Snorkeling and scuba diving are both fun and brilliant ways of exploring the beautiful world of the ocean and admiring the beauty of marine life. However, the 2 activities differ in many different ways.
The purpose of snorkeling is to observe ocean life while floating just below the surface.
While scuba diving brings you closer to the ocean life and makes you a part of it.
Key differences between snorkeling and scuba diving
Snorkeling does not require a certification and is accessible to anyone. You don’t need any experience and takes just a few minutes to learn. Snorkeling allows you to observe fish, coral reefs, and other marine life from the surface, or you can hold your breath and dive down to get a closer look.
Scuba diving requires a certification and training. There is a lot more involved with scuba diving and requires you to be in good physical condition and have good health. You must also maintain fitness, certifications, and equipment. Scuba diving is much more expensive but allows you to explore the ocean at much greater depths than snorkeling. Scuba diving also allows you to be a part of the ocean, rather than seeing it just from the surface.
Equipment
Snorkeling is an inexpensive way to get a glimpse of the ocean and only involves a mask, snorkel, and fins. The mask covers your eyes and nose and keeps water out of them. The snorkel allows you to breathe while keeping your face submerged underwater.
Scuba diving requires a lot more equipment. Along with a mask and fins, you also need a wetsuit, drysuit, or shorty, depending on the temperature of the water. You also need a regulator, dive computer, pressure gauge, BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), and weights. In some cases when it’s cold you may also need gloves and a hood.
Breathing techniques
Snorkeling allows you to keep your face underwater and still breathe using the snorkeling tube. The breathing tube allows you to breathe for as long as you want because you have a continuous supply of air.
If you want to get a closer look at something, you have to hold your breath and dive down deeper, which fills the tube with water. When you need to take a breath, you have to come back to the surface, let the top end of the tube stick out of the water, and blow air out of the snorkel to clear it before you can inhale more air.
With scuba diving, breathing is much easier. Since you are breathing through a regulator attached to your tank of air, there is no need to surface for air every time you need to take a breath. You can keep your entire body underwater and breath through the regulator. Scuba diving allows you to stay underwater for longer periods of time without the need to hold your breath.
It may seem that breathing on the surface with a snorkel is easier than dealing with all that heavy equipment when diving. But it is surprisingly much more comfortable breathing through a regulator rather than a snorkel. When snorkeling, you have to deal with waves and splashes that’s brings saltwater into the snorkel. This brings a surprise of saltwater straight into your mouth.
Risks and Dangers
Snorkeling is relatively safe and there aren’t many risks. The only real risks are getting in the way of boats or jet skis that may not see you. Since you are on the surface of the ocean, there is the risk of getting sunburn, as well as suffering from dehydration.
Scuba diving has a lot more risks and dangers if you aren’t scuba diving properly. Risks include decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity, malfunctioning equipment, or even pulmonary embolism from an improper ascent. These risks can be prevented if you are diving safely.
Risks that come with both snorkeling and scuba diving include the possibility of drowning, or interacting with marine life. Most sea creatures aren’t aggressive towards humans and attacks are very rare, but accidents can occur.
Benefits
Both snorkeling and scuba diving have many terrific benefits such as health and fitness benefits.
Scuba diving actually has far more benefits than snorkeling. Check out my previous post on the advantages of scuba diving.
So which is better?
The question of whether snorkeling or scuba diving is better all depends on interest and preference. For those who are afraid of the ocean, snorkeling is a terrific way to still enjoy the beauty of the ocean from a distance. It’s a great way to get over your fear and maybe work your way up to eventually scuba diving.
For me personally, snorkeling does not provide the thrill and adrenaline rush that scuba diving does. Along with having bad eyesight, it is so much more exhilarating to be able to see marine life close up!
Scuba diving may seem complicated, but it really is very simple. Both diving and snorkeling are great and if you are a snorkeler, I encourage you to give scuba diving a try to enjoy the underwater world from a different and unique perspective.