4 Differences Between Snorkeling and Diving That You Must Know, Guaranteed You Won't Misname Again
Snorkeling is also known as surface diving. This is because snorkelers engage in diving activities to observe marine life, but their bodies remain floating on the surface.
The activity of snorkeling is certainly different from diving. The equivalent of diving is scuba diving because diving uses scuba gear to move and breathe more freely underwater.
Snorkeling and diving have quite clear differences. However, some people still find it difficult to distinguish between them. So, here are some differences between snorkeling and diving that you can learn to avoid mistakenly referring to these water sports.
Basic Techniques That Are Certainly Different
There are no specific techniques required for someone who wants to engage in snorkeling. The important thing is that they can swim. However, some tourist destinations that have facilities for snorkeling even allow someone who is not a good swimmer to snorkel. This is because snorkelers typically dive no deeper than 3 meters, and some may only float on the surface of the water. What is certain is that snorkelers must learn to breathe using their mouths, not their noses.
In contrast to diving activities. For those who want to dive, they must have a special certificate and must frequently practice diving. Special training for diving includes breathing exercises and managing oxygen intake to conserve the oxygen tank while diving.
Different Depths
Snorkeling is only an activity at the water's surface, usually around 1-3 meters from the surface. Therefore, when snorkeling, snorkelers can hold their breath while diving because they can quickly inhale oxygen at the surface again.
Diving can reach depths of up to 300 meters or even deeper. At such depths, divers are required to use oxygen tanks for safety.
More Diving Equipment
The equipment required for snorkelers is only three: a diving mask, snorkel, and fins. The diving mask is useful for regulating the breathing apparatus used to inhale oxygen. By using a diving mask, it means the face is covered, and only the mouth can be used. The mouth will use a snorkel that consists of a mouthpiece and a 30-centimeter long tube. Fins with wide tips can help snorkelers move while swimming, thus aiding their mobility.
The equipment used in snorkeling is also used in diving activities. However, diving also has other equipment that is mandatory to ensure greater safety for divers while underwater. A special wetsuit is essential to keep the diver warm in the water.
An oxygen tank is also mandatory for divers because the diving duration is longer, requiring more oxygen. This gas tank includes a regulator and an octopus that connects the tank to the mouth. A diver is also equipped with deep gauges to measure their diving depth and pressure gauges to measure the air pressure in the tank.
Differences in the Purpose of Snorkeling and Diving
Due to the different diving depths, the purposes of snorkeling and diving will also differ. Generally, snorkeling is purely for recreation. However, snorkeling can also be done to explore marine life that is not too deep, such as exploring caves found underwater, shipwrecks, and examining marine biota.
Diving, on the other hand, generally aims to examine marine life that lives at greater ocean depths, such as seaweed and marine animals that need to be preserved.
Those are the 4 differences between snorkeling and diving. I hope you won't misunderstand them again. Later, when at a tourist destination that offers snorkeling and diving attractions, you will surely know which one to choose. When you are not an expert, never choose diving!
Author: Nisa Maulan Shofa
