Scuba diving and snorkeling are two popular water sports that allow people to explore the underwater world. While they may seem similar at first, there are actually some important differences between the two activities. In this article, we’ll compare them. We’ll look at the equipment needed, the depths at which they can be done, and the skills required for each. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver or a snorkeler, this article will help you understand the differences between scuba diving and snorkeling.
Choosing between scuba diving and snorkeling is depend on the individual and many factors, here are the difference between scuba diving and snorkeling
Depth Level
Snorkelers swim at the surface looking down at the fish and coral reefs and breathe using a snorkel. The average snorkeler can swim 3 – 4 m. But scuba divers can go deeper and stay longer underwater.
Equipment
Both of these sports use masks, fins, and snorkel. Scuba divers wear a lot more gear than snorkelers to be safe diving underwater and to stay longer underwater divers need to carry a tank that provides them with oxygen for breathing underwater, snorkeling equipment is easy to carry and breathes air from the surface. It is also important for divers to carry weights on their belts or in pockets so that they can stay submerged at the desired depth.
The Training Time
Learning snorkeling skills is easier than scuba diving, It can take less than 30 minutes. The training for snorkeling focuses on swimming skills and adopting some breathing exercises. You just need swimming skills, good weather conditions, and good snorkeling equipment. On the other hand, scuba diving can be dangerous if they are not trained well, because divers often go deeper into the sea and stay longer underwater. Learning to scuba dive requires 3 phases (knowledge development, confined water dive, open water dive) after you complete the 3 phases you will achieve an Open Water Diver certification.
Age restriction
Anyone of any age can go snorkeling. For scuba diving, the minimum age starts from 10 years old for Open Water Diver.
What you get to see
Snorkelers only get to see marine life from the surface, usually, snorkelers see small fishes. But scuba divers can and explore more by going deeper and staying longer underwater. In most cases, divers can see big fishes in deeper water.
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