We love being in the ocean! Snorkeling is definitely up there with our favourite things to do in the ocean. We’ve picked up some great snorkelling hacks by doing it so much!
We love to swim with the fishes!
After going on a trip to coral bay with some friends, we realised we had some good ways to make your snorkeling trip that much more enjoyable and to help you stay in the water longer to catch a sight of those elusive turtles. We out lasted all our friends on our snorkeling trips because we had these handy hacks up our wetsuit sleeves.
The more comfortable you are in the water, the longer you are going to be able to stay out there and the more you are going to enjoy the magic of the reefs and underwater worlds you are exploring. Try out these tips and let us know how you go!
Be sure to check out our Instagram for some of our favourite snorkelling spots!
Socks!
The easiest and by far cheapest hack we have is wearing socks with your flippers. (You definitely need flippers so you can keep up with the faster wildlife and to ensure you get less tired on longer swims.)
First of all, they stop your heel from getting sunburnt. A very common occurrence when snorkeling as people forget that you will be face down and exposing this area to more sun than it’s used to. But most importantly, the socks help to stop your flippers from rubbing on your feet and creating blisters.
Trust us blisters and salt water is not fun! As an added bonus, the socks keep your toes warmer, which in turn, helps you stay comfortable in the cold water. If you forget your socks and end up with blisters, pop some Vaseline on them to stop them from getting worse.
Wetsuits
From the cheapest hack to the most expensive. A wetsuit really is a must. We promise you won’t regret it!
We had full wetsuits, one of our friends had a spring suit and everyone else just had bathers. Guess who lasted the longest at all the different snorkel spots we went to? We did! Our friend in the spring suit lasted much longer than those in bathers, but she did get cold faster than us.
Honestly, we were unsure if they would be worth it as wed never snorkeled with them before, but seeing how much more we got out of the trip, we would never go back and now we bring our wetsuits everywhere! The extra thing about a wetsuit that completely sold Tiff on the concept was that they mean NO SUNSCREEN!!!
Tiff gets burnt so easy and absolutely loathes putting sunscreen on every couple hours, especially at the beach where you are wet and get sand sticking to your sunscreen, YUCK! And unless you are using reef safe sunscreen, it really isn’t good for the ocean. So you stay warm and get to be environmentally friendly as well!
We like most travellers are on a budget so we got our wetsuits cheap from a warehouse for $99 each. Sure they aren’t the most pretty or have the famous brands on them but they do the trick and didn’t blow our budget. Our friend was lucky enough to find hers at an op-shop for much less than we paid. Second hand still does the job, so see what you can find.
Fixing a Leaking Mask
The most annoying thing when you are trying to watch the sea life underwater is a leaking mask. The water inside your mask obscures your vision and hurts your eyes. Stopping every so often to empty it is annoying as well. What if that’s when a turtle swims by?! To stop this from happening, we have a few tips.
Firstly, make sure your mask isn’t too tight. This does go against logic, but trust us, it works. If your mask is too tight on your face, it won’t be able to create a proper seal and you’ll end up with water in it. A properly fitted mask should create a suction to your face when you press it on without the strap on. (If this doesn’t happen, you need to try a different mask.) Then when you do put the strap on, pulling too tight with warp the plastic and break this seal.
Hair is not your friend in creating a seal with your mask. Braid your hair back to keep it off your face and make sure you don’t have any little pieces creating into your mask. The easiest way to do this is to get a friend to check for you before going into the water or slick your hair back with water before putting on your mask.
For those of us with facial hair short of shaving it off, there is no way to keep it out of your mask. The hair will stop your mask from creating a proper seal and you’ll notice water slowly leaking in. To fix this, put Vaseline over your mustache! This helps to create that seal around your lips and stop the pesky water from getting in.
Toothpaste!
Perhaps one of our strangest snorkelling hacks
Yes, this next hack involves toothpaste! What’s worse than water in your mask? A foggy mask!
When your mask fogs up, you can’t see a thing and have to stop to clear it out with water. So before going out, rub some toothpaste (non abrasive non whitening cause it will scratch) into the glasses part of your mask, then rinse it in the water.
Do not rub it out, just a quick rinse.
Other things that we have been told work for this are baby oil or shampoo. We have only tried the toothpaste, though. You can also get a spray designed to do the same thing if you’d prefer to be fancy.
A quick note on this one is if you have a brand new mask, you won’t need to do this. Most masks come with an antifog already applied. If you do use toothpaste or something similar, it will rub the antifog off. So don’t use anything until you need it!
Practice
It may sound silly but practicing with your mask and snorkel in a pool or just practice breathing through the snorkel on the couch. Will make a big difference to how well you go in the ocean.
Doing this in a controlled environment like the pool will help you feel more confident in the waves of the ocean. So swim with your mask and snorkel at the local pool!
We recommend practicing diving underwater and blowing water out of your snorkel as you surface. This can be really hard to do. (Tiff still struggles with it at times). It is a much needed skill even if you don’t plan on diving under the water as waves sometimes fill up your snorkel.
Blowing the water out is much easier than having to stop mid swim to tip the water out, especially if it’s wavy as you’ll most likely end up with a mouthful of water.
Start Off Small and Close to Shore
When you do start snorkeling in the ocean, start small. It’s important to know your limits and be aware of the current/tide.
If you swim with the current, it’s gonna be twice as hard to get back swimming against it, so don’t use all your energy before you turn back.
Alternatively, get out and walk back instead of swimming against the current. If you are unsure about the tides or the conditions of the snorkeling spot, check in with the local council. In Exmouth and coral bay there are resources you can use to make sure you are safe when snorkeling.
Stay safe and utilise our snorkelling hacks!
If you have never swum in the ocean before, make sure you do so for the first time at a beach with lifeguards. Ocean swimming and snorkeling are very different from swimming in a pool.
Alternatively, go on a tour or book a guide to go with you for your first time, so you know you will be safe.
Do your research on how to stay safe in the area you are snorkeling as well.
Whilst this list gives you some good tips on how to make your snorkeling more enjoyable, it definitely isn’t a safety list, nor is it an exhaustive list of how to start your snorkeling adventures if you’ve never done it before. It’s a good place to start thought so good luck and enjoy!
Keen for more inspo? Be sure to check out:
- 5 Insta Worthy Margaret River Beaches
- 5 Must Visit Auckland Beaches
- Top 10 Things To Do In Busselton & Surrounds
