David Wilson
Contributor
To counterbalance the many threads about tropical snorkelling, I thought I'd start a thread about snorkelling locally. I do all my snorkelling these days in the North Sea off the North East coast of England:
The bay (see above) where I snorkel is an 8 mile drive from where I live and I first went there as a child, accompanied by my parents, over half a century ago. Flora and Fauna aren't plentiful, just coarse grass among the sand dunes and dog walkers on the beach when I arrive in the early morning. Not much life in the water either, apart from seaweed, a few small jellyfish and flocks of seagulls. However, there's nothing better than the rising sun on the horizon, an azure sky and a fishing boat or two bobbing on the waves out to sea.
The water temperature is never high and when snorkelling I choose to wear a replica of the kind of simple drysuit popular in the late 1950s. Donning, venting, sealing and doffing the suit took a little practice at the start, but now I'm pretty adept. One of the suit's advantages is that I can wear as much or as little underclothing as I want to accommodate the changing of the seasons. My basic gear is also reminiscent of the period when I started snorkeling, the late 1950s: all-rubber full-foot fins, a classic oval mask and a simple J-shaped breathing tube. I prefer this historical gear to today's plastic and silicone paraphernalia.
Some people think that the point of snorkelling is to observe marine fauna and flora. They're entitled to this opinion, but sealife, in my opinion, is a bonus and not a necessity. The simple enjoyment of the water and the gentle exercise I get when snorkelling are sufficient in themselves for me and I feel thoroughly refreshed when I emerge from the water and get on with my day.
I've snorkelled in the Mediterranean, the lakes of the cities of Berlin, Germany, and Minneapolis, USA and La Jolla Cove in Southern California. All great snorkelling spots, but you have to fly there first and hope that the weather and the sea conditions will be conducive to snorkelling during any vacation's brief window of opportunity. Local snorkelling, on the other hand, allows for spontaneity. You just have to open the bedroom curtains at home, see the welcoming sun and feel the warmth of the air to get the urge to have a morning dip in the nearest lake, river or sea. More and more people here in the UK are taking up "open-water swimming" in their neighbourhood. They'd probably enjoy the pastime better finned, face-masked and clad in an exposure suit.
Finally, here's a purchase for the man or the woman who has everything:
YOUR OWN TROPICAL ISLAND - Cool design trend! - gadgets, funny gifts and company gifts
"Two artificial palm trees (over 2 meters high and UV protected) complete with very realistic Tahitian palm fronds and coconuts support a triple woven polyester double hammock". A "snip" at $9,280. Who can resist? If you still aren't prepared to countenance the prospect of a snorkelling trip back home, why not pack your new acquisition along with your basic gear to dress up your local snorkelling spot a little, so you can pretend you're in some exotic paradise?
So where do you go when you snorkel in close proximity to where you live?
The bay (see above) where I snorkel is an 8 mile drive from where I live and I first went there as a child, accompanied by my parents, over half a century ago. Flora and Fauna aren't plentiful, just coarse grass among the sand dunes and dog walkers on the beach when I arrive in the early morning. Not much life in the water either, apart from seaweed, a few small jellyfish and flocks of seagulls. However, there's nothing better than the rising sun on the horizon, an azure sky and a fishing boat or two bobbing on the waves out to sea.
The water temperature is never high and when snorkelling I choose to wear a replica of the kind of simple drysuit popular in the late 1950s. Donning, venting, sealing and doffing the suit took a little practice at the start, but now I'm pretty adept. One of the suit's advantages is that I can wear as much or as little underclothing as I want to accommodate the changing of the seasons. My basic gear is also reminiscent of the period when I started snorkeling, the late 1950s: all-rubber full-foot fins, a classic oval mask and a simple J-shaped breathing tube. I prefer this historical gear to today's plastic and silicone paraphernalia.
Some people think that the point of snorkelling is to observe marine fauna and flora. They're entitled to this opinion, but sealife, in my opinion, is a bonus and not a necessity. The simple enjoyment of the water and the gentle exercise I get when snorkelling are sufficient in themselves for me and I feel thoroughly refreshed when I emerge from the water and get on with my day.
I've snorkelled in the Mediterranean, the lakes of the cities of Berlin, Germany, and Minneapolis, USA and La Jolla Cove in Southern California. All great snorkelling spots, but you have to fly there first and hope that the weather and the sea conditions will be conducive to snorkelling during any vacation's brief window of opportunity. Local snorkelling, on the other hand, allows for spontaneity. You just have to open the bedroom curtains at home, see the welcoming sun and feel the warmth of the air to get the urge to have a morning dip in the nearest lake, river or sea. More and more people here in the UK are taking up "open-water swimming" in their neighbourhood. They'd probably enjoy the pastime better finned, face-masked and clad in an exposure suit.
Finally, here's a purchase for the man or the woman who has everything:
YOUR OWN TROPICAL ISLAND - Cool design trend! - gadgets, funny gifts and company gifts
"Two artificial palm trees (over 2 meters high and UV protected) complete with very realistic Tahitian palm fronds and coconuts support a triple woven polyester double hammock". A "snip" at $9,280. Who can resist? If you still aren't prepared to countenance the prospect of a snorkelling trip back home, why not pack your new acquisition along with your basic gear to dress up your local snorkelling spot a little, so you can pretend you're in some exotic paradise?
So where do you go when you snorkel in close proximity to where you live?
