What is the difference between snorkeling and scuba diving? Can I do both if I do not know swimming at all?

Question

What is the difference between snorkeling and scuba diving? Can I do both if I do not know swimming at all?

Answer 1

You need to take lessons before scuba diving.  You don't want to get the "bends".  

You should know how to swim before doing any type of water sport.

Answer 2

Scuba diving is more amazing than snorkeling can ever be because you can get close to the things your looking at and stay there longer to look at them. You can scuba dive deeper than is possible snorkeling and see many things that are just impossible to see from the surface. Scuba diving has many more things to worry about when doing so you have to take classes to learn how to prevent decompression illness and blocks in air spaces and nitrogen exposure just to name a few.

But the truth it that if you want to scuba dive or snorkel, yes it is safer to know how to swim but you can wear a life vest snorkeling and scuba diving you have an air tank so as long as you can kick your feet you can do both. Learning some basics about swimming will help you conserve a lot of energy while doing either.

So take a couple classes on swimming and then go learn to scuba dive. It is great! But don't go alone.

Answer 3

You should know how to swim before attempting either.

Snorkeling uses a snorkel, a tube that allows you to breathe while floating on the surface.  Scuba is self-contained air in a tank that allows you to breathe underwater.

Answer 4

snorkeling is basically diving but not going fully under water for extended periods of time. diving you usually need amounts of training and lots of equiptment. snorkeling you just need a snorkel.  if you dont know how to swim I wouldnt do diving.  you could get yourself in sticky situations that may be hard to get out of if you are not a confident swimmer. and this applies to all levels of swimmers. diving is actually very dangerous. but its never too late to learn!

Answer 5

no you can't do either if you don't know how to swim, scuba diving you have an oxygen tank and alot of other equipment and you have to be certified to do it, snorkeling you just have a mask and a snorkle and you swim on the surface of the water with your face in the water breathing through the snorkle and you don't have to be certified

Answer 6

The main thing most everyone left out is in order to SCUBA you need to be certified, which requires taking a class and passing tests. I don't recommend taking any of those "quickie" courses, especially the ones at resorts. SCUBA can be very dangerous and even fatal if not practiced properly.

Answer 7

snorkeling you have a mouth piece which you need to have above the water to breath and scuba diving you have the mouth piece conected to the air tank on your back so you can stay down for longer.

Answer 8

You do not have to know how to swim in order to do SCUBA diving.  When you dive you have a Buoyancy Compensator and a weight system.  With the equipment and proper instruction you will be able to control your buoyancy.  At the surface you will be able to float.  Under water you will be able to achieve neutral buoyancy which is almost like being weightless.  There is no need to swim to stay under water.  Moving around is as simple controlling your buoyancy to ascend or descend, and kicking your feet for forward propulsion.

Don't get me wrong being able to swim helpsto SCUBA dive.  It's just not necessary.

Answer 9

Snorkeling involves feet fins, a mask, and snorkel (a tube from your mouth to the surface of the water). You basically just skim or float on the surface of the water or just under it, leisurely kicking when you feel like it.

Scuba involves an oxygen tank, mask, wet suit, and training. You go way under water, and need to have a clear head about safety precautions. If you do not know how to swim, I think scuba would be too much for you to handle, since you will have to swim under water with a heavy scuba tank on your back.

Answer 10

Snorkling is siwmming on the surface with mask, fins and snorkel.  You keep your face in the water the whole time.  The mask allows you to see, the snorkel allows you to breathe, and the fins give you good propulsion.  If you take a deep breath, you can swim down, but you will have to surface to take your next breath.  Little or no training is needed.

Scuba diving is using a compressed air tank and other equipment that will allow you to stay at depth longer.  There are safety concerns with the compressed air and the effects of breathing compressed air at depth so some training is required to dive safely.

Both scuba diving and snorkling require very little (if any) swimming knowledge.  The motions used in both of these activities use only leg motion for movement (no arms).  The kick styles used with fins will differ slightly from swimming.

Since you are going to be around water, some basic swimming proficiency is needed for safety reasons for both of these activities.

Answer 11

Snorkeling is done on top of the water, there is no air tank present.  Scuba diving is where they dive to the bottom, and there is an air tank present.  You will need to learn to swim in order to do either, but most scuba classes can teach you to swim.

Answer 12

snorkeling only requires you to have the breathing tube so that you can look down in the water and still breath. Water can get in the tube sometimes though.

Scuba diving, you carry and air tank on your back and you have a breathing apparatus in your mouth so you can breath.  You can spend a long time underwater this way.

I suggest learning to swim first before attempting either of these activities.

Answer 13

snorkeling is whaen you use a breathing device and you can not go very far under water, you can like only stay afloat the water. scuba diving is where you can go deep in to the water and still breath in oxygen. no it would not be a good idea to do either one if you do not know how to swim, you should take a swimming lesson before you do either one.