I have been offered the chance to go with a friend who wants to snorkel down a river where the salmon travel,apparently we go in the same direction to them and they are all around us .. I said no as I doubt my back would stand it,,but it is haunting me.
I swim well, but have only been in a pool in recent years.
I haven`t used flippers since I was a kid, nor a snorkel either . Oh and my breathing is not good.
Any ideas would help.
XX Jeannine
I just love snorkelling. Started only three years ago on holiday. The red sea ( actually technically the gulf of aqaba) so the sea tends to be fairly calm and the sights are just off the end of the hotel jetty. I cannot get used to flippers at all so tend to give them a miss. If you have never used a snorkel I would try it out first in your local swimiing pool. It takes a little getting used to. Breathing with your head under water and a mask on takes a bit of practice. Most pools here ban glass masks but most are plastic these days.
I do find being able to see underwater and feeling like a fish is very exhilerating. Beiing surrounded with fish is wonderful. Once you are in the water with the fish they seem to ignore you and so suddenly you are part of their world, magic.
Getting a wet suit off and on is the worst bit for me. Never understood by the zips are down the back.
I cannot help but think it is easier than the rafting. Obviously difficult to know the conditions you may experience or the limitation of your back.
I find water very supportive and it is getting in and out that is more of an issue.
I'm a scuba diver so have done a fair bit of snorkelling too over the last 30 years. Whether you can cope will be almost entirely dependent on the nature of the water you intend snorkelling in.
If it's calm and shallow where you can stand up at any time and you intend staying in the one place, you will probably be OK. As long as you can stand up, you don't even need to practice with a mask and snorkel as you can just take them off if they fill up. Wearing a wetsuit will give you buoyancy and if you feel you need more, you can also wear a buoyancy aid.
Moving water is a different kettle of fish, moreso if there are obstructions like rocks in the water. Finning in moving water is hard work and if your muscles aren't used to it, you will tire quickly and you will get out of breath. Even if the water is taking you in the direction you want, you may need to fin hard to avoid obstructions. In moving water where you're out of your depth, you must be able to clear your mask and snorkel so you will have to do pool sessions, ideally using the fins too. It takes a bit of practice to clear mask and snorkel effectively so that you don't inhale or swallow a lot of water.
If both of you are inexperienced but determined to go ahead, I would recommend having boat or shore cover - someone following you who keeps you in sight at all times. Divers and snorkellers use the buddy system - if you get into trouble, your buddy is trained to help you. If neither of you are trained or have any experience, you should have someone else who can help looking out for you.
As far as equipment is concerned, if you have a choice go for a low volume mask - less water to clear. And although long fins look cool, it takes a lot more effort to make them work so shorter are better for the less fit. And no snorkels with ping pong balls in. Wearing bootees is more comfortable, you're less likely to get blisters from the fins. Always walk backwards when wearing fins. Before you go, check your proposed entrance and exit points. When you're exhausted you don't want to have to climb a cliff or scramble over boulders. Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
Immersing yourself in an unbreathable liquid is one of those things along with jumping out a perfectly good working aircraft and unecessarily going down deep dangerous holes in the ground that ive never seen the point of.
Wildlife, shipwrecks, going where no man has gone before, the thrill of doing something that is somewhat riskier than one's ordinary existence. I've never seen the point of 22 men kicking a ball around a pitch and trying to get it between sticks in the ground but whatever floats your boat.
I did my first snorkelling in a hotel jacuzzi since the swimming pool was too cold. It took me several sessions to be comfortable with the snorkell. And then graduated to deep water, since walking across reef was not allowed. Luckily sea water more buoyant than fresh. Not much of a waterbaby me but I can say that I find snorkelling a truly wonderful experience. I even enjoy crawling about in shallow water wearing a snorkel.
I totally agree with Ceres about getting out again once you are tired. Somehow in water I find I do not realise how tired I have got.
I am not sure I would have foreseen just how enjoyable I find snorkelling.
Snorkelling is a window into a magical world. Even in relatively shallow water you can see amazing wildlife you would otherwise be oblivious to.
I think as Ceres said...depends a lot on the river. I snorkled years ago on stretches o a French river I was canoeing down...some stretches were scary/white water I stayed in the canoe...others we were in slow, lazily moving stretches where we snorkled in among huge fish in warm, clear water. It was idyllic. If it is gentle, safe water I would go for it....flotation device is a sound idea.
Wow, what wonderful advise, thankyou.
Digeroo, you make it sound wonderful and I really wantn to have a go, but Ceres you have made me look at a bit more realsitcally and I doubt I could do it.It is moving water , much of it is very shallow but therer are also deep parts and there are rapids too. It is a guided swim, it has to be done carefullly so there is no injury ton the salmon breeding grounds, Hector it sounds magical..
I have a million questions for you but I am going to see if I can find the link that has the video on..
XX Jeannine
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uhf6mGVnwck
I just watched the link again and they seem to go very fast, I can also hear the man breathing quite heavily, I think I may be chasing rainbows here but what do you think? How hard does it look from a snorkelers point of view, there are a lot of rocks etc.. ???
XX Jeannine
A guided tour is a different proposition. They should have enough trained and experienced people in the water to assist with any problems. The video looked relatively benign to me. Most of the water is quite shallow, the bottom is flat (the rocks are below you rather than having to swim around them. The water is moving quite fast but it's not turbulent except in one place that passed very quickly. It looks like you could just float down with the current all the way with not too much effort or risk. The noise isn't heavy breathing, it's just normal breathing amplified through the snorkel tube.
I would still recommend you practice mask and snorkel clearing. If you breath in water, you can't fight the urge to panic and that can leave you teetering on the edge of the incident pit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_pit).
You really should call the tour people and see what they advise. They've probably had this question a million times before.
Jeannine, if the trip is in Campbell River, will it be with Destiny River Tours? That's who we did our white water trip with. Really, really, knowledgable, fantastic guys. Most of the 'touristy' based trips, ie people who don't do it on an experienced or professional level, usually have easy access and are suitable for almost all ages and abilities but as has been mentioned; always best to ring or email them first to ask. Blimey, you're really going for it this year, aren't you? ;D What next, skydiving??
Their webpage: http://www.destinyriver.com/rafting_tours_snorkel_salmon.php
Their snorkelling with the salmon gallery: http://www.destinyriver.com/photo_gallery.php?gallery_id=8
Their youtube video of snorkelling with the Salmon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7w6l2OLOmQ
I have been diving in the deep blue with a lady paralysed from the waist down so it is doable but it does depend on how you feel about it.
Looking at the vid it seems quite mellow to me - Ceres is right - watch it with the sound down!
I was in a pool last week and was surprised how difficult it was. I can no longer swim the way I used to, the water tries to turn me into a position I can't do anymore and as my back is much more crooked now it was very painful. I managed to swim just fine but only by side stroke on my right side only.I could float just fine on my back as the twist worked with me but couldn't swim on my front as my back was arched up in the air and my head under water .. I will have to go to the pool and try and swim with my head down in the water and see how that goes.
Sam, sky diving was another dream but there is no way now, the harness would be too painfuil and again it would straighten me.. so that one has to go.
I still have the cuddling orangutans to look forward to though.
XX Jeannine
Can you swim on your side but turn your head down into the water? Afterall I doubt there will be any prizes for your swimming technique. I for example swim and snorkel without getting water in my ears. Can you take your snorkel and mask to the swimming pool and see what you can achieve? Just been reading that they do not permit this nowadays. Though the reasons seem to be unclear. They were not so fussy in Egypt. Seems you can go on snorkelling courses in this country.
I have managed very well with a cheap set. I bought a more expensive one but did not find it any better and did not like the flippers.
Actually the water in the videos seems to be quite tranquill. My experience of snorkelling is that it is easier in deeper water. My guess is that they will not want you to walk on the bottom because it will disturb the bottom living creatures as well as stir up the mud into the water and make it impossible to see. In Egypt touching anything is forbidden though I found that the Russians take liberties. It can be a bit of an issue there if someone comes past in a boat, hence the value of practicing in the jacuzzi.
Also I have not found a video of getting in and out of the water. Do you climb out of the raft and rather harder climb back in? or walk in from the side? Estuary water presumeably salty so more supportive. I am also somewhat overweight so sinking is not an issue for me.
I float like a rubber ball.. but have to have my head turned when swimming sideways, I know I can`t do it now..the mobility is my neck is very poor, I can only turn it about three inches either way.
They take you to a safe point in the river where you don`t damage anything, then you come out at another safe point further on.
Oh well I am glad I asked, I probabl would have said yes and then come a cropper.
Now if I could float down sitting on an inner tube I might be OK..and stick my head down in the water now and again..LOL
Oh well, roll on Boneo!!
XX Jeannine
you need a glass bottomed boat ;D
OOh you are right.. XX Jeannine
Meeting Orangs sounds pretty magical.