, "you're underwater"!!   That's right a surprise appetizer.  Biting down does nothing!! Not to mention "What if it's still alive?"!!  Snack attack??  That qualify as sea food?

Last, pull your goggles down over your face.  Attach the upper portion of your snorkel to the rubber head band of your goggles, insert the mouthpiece end of your snorkel, and bite down.  Go to where the water is deep enough, take that last one deep hard breath, and dive in.  Swim around, explore, have fun.  Just remember to blow out hard every time you come up for air.  Your snorkel will act as a whale or dolphin blowhole.  Your mouth will fill with water on most dives.

What you might want:

• Fins/Flippers

If you are using fins/flippers you will definitely want to go to the water's edge.  Walking in fins/flippers is very difficult.  The front end of fin/flipper will drag, causing you to step on it, in turn making you trip over your self.

Take care; it is easy to fall flat on your face!! Possibly chip a tooth on a rock or piece of coral!!  You can walk on your heels provided your flippers are short enough.  Walking backwards will prove much easier then walking forwards on the beach or in the tide.  Rinse/clean them off especially the insides, where your feet go.  Left over sand or grit can get stuck between your foot and the rubber.  This can rip your skin very easily once waterlogged.

• Flashlight

Try it at night.  Yes sir!! Fish do sleep!! Make sure your flashlight's waterproof.  You can do it without a light, but how will you know if that fish, or eel is a young shark? 

Thank you for your read.  I hope you have enjoyed and found it informative. If you liked it, keep an eye out for my article on "Night fishing with a Hawaiian Sling Spear". 

"Minagof Sueti"!! Means good luck in "Chamorro". The language of the locals.