What is Snorkelling?
Snorkelling is the magical activity of swimming under water, discovering mysterious plants and unknown animals living there. People wear wet suits, a diving mask, a snorkel and fins and swim under water.
Why do we need a Snorkel?
Humans need oxygen to breathe. In water, the hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to form H2O. So, the oxygen is used and our bodies fail to get oxygen. Fishes can extract oxygen from the water, unlike us, but with great difficulty. Water has 20 times less oxygen than air.
How does the Snorkel work?
One end of the snorkel stays above water and allows the oxygen to enter our lungs. The snorkel looks like an elephant’s trunk and is used to help humans breathe under water. It is made of rubber and is usually about one foot long and an inch in width. A longer tube is useless, as there is more pressure as we swim deeper in water. This creates breathing problems, as our lungs cannot function in high pressure.
How is the Snorkel worn?
A mask covers the swimmer’s eyes and nose. There is another piece of rubber that attaches the snorkel to the mask and is inserted into the swimmer’s mouth.
Swimmers wear fins on their legs. This helps in gently gliding and swimming under water. Breathing also becomes easier. The swimmer keeps his hands close to his body with the fins at a pointed angle.
The swimmer’s knees bend and the fins are kicked to swim under water. If water enters the snorkel, the swimmer has to rise up and get rid of the water.
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