How far underwater can you go with a snorkel

If there is something sensitive like a coral reef, you need to be experienced and very competent to snorkel over it if the water is shallow to avoid causing any damage and also protect yourself from cuts and nasty stings. If you think you need help, then there are training courses and certifications that you can take with an instructor to show you everything you need to be proficient. Remember that you should take turns with your buddy and duck dive one at a time.

Equalizing the ears is a common problem and takes practice. As you swim down, pinch your nose through the nose pocket of the mask and gently blow against it to keep your ears safe just like you might do on an airplane, but without the mask.

If you enjoy the feeling of being underwater and want to be able to stay longer and go deeper, then you should consider learning freediving.

The world record for self-propelled freediving is a staggering m deep, while the longest underwater breath-hold is nearly 12 minutes. Many people like being able to look over a wide area to get a complete picture of the underwater world if the water is clear enough. Water absorbs light of different colors as it gets deeper, meaning that in deep water, even with good water clarity, things below you can be left looking blue. If this is the case for you, then stick to snorkeling in shallow water where you feel more comfortable.

Consider using a brightly colored surface float so that you can be seen more easily. If there are corals or other delicate animals or plants below you, it takes great skill in shallow water to avoid contact with them. Any contact can cause significant damage or even kill corals , so stay away from these areas. There are limitations to how far one can go deep in water with a snorkel with the tube length.

Which brings us to think, how deep can you snorkel? The standard length of a snorkel tube attached to the mask is inches. Keeping in view the safety standards, the deepest distance deemed safe by experts with the usual snorkeling gear is up to one meter. Like all other watersports, with snorkeling, the safety standard procedures must never be ignored.

Out in the waters, if the safety protocols are broken, it might lead to some serious consequences. Wearing proper gear is one of the safety requirements. Moreover, snorkeling is a sport of shallow waters.

The gear has a certain capacity that measures the distance to which the person can dive. Whether you use a classic snorkel or a mask, it would enable proper breathing only up to a certain depth. Hence, it is also known as the J-style snorkel. It is the most affordable type of snorkel, and due to its uncomplicated design, it is great for beginners.

However, the plastic tube is hard and rigid, which makes it not very comfortable to hold in the mouth for longer times. Holding it tightly with clenched jaws will eventually tire the mouth out and make the muscles sore.

In addition, it is quite normal that the snorkeling tube gets completely submerged underwater while swimming. It frequently happens with the snorkelers. In such a case, the water enters the tube from its free end, which was previously underwater.

Snorkelers then have to forcefully exhale to move the water out of the tube. This might not be very convenient and easy for beginners. The water may also easily enter from the end that goes into the mouth. Also, due to its rigidity, the snorkel is not flexible. You should feel the pressure in your ears release.

If you are not able to clear your ears while underwater, resurface and clear your ears there. Do not be forceful with equalization, as you can easily blow out your eardrum which can happen if they are soggy. Some divers are able to withstand the pressure, however it is recommended to equalize your ears every few meters. If you dive too quickly with little to no rest intervals between each dive, then you can potentially experience shallow water blackout.

The general rule of thumb is that your rest intervals should be twice as long as the time you spent diving underwater. So if you duck dived for one minute, you should rest at least two minutes before attempting it again. If you blackout underwater, you will certainly drown unless you have a buddy with you.

Another reason you should not panic and surface too quickly is that you need to make sure there are no boats passing overhead. You can use a dive flag to mark where you are so other snorkelers and boats know you are underwater. It is best to snorkel and duck dive in areas where there are no boats around so that there is one less danger to worry about. Do not let your ego get the best of you. Always remember that the deeper you dive the longer it takes to resurface and factor that in when trying to set a new personal best.

Before even learning about how to duck dive, you need to know how to hold your breath underwater. You must know how your body reacts when it is deprived of oxygen. This can be done safely in a controlled environment, such as the shallow end of the pool or even on dry land. We recommend doing it in the water for a more authentic experience.

Keep a stopwatch with you and try these exercises. Hold your breath underwater for as long as you can so that we can gauge your level. A good goal to aim for is 60 seconds, or one minute. However, expect your first attempt to be somewhere between seconds. The average person takes a breath once every three seconds, so you have missed out on 7 to 13 breaths. You will be able to improve that with practice.

Repeat step 1 after resting for at least minutes. You will find that your second attempt will be better than your first.

And that your third attempt will be slightly better than your second. Now that your body is primed, you can do this technique to improve your breath holds even further. Before diving, do the following:. Whereas you might have only lasted seconds before, after doing this technique you will most likely double your breath hold time.

That is a massive improvement. You can try this technique again to see if your times improve even further. The reason why the above technique works is that you are putting the oxygen in your body where it matters the most. Every person has a different level to which they can hold their breath underwater, but you can train breath-holding to be able to increase the time periods. It is absolutely crucial that when you try out these experiments, you have a snorkel buddy with you.

There may come a point where your body suddenly feels drained and exhausted. This is when your oxygen supply has run out. Avoid reaching this stage because resurfacing will be difficult and you will be at risk of passing out. Also, keep your heart rate in check. Anyone with a heart rate of or more is not fit to hold their breath underwater. If you truly want to be a snorkel diver and do some underwater snorkeling, you have to push yourself.

The more fit your body is, the better it will work at pumping oxygen throughout your system. Having your snorkeling gear in top shape can also assist you during your snorkel dive. Every time you go underwater, your snorkel fills up with water. You can also get a dry snorkel which will keep the water out of the tube. Water that has collected in your snorkel mask can cause irritation to your eyes and nose.

Alternatively, look up and let all the water to accumulate around your cheeks and blow into the snorkel goggles to dispel the water.