Snorkelling safely in open water: current, boats and buddies

Snorkelling is one of the gentlest ways to spend time in the sea, which is exactly why it deserves a little planning. Nothing here is complicated, and none of it makes the day less enjoyable. It just removes the small number of ways an easy swim turns into a difficult one.

Go with someone, and agree a plan

The single most effective safety measure is a second person in the water who knows where you intend to go. Agree the route, the turnaround point and roughly how long you will be out before either of you gets wet.

Face-down swimming makes it very easy to drift apart without noticing. Surface every few minutes and locate the other person; make it a habit rather than a reaction to worry.

Read the water before you enter

Spend a few minutes watching from the shore. Look for lines of foam or debris moving steadily in one direction, patches of choppy water over a smooth surface, and the way seaweed leans. These tell you where the current runs and how strong it is.

Enter upcurrent whenever you can, so the tiring part of the swim happens while you are fresh and the return is assisted. Swimming out with the current is how a comfortable snorkel becomes an exhausting one.

If you are caught in a current

Do not swim directly against it. Swim across it, parallel to the shore, until you are out of the flow, then head in. This is the same advice given for rip currents and it works for the same reason: currents are usually narrow and always finite.

Fins make this dramatically easier, which is a practical argument for wearing them even on a short swim.

Be visible to boats

From a boat, a snorkeller at the surface is nearly invisible. A brightly coloured surface marker buoy on a short line is cheap, packs to nothing and changes that completely. Some places require one; everywhere else it is simply sensible.

Bright rash vests and fin colours help too. Dark blue is the worst possible choice for being seen and the most common one on the shelf.

Cold arrives before you notice it

Floating still in water below body temperature cools you steadily, and the first signs — clumsiness, a slight shiver, a reluctance to think about the swim back — are easy to explain away. A thin rash vest or shorty extends comfortable time in the water considerably.

Set a time limit before you get in and stick to it, rather than deciding in the water when your judgement is already affected.

Full-face masks and their limits

Full-face masks are comfortable and popular, and they have two real constraints. You cannot pinch your nose, so you cannot equalise, so you cannot duck-dive. And a poorly fitting one can allow exhaled air to accumulate, which is why buying a reputable design in the right size matters more here than with a conventional mask.

Used at the surface, in the correct size, they are a pleasant way to snorkel — particularly for people who find a mouthpiece uncomfortable.

Leave the wildlife alone

Do not touch coral, do not chase or corner anything, and do not stand on reef. Beyond the environmental case, most snorkelling injuries involve a person putting a hand or a foot somewhere an animal already was.

Keep a comfortable distance and the view is better anyway, because nothing swims away.

A short pre-swim checklist

Mask treated and sealed, snorkel clear, fins secure, buddy briefed, entry and exit points identified, current direction noted, time limit agreed. It takes two minutes and it is why most snorkelling days are entirely uneventful. If you are heading somewhere new and want a second opinion on kit, the counter on Grand Street is happy to give one.

Sun, and the part of you that burns

Face down at the surface for an hour means the backs of the legs, the backs of the arms and the neck take direct sun with cooling water over them, so you do not feel it happening. This is the single most common injury in snorkelling and it is entirely preventable.

A long-sleeved rash vest solves it better than sunscreen does, because it does not wash off and it does not go into the water. Where you do use sunscreen, choose a reef-safe formulation and apply it well before you swim so it has bonded rather than rinsing straight off. A cap under the mask strap covers the last gap.

The short version

• Never snorkel alone, and agree where you will both be before entering.
• Enter upcurrent so the swim back is with the water, not against it.
• A surface marker buoy makes you visible to boats and costs very little.
• Cold and fatigue arrive together — get out earlier than feels necessary.

From our shelves

• Full Face Snorkel Mask for Adults Teen, Snorkeling Gear with Detachable Camera Mount — $35.98
• Greatever G2 Full Face Snorkel Mask with Latest Dry Top System,Foldable 180 Degree Panoramic — $30.59
• Greatever G2 Full Face Snorkel Mask with Latest Dry Top System,Foldable 180 Degree Panoramic — $28.28

Where to go next

Browse the full range on the shop page, read the frequently asked questions before ordering, or check delivery timing on the Shipping Policy page. If you would rather ask a person, contact us — the phone reaches the counter.