[Closed] Snorkelling advice

I did loads in cyprus over my 6 months there. I would say dont get carried away in your own little world and keep an eye on the kids, it's amazing how far you can travel in the water when you're following fish n things.

Plenty of suncream on your backs, I burnt mine to bits!

I found a weighted belt good for diving down too. Might get one cheap out there.

Rash vest to protect from the sun.Supermarket has them.

Rash vest to protect from the sun.Supermarket has them.

That was what I was going to say, also plenty of sunblock on the back of your legs and ankles. You get burnt in weird places as you spend such a long time in the same position. if you're feeling a bit daring try and get hold of a waterproof torch, snorkelling at night is ace.

Once you get out there have a little practise diving and clearing the snorkel with one good sharp exhalation, it's easy once you get the knack but some people can be a bit freaked out by the water in the snorkel.

Easier to carry your fins into the water and put them on once you can float rather than trying to walk in them.

Never even thought of a rash vest - had planned a t-shirt and loads of sun cream - looks like a last minute trip to decathlon for me tomorrow!

Sun-cream +1, I burned the backs of my heals/lower calf quite badly once as it's an easily missed area!

I'd also say don't use your arms as (in my experience) just using your legs/fins seems to makes you far less scary to fish etc.

Watch out for urchins! 😯

Basic safety rule is don't all free dive at once. Keep one on the surface. Watch out for currents and drifting too far from shore. I suspect that will be easy in Corfu as the floor will disappear pretty quickly. Don't over do it with underwater arches and caves. +1 for taking a torch and heading out at night. Make sure it's not a boaty area, snorkellers are pretty hard to spot, you could take an SMB (surface marker buoy) out but that might be overkill

A hat is good for keeping the sun off
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and watch out for wildlife
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Inspiring!

Can't over emphasise the sunscreen. Mrs Goat burnt her butt/thighs big style in Turkey.

One other thing, in places like Greece etc don't be tempted to bring stuff you find to the surface. They get pretty arsey about theft of priceless archaeological artefacts.

I'll try to leave them with all their marbles. Maybe.

Keep a good listen out for jet skis - as others have said you'll be difficult to spot in anything but absolutely flat calm conditions.

The right tires are critical!

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Thanks folks - some really sound advice.

Trip to decathlon this evening, and there's a halfords next door so I'll ask them what tyres for sandy beaches and Mediterranean Sea bed.

See you in a fortnight 🙂

I DO NOT want to know why the chap in JoeG's pic has not zipped up his wetsuit properly.

Shudder

One of our customers was in the Med recently and said the sea was full of jellyfish. Might be worth checking before you go in.
Have a great trip, I'm jealous.

Jellies are quite common in the med. I see them almost everytime I go out snorkeling, long sleeve rash vest helps.

Don't let it put you off, the snorkeling will be great.

The amount varies year to year, I have not read of an mass invasion yet this year.

My youngest loves snorkeling with me, it is not unusual for us to be out an hour at a time. Hug the coast line, you will see the most in the shallows around the rocky coast line.

Take it slow, sometimes just float and stare, it can be amazing what you miss at a first glance.

don't forget to spit into your mask to stop it misting up:-)

There are a lot of jelly fish warnings in the med at the time. However they are said to not be harmful, Im off to Greece for a week and snorkelling so hope its ok.

+1 on l/sleeve rash vest
+100 on sun cream on the back of the legs, especially where it meets the shorty (if you wear one)
+50000 on jetski's alert!

Road cycling tops make very good rash vests.

Clean the inside of the glass on a new mask with toothpaste. They often have a residue on them after manufacture and will keep misting up no matter what you do.

Learn how to "duck dive", basically bend at the waist until your body is at 90deg to your legs, then bring your legs vertical. The weight of your legs will push you vertically down, kick once your fins are in the the water. It will make the diving much less tiring.

I strongly recommend clothing rather than Sunscreen, it's mostly highly toxic to marine life.

[url= http://www.divermag.com/the-truth-about-sunscreens-and-coral-reefs/ ]A link discussing the problem[/url]

Good post, Gofaster. Yet another example of our shellfishly harmful lifestyle choices...

winston_dog's toothpaste-to-get-rid-of-residue mask glass cleaning tip is also a good one - do it several times, rinsing out thoroughly in between.

I just used "the greener the green, the cleaner the clean".

TBH Toothpaste sounds better 😆

EDIT: Yeah teasel - and it's one of those where the alternative is nae bother, really.

Teasel - chapeau

Toothpaste you say - hmmm,. Will try it.

Once you have cleaned your mask with the toothpaste, you still need to get a good bit of snot up and rub around the mask once your in the water.

Always reminds me of Hooper in Jaws, "I ain't got no spit".

All, thought I'd close the thread with an update - am in corfu, arrived hotel at 4.30, kids dragged me in the sea flippered up at 4.45 local time!

Sea clear, sun hot, no jellyfish but a family of happy snorkellers was spotted some way offshore!

Chin chin

We require frequent fish updates.

We require frequent fish updates.

This. And any sly topless photos of chicks you manage to get 8)

Challenge accepted!

My first and only go at snorkelling was not good. Mask filling up, panic attacks etc. Got better with more practice and trying to relax helped. PS dont lay on your back and breath as the snorkel becomes a straw 😯

Chaps

One week in and the snorkelling is excellent - I have a problem though - I can't find any Internet resources to ID the fish I've seen - can anyone point me in the right direction?

Diving to the floor and rolling a few rocks over, then sit back on top and watch the fish congregate is rewarding - 8-9 species but as I say, can't find anything to I'd them.

Any help appreciated.

Boobies update for twoniner - lots out there but many of them are old and floppy some very perky but no opportunity for a sneaky pic as yet.

I know it is not of much use now but when you get back, buy a copy of this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Pocket-Guide-Britain-Europe/dp/0002199556

It is an excellent book and I never go away without it (UK or Europe).

This link that may be of use:

http://www.first-nature.com/fishes/

I would have thought the shops have 'fish-cards' near the postcard sections, for id porpoises.

Make sure you rinse your and the kids ears after a snorkel - I use swim ear which is just isopropyl alcohol really, but the wife didn't and used water, but now has a bacterial ear infection that is pretty painful and she is having to apply some spray 3 times a day.

But if we are posting pictures of turtles here's a recent one of mine:

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and I'll raise you an eagle ray:

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and a manta ray:

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Can't compete with the turtles - I don't have an underwater camera, I do have a couple of photos of terrapins living in the stream/sewer(maybe) running through the village however. To be posted later though.

Will check on the I'd cards for the fishes.

boobies:

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Is there a dive centre nearby? They usually have fish charts, maybe a big one on the wall.

And here are some of mine (Jamaica).

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Lionfish (invasive nasties)

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Flying Gurnard

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Yellow Stingray

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Eagle Ray (beautiful creatures)

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A Sting Ray lurking in the sand.

Elephant stone fish:
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But if we are posting pictures of turtles here's a recent one of mine

Oooh! Can anyone join in?

[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/9052109940_d647432de9_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/9052109940_d647432de9_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/9052109940/ ]Loggerhead Turtle (No Longer Drawing Breath) - Corfu[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

Those yellow stingrays are cool - looks like it should be pancake day!

Hey Smudger, I'm off to Corfu for a week very soon and would really appreciate a heads up on some good snorkelling locations if you could. We're hiring a car but will be based up north near Acharavi.

Good tip on the ear wash too, will look that up.cheers.

Turtle says Hi! :

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the ear wash is probably expensive for what it is - it smells just like isopropyl alcohol - I think the advantage is that it rinses the ears easily - other things might work as well.

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swim-Ear-2307890-Swim-Ear-29-5ml/dp/B001E5CF4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375546793&sr=8-1&keywords=swim+ear

Uncanny resemblance.

General Dempsey...

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An Elephant Stonefish...

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Dai - see earlier comments - I'm probably the last person to be giving snorkelling tips, but as the week just past has turned me into a snorkelling guru, here's what I've done..........

Edit - I'm based in San stefanos in the NW corner so that's the beach shown below. Boat hire available for the beach but can be booked in advance.

From the beach - google earth showed some rocks just offshore so I just set off from the beach. Depth 3-7 m where I've been, 7or 8 as yet unidentified species, very interesting for me as a novice. The beach off achavari shows similar formations so you should have some (IMO) good snorkelling from the beach. Visibility excellent once past the breakers.

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From a boat - we hired a boat for the day - 85 euros plus fuel (another 30 but I took a detour) and went to diablos, just off the NW corner of corfu. Anchored between the islands and swam all day - crystal clear water, depth anything from 2-10m - same species, just bigger. We did see an octopus the size of a dinner plate, as well as an unidentified 'eel, type thing that legged it as soon as I got close.

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Dai, whoops, was looking at the beach off Agnos - not achavari but its oly a few miles.

DOn't touch and move the rocks... leave the sea as it should be left alone! Snorkel but don't touch!

Munge - serious question - why not - it's not coral, just sandstone boulders with a covering of sand. No 'live' reef to damage or poisonous crap to hurt me? There's very little living on the boulders and the fish peck away at all sides.

Is Menorca any good for snorkelling? Or should I really be insisting we go to Greece for our holiday.

Octopus 🙂

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64980974@N05/9427337507/

Nice one TurnerGuy I can't compete with that but I took this [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/66666968@N06/8269640017/ ]In Shark Aquarium[/url]

I do a fair bit of snorkelling on holiday 🙂 Especially on the west coast of Scotland. I bought one of these [url= http://www.aqua-scooter.de/ ]Aquascooter[/url] last year & it's been great for getting to more remote snorkelling holes & seeing more in general. It pulls three people no problem & runs all day on one tank of fuel. The only problem I've got is trying to pry it from the hands of my lad 🙂

D.

Thanks for the info Smudger. Boat hire out to the islands sounds like a good call.

Not long to wait now 🙂