snorkeling/scuba diving.... for a very adventorous non-swimmer?

Hello all,

I am about to travel to Honduras in a couple of weeks. I have heard
that it is a snorkeling/scuba diving paradise!

I am very adventours (have done para gliding, sky diving, tubing,
skiing etc). The only water activities I have done are white water
rafting and tubing. unfortunately, I cant swim.. :(. I've never
officially taken classes, but tried various times, but just cant do it.


Snorkeling/Scuba Diving sounds absolutely brilliant to me, and I feel
that as long as I have someone with me I would have the confidence to
do it.

Do you guys think that I could enjoy the pleasures of snorkeling/scuba
diving?

I have two weeks till I am in Honduras and do intend on taking some
classes, if possible. Although it is still 60 degress where I am.

Help much appreciated.

Cheers

<dufffman@gmail.com> wrote

> I am very adventours (have done para gliding, sky diving, tubing,
> skiing etc). The only water activities I have done are white water
> rafting and tubing. unfortunately, I cant swim.. :(. I've never
> officially taken classes, but tried various times, but just cant do it.

Yes you can. You must haven't figured out how yet.

> Snorkeling/Scuba Diving sounds absolutely brilliant to me, and I feel
> that as long as I have someone with me I would have the confidence to
> do it.

Depending on somebody else in a situation like this is a recepe for
disaster. Figure out a way to do it safely without help. Then do it with
somebody who will help if necessary.

> Do you guys think that I could enjoy the pleasures of snorkeling/scuba
> diving?

> I have two weeks till I am in Honduras and do intend on taking some
> classes, if possible. Although it is still 60 degress where I am.

Of course. We would not be here if we didn't know how much fun diving is.
A better question is, do you have time to learn to do it safely. The answer
is, quite possibly not. Don't let that stop you from trying.

Lee

<dufffman@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1117851975.674780.297160@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...

> Hello all,

> I am about to travel to Honduras in a couple of weeks. I have heard
> that it is a snorkeling/scuba diving paradise!

I was there a long time ago, and the most prescious treasure I found in
Honduras is the people.

I would love to go back there, diving or not.

Lee,

I was a bit confused by your response. I think the wording threw me
off a little.

my question is I am going to start taking swimming lessons beginning
next week. I am very determined to learn, and hope to "figure out how
to swim" under someone's guidance by the end of next week.

Can you please clarify something for me? It probably sounds very
ignorant, but to go scuba diving do you have to be a certified diver?

Now assuming I know how to swim (although only as a beginner) would you
recommend I go scuba diving?

And what about snorkeling. If I cant scuba dive, can I at least
snorkel?

Cheers

Lee Bell wrote:
> <dufffman@gmail.com> wrote
>
> > I am very adventours (have done para gliding, sky diving, tubing,
> > skiing etc). The only water activities I have done are white water
> > rafting and tubing. unfortunately, I cant swim.. :(. I've never
> > officially taken classes, but tried various times, but just cant do it.
>
> Yes you can. You must haven't figured out how yet.
>
> > Snorkeling/Scuba Diving sounds absolutely brilliant to me, and I feel
> > that as long as I have someone with me I would have the confidence to
> > do it.
>
> Depending on somebody else in a situation like this is a recepe for
> disaster. Figure out a way to do it safely without help. Then do it with
> somebody who will help if necessary.
>
> > Do you guys think that I could enjoy the pleasures of snorkeling/scuba
> > diving?
>
> > I have two weeks till I am in Honduras and do intend on taking some
> > classes, if possible. Although it is still 60 degress where I am.
>
> Of course. We would not be here if we didn't know how much fun diving is.
> A better question is, do you have time to learn to do it safely. The answer
> is, quite possibly not. Don't let that stop you from trying.
>
> Lee

<dufffman@gmail.com> wrote

> my question is I am going to start taking swimming lessons beginning
> next week. I am very determined to learn, and hope to "figure out how
> to swim" under someone's guidance by the end of next week.

Generally, depending on somebody else to keep you safe in the water is not a
good idea unless they are truly dedicated to your safety. This is how
handicapped people occasionally get to dive, including the blind. The kind
of care and attention they get, however, is way beyond what the average
diver or snorkeler would get.

I'm a former Water Safety Instructor. I used to teach children and adults
to swim. Adults are usually harder, but those that are truly comitted
usually succeed. You can learn to swim, but you may not be able to learn to
swim in the timeframes you have described.

> Can you please clarify something for me? It probably sounds very
> ignorant, but to go scuba diving do you have to be a certified diver?
> Now assuming I know how to swim (although only as a beginner) would you
> recommend I go scuba diving?

There's more to it than that. I know divers who, without fins, are lousy
swimmers. They say they can't swim, but that's not entirely true. They
can, just not well. Fins make a world of difference. Swimming without fins
is quite unlike swimming with them. For most swimmers, the hands and arms
are the primary method of moving in the water. With fins, the legs and fins
are all you need and, normally, all you use. It is generally believed that
it is more efficient to keep your hands and arms still and use your fins
only. There's a fair chance that you'll be able to swim well enough when
wearing fins to learn to snorkel or dive, but be sure before you risk
yourself in water deeper than you can stand up in.

As to scuba diving, the answer to the first part is yes and no. Normally,
you get certified before you dive. There are basic rules that will allow
you to dive safely that, if ignored, can and have killed people. Nothing
complicated, but things that must be known and done to dive safely. The
entry level courses teach these rules plus assembly and use of tanks,
regulators, buoyancy compensators, etc. and a few very basic skills you are
likely to need sooner or later, things like clearing a flooded mask
underwater and adjusting your buoyancy. There are so called resort courses
that do not result in certification. You get minimal, but essential,
instruction, a bit of practice with mask, fins and other equipment, and then
get to dive under close supervision (hopefully) of somebody trained to
assist the very inexperienced. Most certified divers find these resort
courses to be a bit on the risky side, but a lot of them have been done
successfully. In your case, your lack of swimming skills probably adds to
the potential for problems and the likelyhood of panic should you have one.
In my personal opinion, you'd be pushing your luck, but it's your luck to
push if you chose. If you try a resort course, pay close attention to the
instructions and make sure you understand them fully. Pay particular
attention when you're told not to hold your breath. Pay a lot of attention
to the ratio of dive supervisors to guests and how your instructor responds
to questions. Consider what will happen if more than one guest has a
problem at the same time.

I prefer a slower approach to diving, starting with swimming, progressing to
snorkeling and then moving on to diving. Instruction can help you learn to
swim and to snorkel. It's pretty much necessary for diving.

> And what about snorkeling. If I cant scuba dive, can I at least
> snorkel?

In my previous post, I suggested you find a way to be in the water safely
without assistance and then pursue your goals with assistance. I was hoping
you'd come up with your own ideas. Figuring it out for yourself is usually
a more effective way to learn than hearing it from somebody else. One way
is what is called a snorkel vest. It's an inflatable bladder that you wear
over your head and strapped around your waist. Most can be inflated orally
or by CO2 cartridge all of them are designed to help keep your head above
water. They are required on most snorkeling boats I know of. Having one
and knowing how to use it effectively, are not the same. A weak swimmer
should consider wearing one anytime they're in the water and, for that
matter, wearing something to serve the same purpose any time they're on the
water, including when they are in a boat. To be effective, you have to have
a flotation device handy when you need it. The best way to do that is to
wear it.

If you can master using a mask and snorkel and purging both while in the
water as well as propelling yourself around with fins, you can probably
snorkel safely. Practice in the shallow end of a pool until you're
comfortable.

Lee

Another word for adventurous is foolhardy. And in my humble opinion, having
the confidence to do a thing without the ability to do it is a recipe for
disaster.

Sure, you can probably snorkel without being able to swim. Fins make it
easy. What happens if you lose a fin?

I just finished a beginning scuba course. I thought it would be simple,
because I've snorkelled a lot. While it's not rocket science, there's a lot
more to it than I expected. Now I know why you have to be certified, why
you can't just buy the gear and go. A prerequisite of the course is being
able to swim, and I presume it's in there for a reason.

Learn to swim first, take a class. Honduras will always be there.

"curlyQlink" <paulfxfoley@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:ssHoe.13324$uR4.1672@newsread2.news.atl.earth link.net...

> Sure, you can probably snorkel without being able to swim. Fins make it
> easy. What happens if you lose a fin?

That's why you bring a redundant backup on the other foot.

> I just finished a beginning scuba course. I thought it would be simple,
> because I've snorkelled a lot. While it's not rocket science, there's a
> lot
> more to it than I expected. Now I know why you have to be certified, why
> you can't just buy the gear and go. A prerequisite of the course is being
> able to swim, and I presume it's in there for a reason.

I thought a prerequisite for normal human life was knowing how to swim, just
like knowing how to walk and run and sit. But maybe that's just because I'm
a Pisces or I was raised in Southern California only 26 blocks from the
ocean.

"Greg Mossman" wrote

> I thought a prerequisite for normal human life was knowing how to swim,
> just like knowing how to walk and run and sit. But maybe that's just
> because I'm a Pisces or I was raised in Southern California only 26 blocks
> from the ocean.

Perhaps you're right. I was swimming before I can remember and I'm a Pisces
from the right coast. I don't think I've ever been 26 blocks from the
ocean, but I've never lived more than a half hour from it. I compensated by
having a pool and/or lake in the back yard.

Lee

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 23:10:07 GMT, "Lee Bell"
<leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

>"Greg Mossman" wrote
>
>> I thought a prerequisite for normal human life was knowing how to swim,
>> just like knowing how to walk and run and sit. But maybe that's just
>> because I'm a Pisces or I was raised in Southern California only 26 blocks
>> from the ocean.
>
>Perhaps you're right. I was swimming before I can remember and I'm a Pisces
>from the right coast. I don't think I've ever been 26 blocks from the
>ocean, but I've never lived more than a half hour from it. I compensated by
>having a pool and/or lake in the back yard.
>
>Lee
>

I know how you feel. I'm a Pisces, ex-Water Safety Instructor, current
Master Diver Trainer and I can vividly remember the first time I was
able to 'swim'. I couldn't have been more than four or five. I
remember walking out into the water until it was up to my neck and
pushing forward to glide to the pole. I can still see the pole that I
was aiming for vividly in my memory and see my hand closing around it.
It was the coolest thing I had ever done. It's one of my earliest
memories.

Since then I have always felt at home in the water and I strongly
suspect that I am a transphibian.

"mbsdiver" wrote

> I know how you feel. I'm a Pisces, ex-Water Safety Instructor, current
> Master Diver Trainer and I can vividly remember the first time I was
> able to 'swim'. I couldn't have been more than four or five.

I'm also an ex Water Safety Instructor. I was swimming long before I was
four or five.

> Since then I have always felt at home in the water and I strongly
> suspect that I am a transphibian.

Generally, I'd rather be in the water than out. I hesitate to ask, however,
what a transphibian is. Sounds hydroerotic.

Lee