Silly Snorkeling Mistakes You Won’t Want To Make Your First Time!

If you’ve never gone snorkeling before, then it can be easy to make some silly mistakes your first time out. While a mistake likely won’t ruin your trip, it can certainly detract from some of the glamor. Anytime you do something for the first time, it can be a challenge. Don’t worry because we’ll cover some of these common blunders and how you can steer clear of them in the rest of this article!

What is Snorkeling?

Snorkeling is a wonderful underwater activity for people of all ages and fitness levels! While you might think you need training and skill in order to enjoy snorkeling, it is actually very beginner-friendly and requires little effort on your part.

The entire purpose of snorkeling is to see all the amazing tropical fish and aquatic creatures under the water as they go about daily life. Even if you’ve been swimming in the ocean before, chances are you haven’t seen many fish or other creatures. Normal ocean waters are difficult to see through and are fairly rough, which can be disturbing for the very fish you’re trying to see.

With this in mind, most snorkeling locations are actually in tropical locations. In these spots, you’ll have an environment perfect for seeing the glorious wonder hiding in the ocean. With clear, calm, and warm water to swim in and coral reef swelling with micro-organisms to feed on, gorgeous tropical fish flock to destinations considered snorkeling hotspots.

The actual activity of snorkeling entails wearing some gear. This includes a mask, a snorkel, and some flipper fins, but you can also make good use of a life vest, wetsuit, and even a camera. You’ll float on top of the water, looking down through your snorkeling mask to see everything in vibrant color. With the aid of your curved snorkel tube, you’ll be able to breathe comfortably without having to flip over. When you want to move around, you’ll actually use your flipper fins to propel yourself. 

Snorkeling Mistakes

The technique behind snorkeling is fairly simple, making snorkeling fairly accessible to everyone. At the same time, there is definitely a distinct difference between someone who’s been snorkeling for years versus someone who’s going for the first time. When you don’t have any prior experience to draw upon, you won’t know what to and what not to do when snorkeling. If you have a guide or experienced friends with you, they can give you advice, but not everyone has access to that luxury. This is mainly what separates a novice and expert snorkeler. The expert knows what mistakes to avoid, while also knowing what techniques and secrets will help make a more enjoyable experience!

Here are some of those mistakes and how to avoid them so you’ll look like a pro during your first snorkel trip:

• Not Understanding Gear – While it might seem trivial, failing to understand how your snorkeling gear actually works is a great way to wreck a dip. If you don’t understand how your gear works, you won’t know what not to do. This can lead to water leaking into your snorkel mask, or even worse, inside your breathing tube. You want to make sure that your snorkel mask fits snugly on your face. Without a snug fit, it won’t be able to suction to your face, keeping a seal from water seeping in. You want to be careful to not swim too violently, or else you can splash water into your snorkel, or even submerge it.
  
• Overexerting Energy – Another silly mistake you can make it to overexert yourself. This can actually lead to several not-so-fun problems for you. While snorkeling, you want to use a minimal amount of effort. This means simply floating and maneuvering with flippers when necessary. Some snorkelers enjoy diving beneath the water, but this require some practice and definitely takes extra energy. If you spend too much energy while snorkeling, you might exhaust yourself before the rest of your group is done. There’s also the risk of running into cramps or other discomforts.
  
• Rushing – If you’ve planned a snorkeling trip, then hopefully you understand what you’ve signed up for! Snorkeling is less of an interactive activity, but it makes for wonderful sights in nature. If you love nature, and more specifically underwater life, then you’ll love snorkeling! If you have different expectations coming into a snorkel excursion, you might unintentionally rush through the experience, not taking time to enjoy the wonderful sights for what they are. Many of the fish and creatures you’ll see while snorkeling you’ve probably never seen before, especially not in the wild! So slow down, take your time and enjoy! Also, this will help you conserve your energy. 

Planning a Maui Snorkel Trip

There’s no secret anymore about how fantastic the tropical island of Maui is for snorkeling. The natural formation of the island has created dozens of gorgeous beaches ripe with clear, calm waters. These beaches are absolutely amazing for snorkeling, because you can easily spot colorful fish from dozens of feet away!

Throw in the comfortable, year-round climate and you have a one-in-a-kind snorkeling paradise. Don’t forget that some of the species you’ll see in Maui you quite literally cannot see anywhere else in the world. This makes snorkeling in Maui a blissful experience that everyone can enjoy, even if it is your first time snorkeling.

If it is your first time snorkeling, stay aware of these mistakes that can easily take away from the joy of a snorkeling trip. Failing to understand your gear, using too much energy, and rushing through the experience are three mistakes any first timer can avoid. Snorkeling is an incredible experience, but you need to slow down and take your time to appreciate it! This will let you really take everything in, which will help you understand what makes Maui such a beautiful place.

The best way to enjoy a Maui snorkeling trip is to go on a snorkeling tour! The expert guides at Kai Kanani have been snorkeling in Molokini for over 30 years, scoping out the best locations for maximum snorkeling enjoyment. Rather than waste time looking for your own spots and gear, book a tour with Kai Kanani for a luxurious snorkeling getaway!