If you have planned to visit a tropical island, your trip won’t be complete without an adventurous underwater experience. You might have heard or read about underwater activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and undersea walking.
Here in this article, we have mentioned some basic differences between the above activities which will help you in selecting the activity, best suited for you.
Snorkeling:
Snorkeling is an adventurous activity for everyone to explore underwater life, from its surface. It is simply, swimming along the surface of the water and looking down at the oceanic activities.
Snorkeling is done in shallow waters, mostly between 2 to 3 meters with no oxygen equipment or specialized gear. You inhale the oxygen through a pipe attached to your mask. No special training, exceptional skills or heavy preparations are necessary for this activity.
You can snorkel for hours depending on your stamina. You merely need a mouthpiece, to help you breath while your head is facing downwards, with your nose and mouth underwater. Also, a pair of swim-fins to help you swim through the water smoothly.
One can also dive to explore deeper reefs and other species. But this requires more skill and fitness level as one has to have a good breath-holding capacity.
Scuba diving:
Scuba is the acronym for (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus). Here you will be totally immersed in the ocean with a 360-degree view of the underwater life and hence with total freedom to swim where your heart wants you to.
Here you can descend to greater depths of around 12 to 14 meters into the water body. You have to be well prepared before taking up scuba diving. Primary piece of equipment you’ll need is a pressurized gas tank with a breathing tube. Foot fins will help propel your movement in the water.
The divers’ equipment includes mask, fins, snorkel, wet suit, buoyancy control device, regulator, depth gauge, air gauge, and mouthpiece.
You will always be accompanied by a professional guide who will not only guide you through the experience but also help you capture your memories in frames. You should not undertake scuba diving if you have any medical conditions related to cardiovascular or respiratory systems. You need proper training on how to breathe and communicate with your guide underwater. As you have to sink below the water surface.
Undersea walk:
It’s once in a lifetime experience for all the non-swimmers /divers out there!
You will only be provided with a special headgear for breathing. You don’t need much in terms of training or skills as you will be exploring the sea by foot and have an unlimited supply of air through your helmet which will in-turn be connected to the surface. Hence, it is also sometimes referred to as ‘Helmet Diving’.
Overall Difference:
It’s fairly easy to figure out. Strap a tank on your back and breathe from it underwater, it is scuba diving. Remove the tank and get a little lighter, it is snorkeling. Head a helmet and walk it out, it is an undersea walk.
However, scuba diving and snorkeling have some basic similarities. Both activities require a mask, snorkel and a pair of fins. Both allow an uninterrupted view of the underwater world.
Final Thoughts:
Scuba diving, snorkeling, and Undersea walk have one major thing in common: ‘Underwater exploration and fun’. The level of exploration differs in certain methods of each activity. To understand which one is better and how the experience will be, all depends on which type of activity you prefer.
If you want to experience life underwater, all three activities provide you a unique experience. If you have enough time and budget, why not explore all three of them?