There are nearly 20 million snorkelers worldwide. Of those, just over half of them are in the U.S. That means snorkeling is well-liked by many kinds of people. It also means you may be looking to buy snorkeling gear if you’re part of the 20 million people.
You know you need a mask and a snorkel, but do you need flippers to snorkel?
In this article, we’ll look at the reasons for using flippers when you’re snorkeling. We’ll also touch on important tips for getting started and how much you should plan to spend on flippers.
Can You Snorkel without Flippers?
You can go snorkeling without flippers. It’s ok to go barefoot. You may also wear water shoes or boots. If you’re a good swimmer with no problems when it comes to diving down further in the water, then you might feel more comfortable without flippers.
Flippers make it easier to get down deeper in less time. They can save you time, energy, and keep you from missing out on what you want to see.
Take Advantage of Flippers for Snorkeling
You reduce your risk of injury and death by using flippers to snorkel. Technically, you do not need flippers to snorkel. You’ll just be less comfortable in the water and at greater risk of harm.
Let’s look at the advantages of snorkeling with flippers.
Maximizing Thrust
Flippers have much more surface area than your feet. When you kick through the water with more surface area, you displace more water which gives you more thrust in the direction you’re trying to move.
Why is thrust important? Snorkelers use thrust to get closer to something they want to see. Much of what they’re looking at is below them. Some sea creatures are quick to move away, so maximizing your thrust power to get there quicker is ideal. You can reach what you’re trying to get to faster with greater thrust power.
Preserving Energy
Snorkeling is a fun and exciting activity. It comes with some risk, though. Every year the number of fatalities reported from snorkeling increases, of late. In Hawaii alone, the average number of snorkeling deaths has risen to around 21 per year.
One of the biggest contributing factors is overexertion. It takes a lot of energy to move a body through water.
Using flippers to snorkel cuts down on the energy needed to move in the water. It’s more efficient. You move further with less motion. You also move faster with less motion. You’ll preserve your energy by using flippers.
Overcoming Waves and Currents
Water is powerful. Waves can knock you over and push you down. Currents can pull you away from and push you back toward the shore. Flippers enable you to counter the power of the water so you can cut through it more effectively.
In order to move through waves and currents, you must be able to create enough power to do so. Flippers give you the ability to do that. The harder you rock your hips and kick your feet, the easier it will be to overcome the waves and currents working against you.
Better Control
As you’re gliding through the water looking at sea life, your eyes will catch things further away you’d like to see more closely. You’ll need to navigate over to where they are to get a better look.
Flippers provide you with better control over direction and steering when you’re snorkeling. It’s easier to turn and navigate around corals or other things in your way without disturbing them or causing damage.
When wearing flippers, you can flick your ankles to pivot yourself in another direction while staying in place. It’s useful for watching sea life swimming around you. It also helps you turn corners or back up if you must.
Find out how many types of swim dives there are here.
Accomplish More in Less Time
Many of us snorkel when we go on vacation, which means our time is limited. You may have an itinerary full of scheduled activities planned out for each day. You may also want as much time as possible to lay on the beach and relax. Either way, optimizing your time in the water is a good thing.
You do this by using flippers that help you navigate, steer, move faster, and thrust harder through the water. Flippers make your efforts more effective and efficient. There’s a reason why sea creatures have them built into their bodies. Flippers are designed for optimized movement through the water.
Practice, Practice, Practice
It’s not ideal to get in the open water with flippers, having never used them before. Try them in a controlled water space before your snorkeling adventure. It’s safer than going straight into the ocean.
Understand that swimming with flippers won’t feel natural right away. There is a learning curve to using them. We mentioned above how flicking your ankles while snorkeling with flippers allows you to pivot in place. It’s not likely you’ll figure out how to do that your first time down.
Allow yourself the time to learn how to swim and maneuver with flippers before deciding you’ll never use them again. Practice on your own. Look for snorkeling instruction videos online. You can even find snorkeling classes. Most of us don’t pick up a new skill with only one or two attempts.
Be patient, practice, and always give it your best effort. Before you know it, you’ll start to see progress.
How Much Do Snorkeling Flippers Cost?
There are various levels of snorkel gear for different levels of interest and skill. Choose from basic, intermediate, and premium gear. Snorkel flippers are no exception.
A basic pair of snorkel flippers are typically made of hard, stiff rubber. You can find them for about $50. Some basic pairs have some nice bonus features and cost between $50 and $75.
The price goes up from there. Intermediate flippers may be more flexible and comfortable. You’ll spend closer to $100 or $150. Premium flippers made for serious snorkelers may be $200 or more.
Final Thoughts
Snorkeling flippers make the activity more fun, less exhausting, and safer. They may even save your life, in certain situations. You can snorkel without them, but it’s a bit like rock climbing without a harness or skiing without poles. You can still do it, just not as safely or effectively. Flippers give you the ability to move through the water more fluidly like the creatures you’re trying to see. The advantages are well worth the money you’ll spend to get them.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult a legal expert or medical professional to address your specific needs.