Summer is here, the perfect opportunity to go immerse yourself to enjoy fish and underwater beauties.
You’ve heard of scuba diving, freediving and snorkeling, but what’s the difference?
And what type of diving suits you best?
We offer you a brief overview of these three aquatic activities.
Snorkeling, scuba diving, apnea, what are the differences?
Between these three disciplines, there are mainly four differences:
The duration of the dive, i.e. the time you will spend underwater; The equipment which is very different from one dive to another; The emotions they bring, because these 3 disciplines are very different and do not arouse the same feelings; The price, because these 3 dives do not represent the same budget for the holidays.
Le snorkeling
Snorkeling consists of very simple equipment, namely a mask, snorkel and flippers.
We talk about diving, but, in reality, there is reason to procrastinate, because with snorkeling, you stay on the surface of the water.
The advantage is that your snorkel brings you all the air you need, so you can swim and observe for as long as you want.
So no time constraint.
You can make a snorkeling excursion, that is to say, go by boat and accompanied by an instructor who will cost you a small ticket, as you can go on an adventure simply with your mask and your snorkel to explore the reefs .
The advantage is that you enjoy total freedom in your schedule and that this activity is really inexpensive.
Finally, this discipline does not require any training or physical condition, so it is a great opportunity to share a sporting activity with the family, since it is accessible to both children and adults.
The idea is to marvel effortlessly.
Read also: Snorkeling for beginners: everything you absolutely need to know before exploring the seabed
scuba diving
As part of scuba diving, the equipment is a little more restrictive.
You need :
a bottle of air to allow you to breathe underwater, a regulator that will make the connection between your bottle and your mouth, a vest and weights to allow you to control your buoyancy underwater , a nanometer to estimate the amount of air remaining and, depending on the water temperature, a wetsuit.
In addition, to practice diving, you need to have trainingthat is to say a small training of one hour when you pass your baptism, or pass levels when you want to dive deeper and develop your skills.
For recreational diving, you must always be accompanied by a professional.
Between the equipment and the instructor, it is certain that the budget goes up.
Depending on the country where you are and the diving itself, the cost is very variable, between 22 and 75 euros, on average.
This discipline is therefore not within the reach of all wallets or all people.
Indeed, you must be in good physical condition, a medical questionnaire is often submitted to you.
Despite the constraints involved, scuba diving is the diving that allows you to truly breathe underwater.
You spend the most time there and have plenty of time to explore the corals and say hello to the fish.
Indeed, the dives last from 35 minutes to 1 hour, and take place between 12 and 60 meters deep, depending on the certification, so you are witnessing a real aquatic spectacle that transcends you.
Read also: Take your scuba diving baptism
snorkeling
For snorkeling, the equipment is quite similar to that for snorkeling, the tuba is not even necessary.
On the other hand, you must use very long fins, because these allow you to move over a longer distance, while minimizing your efforts as much as possible.
Indeed, apnea diving consists of stay submerged underwater as long as possible while holding your breath.
Every move costs you energy and lowers your propensity to stay underwater, it is therefore necessary to protect oneself as much as possiblestress and movements.
Indeed, your time in the water is strictly limited to your lung capacity, from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Freedivers often close their eyes and are able to lock themselves in their bubble so as not to be distracted, in a state of underwater meditation, their goal being to descend as deeply as possible and come back up before having no more air.
So on the budget side, if you have your equipment, you won’t pay a penny.
In freediving or in scuba, by moving in depth, you will be subjected to the pressure of the water…
Then you need perform an equalization procedure which consists of opening the Eustachian tubes normally closed, to let the air pass and relieve the ears of the pressure, thus avoiding accidents.
Which dive is made for me?
After this short description of the 3 existing types of diving, you are certainly wondering if one suits you better than another?
When to snorkel?
We recommend snorkeling if:
You are not comfortable in the water or do not know how to swim (in this case, simply put on a life jacket); You have a tight budget; You don’t have much time or laziness to get organized; You have nothing against fish, but by far it’s better.
When to freediving?
Freediving is for you if:
You don’t like tying yourself up with all your gear underwater and prefer to have a real fish experience; If you enjoy a challenge and are looking to push your limits (dive longer and deeper is often part of the process); Are looking for an activity that can help you clear your mind and control your body; Your main motivation is not watching fish.
When to go scuba diving?
We recommend scuba diving if:
You are passionate about the seabed and want to observe fish, corals, wrecks, etc. for as long as possible. ; You are not afraid of surprising encounters (sharks, giant jellyfish, aggressive trigger fish, etc.); You are looking for a solution to improve your sleep problems (with diving your body is saturated with nitrogen and you usually sleep like a baby afterwards).
And why not all 3?
In reality, there are no rules, you are completely entitled to experience pleasure in each of these three disciplines.
Indeed, they are completely compatible and even allow you to develop underwater skills.
apnea can help you gain calm and serenity which can be useful for scuba diving, helping you to breathe more calmly to preserve the air in your tank.
A golden rule to respect nevertheless, you cannot chain a scuba dive with a snorkeling, because the risk of decompression sickness is too high.
So after a deep dive, prefer snorkeling to prolong the pleasure at a lower cost.
Updated by Emma on: 08/07/2023
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