What will they teach me in a snorkling class?

[Iwanttoscuba]

I am taking this scuba thing slowly and starting with a snorkling class. What should I expect to learn in this class?

Jim

 

[DBailey]

How the snorkel should be positioned on your head.

The appropriate angle to have your head so the snorkel isn't dipping in the water behind you.

How to clear the snorkel using one of two methods without ever taking your head out of the water.

How to kick with fins.

How to hyperventilate.

 

[Walter]

Depends on the class. A good class will teach you, in addition to what DBailey outlined; equipment care; how to breathe through a flooded snorkel; how to clear your mask; how to recover, replace and clear a dropped mask and snorkel, several kicking techniques, head first and feet first descents, proper weighting, the buddy system (one up and one down), ascents, entries and exits as well as how to avoid shallow water black out by not over hyperventilating.

 

[DandyDon]

I am taking this scuba thing slowly and starting with a snorkling class. What should I expect to learn in this class?

Jim

Welcome to SB. You might even want to click here to post an Introduction, if you'd like.

Snorkeling can be a great prelude to scuba classes. Good approach.

 

[spectrum]

As important as what they will teach you is what you will become accustomed to. This includes having your face in water while breathing oraly for an extended period. This is against instinct and some folks need to do some metal reprograming in order to relax. Combined with what Walter mentioned you wil have a plendid head start on your scuba training. The nice part is that you accomplish all of this without the heavy gear. All in all it lets you develop your adaptation in a more methodical and managable way.

The adaptation to dive does not come instantly to eveyone and a good skindiving foundation makes the process a lot easier.

I did a good amount of skin-diving prior to taking up scuba diving and it was as simple as exchanging the snorkel for the regulator and slipping below the surface.

You will get out of the class what you put into it.

Pete

 

[Walter]

A good SCUBA class will have you master the skills I outlined before introducing you to SCUBA.

 

[fishoutawater]

I agree with Spectrum. I learned to freedive long before I went scuba. Easy transition.
Didn't have near the problems some in my first class did.
IMO, you're doing the right thing by learning to snorkel first. It's all about comfort level and some easy techniques.

I've never taken a snorkeling class. I learned on my own many moons ago.
But if I were to teach a class on snorkeling, it would look just like Walter's curriculum.
But he did leave out one small but very important detail.
You have to learn how to equalize your ears. (I'm sure he just forgot) For some folks, ear equalization is a major hurdle. I'm sure you already know that the deeper you go, the higher the pressure on your ears gets, and if you don't clear them, you'll rupture your ear drums. So what you do is just before you submerge, pinch your nose shut and puff some air through your eustation tubes, take your three deep breaths, hold it, pike down and submerge, then clear your ears again and as needed on your way down. More accurately, you want to keep clearing BEFORE you feel pressure on your ears. If you wait until the pressure builds, it gets harder to equalize them.
There are other tachniques, but that's the basic one to get you started.
Enjoy your new passion!

 

[webbah]

I'm confused on this whole snorkel and needing weight, etc. thing because I've done it many times. All I ever did was put on the mask, snorkel, fins - and went for it. Happily floated on the surface and saw plenty of cool stuff in many great places. Am I missing something? Equalizing while snorkeling? I just don't get why.........

 

[Walter]

You don't know what you're missing.

 

[Iwanttoscuba]

Thanks for the idvice everyone.

Jim