Snorkeling

[Eclipse]

This has nothing to do with CAP, but I started learning on my own to snorkel in the last week. 

I have a 16'x4' pool in the backyard, so there's enough depth there to be able to practice the basic skills and I had a chance to get over to the park district pool tonight...

...awesome.

The first time you actually take a full breath with your face fully underwater must be one of the hardest and most bizarre things a human being can do.  The fact that one can get quickly used to it is an indication of how flexible the human species is, not to mention the fact at how quickly you can start resenting having to come up for air.

I got one of the newer style snorkels with the safety bobber and chin sump, so I've avoided some of the newbie mistakes
like inhaling accidentally when you drop too low in the water, though I've heard that bobber slam shut several times as I went down so I know I was "this close" to a lung full of water.

My 5 year old has taken to the water like a fish, spending almost the entire time he's in any pool under water, which is really cool because its something we can both share on the same experience level even though he's only 5.

Oh, and you really don't want to know what's on the bottom of even the cleanest municipal pool.   

[O-Rex]

Eclipse:

Welcome to the underwater world!

Try to learn to hold your breath without the benefit of the "bobber" on the snorkel: the worst you'll get is a mouthful of water, rather than a lung-full (you'd be surprised at how the body automatically kicks in to avoid such things.)

Enjoy!  You may even opt to take it to the next level and become Scuba-certified.  Warning: Scuba-toys are quite tasty, and will eat up your discretionary income even faster than CAP will 

[JC004]

...
Warning: Scuba-toys are quite tasty, and will eat up your discretionary income even faster than CAP will 

Not if the National Board members don't stop considering their legacy to be my uniform and how many Vanguard orders I have to place.   

[Tubacap]

I've only done it a few times, but SCUBA diving was awesome.  Snorkeling is a lot of fun too.  Although, you are right, that first face underwater breath is amazingly difficult to do.  I distinctly remember that about a decade later.

Congrats, and have fun with the kid!

[Fireball]

I've been a certified SCUBA diver for almost twenty years and every dive is still an adventure. I started out snorkeling in pools, lakes, heck any body of water I could get into. I've been waiting for the day we find an underwater elt.

[MIKE]

UDF -  Underwater Direction Finding.  Not quite UDT though. 

[winterg]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it!  Being underwater is one of life's greatest adventures.  I highly reccomend you try SCUBA.  Take it from me, if you love snorkeling, SCUBA will make you hate having to walk on dry land on two feet.  I used to be a Search And Rescue / Recovery Diver, SAR Swimmer, and underwater crime scene investigator.  Go for it!

[SJFedor]

Congrats Bob, that's how I started, and now I'm an Advanced/NITROX/Rescue Diver. It's addicting stuff, but oh-so-much fun!

[desertengineer1]

Resounding second vote on that quote!  For me, scuba started as one of those "Bucket List", 30's existential crisis entry criteria adventures. 

I've been hooked ever since.  Beware.  The obsession will be a $$ hungry animal - and you won't care!   

Eclipse:

Welcome to the underwater world!

Try to learn to hold your breath without the benefit of the "bobber" on the snorkel: the worst you'll get is a mouthful of water, rather than a lung-full (you'd be surprised at how the body automatically kicks in to avoid such things.)

Enjoy!  You may even opt to take it to the next level and become Scuba-certified.  Warning: Scuba-toys are quite tasty, and will eat up your discretionary income even faster than CAP will 

[Eclipse]

heh - that's a fear, that me and at least one of the off spring will like it enough for it to become a cash magnet.

What I'd like to do through this year is to get comfortable with the idea and get the little fish snorkeling, and then get someplace you can actually see something worth seeing and go from there.

[Eclipse]

I saw this today at the Rainforest in Woodfield Mall, the guy was breathing from a tube, I assume just regular air.
He was cleaning the tanks and feeding the fish from his hand.



This would be a great job for me in that it would combine my dislike of confined spaces and fear of drowning!

[Eeyore]

Most of the divers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium here in California are volunteer divers.

[SAR-EMT1]

Congrats Bob, that's how I started, and now I'm an Advanced/NITROX/Rescue Diver. It's addicting stuff, but oh-so-much fun!

Is there anything you DONT do Fedor?

[Michael]

That's awesome.  I've done a little bit of snorkeling up in the St. Lawrence River.

[SJFedor]

Congrats Bob, that's how I started, and now I'm an Advanced/NITROX/Rescue Diver. It's addicting stuff, but oh-so-much fun!

Is there anything you DONT do Fedor?

Underwater basket weaving.

But I start that class next week