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Snorkeling notes!
Hello everyone.
Iriomote Island is known for its beautiful white beaches and crystal clear emerald green sea.
If you go all the way to Iriomote Island, marine activities are indispensable.
SUP, which has been attracting attention in recent years, diving, which has long been considered a classic, and canoeing are also good experiences.
Among them, let's look at snorkeling together in this issue.
Now, the sea of Iriomote Island has one of the largest coral reefs in Japan.
This makes it a great place for snorkeling, as the waters are crystal clear and many marine creatures live there.
This article introduces some of the precautions regarding the snorkeling.
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Ten things to keep in mind when snorkeling!
Snorkeling is a popular activity for families with children because it can be enjoyed in shallow water.
The ability to swim freely in the ocean and play with a variety of creatures has made it popular with many people.
Not only can you observe colorful fish, but you can also observe the beautiful coral reefs that stretch all around.
However, even snorkeling, with all its attractions, can be dangerous and lead to accidents if you make a mistake.
Always be aware of the dangers involved and enjoy yourself safely.
Here are 10 things to keep in mind so as not to spoil the good time.
(1) Do not do this when you are not feeling well.
One article is 'Do not do it when you are not feeling well.
This one may be taken for granted, but the first prerequisite for enjoying the activity is to be healthy.
It is easy to lose sleep and drink too much alcohol while traveling.
The carelessness of being just a little bit okay can rob you of a fun time.
Also, if you participate in an activity while you are not feeling well, you will not be able to fully enjoy it.
Above all, it may worsen your physical condition.
In the unlikely event that you run into trouble, you will be forced to make snap judgments and respond quickly.
It is easy to imagine that it would be very dangerous to make the right decision at that time.
Therefore, avoid colds and other health conditions, as well as sleep deprivation and when drinking alcohol.
(2) Do not swim alone.
The second article is 'Do not swim alone.
In rare cases, you may encounter unexpected problems when performing marine activities such as snorkeling and diving.
If you are swimming alone at that time, it is often impossible to call for rescue, so we recommend that more than one person enjoy the activity.
First-timers as well as those who are familiar with the process should avoid doing it alone as much as possible.
For first-time snorkelers, it is important to have a basic knowledge of the tools and equipment to be used.
With basic knowledge, you will be able to respond calmly in case you encounter danger.
(iii) Snorkeling in shallow water.
The third article is 'snorkel in shallow water.
As you get used to snorkeling, you will be tempted to increase the level of difficulty to more and more intricate spots and deeper areas.
However, be sure to keep snorkeling within reach of your feet.
As long as you can get your feet on the ground when something goes wrong, you can put your mind at ease even if you are a little upset.
As much as possible, it is an ironclad rule to do activities in a calm environment.
Keep in mind that if a water accident should occur, it will be too late.
(4) Wetsuits are easy to wear
The fourth article is 'It is easier to wear a wetsuit.
This is more of a recommendation than an ironclad rule.
If it is your first time or you are not a confident swimmer, or if it is cold season, you should wear a wetsuit.
Along with the heat retention function, the high buoyancy makes it easier to swim freely and reduces the risk of drowning.
One of the advantages of snorkeling is that it is simple and easy, and because of this ease, many people participate in the activity by exposing their skin, but this is actually very dangerous.
This is because it is easier to get injured at points with coral reefs, rocky areas, or when in contact with dangerous organisms.
Also, if it is summer, very strong sunlight will be on the skin.
It also helps to avoid contact hazards and to protect the body from damage caused by strong sunlight and ultraviolet rays.
Even on chilly winter days, a wetsuit is sufficient to enter the sea, so it is a good idea to put on and take off the wetsuit in a flexible manner.
(5) Do not touch living things unnecessarily.
The fifth article is 'Do not touch living things unnecessarily.
We have talked a little about this in the four articles.
Various activities are offered on Iriomote Island and other Japanese seas.
Of course, since this is a nature activity, you may encounter dangerous creatures.
Naturally, some of these creatures are highly poisonous.
We definitely don't want to be the one who touches a living creature out of curiosity and gets injured.
Furthermore, it is not only we humans who suffer damage when we are easily touched.
From the point of view of the creature being touched, being touched by human body heat is said to be the same as being burned.
Imagine that it would be a very large burden on the creature.
Not only that, but simply being touched is stressful in itself and weakens them.
For these reasons, the manner and rule for enjoying the activity is to avoid touching marine creatures unnecessarily.
(6) Calmly drain the water.
The sixth article is "Stay calm and drain the water.
Always try to keep a calm and unhurried mind, not only when draining water.
Suddenly, water may enter the snorkel tube.
Of course, if you breathe as you do, you will follow the tube and swallow seawater.
Drainage prevents this from happening.
Drainage is an essential part of snorkeling that you must learn to do.
Practice thoroughly before enjoying the activity.
Drainage is very simple.
Anyone can do it, so there is no need to view it as difficult.
The following is a brief, but informative, procedure for draining the water.
(1) Water enters the snorkel tube.
(2) Surfacing to the surface of the sea.
(3) With the snorkel tube out of the water, exhale and let the water in the tube out.
If you are new to this, it may take some getting used to, but make sure you practice well.
If you are anxious, we recommend that you join a tour, where an instructor will give you detailed instructions.
(vii) frequent ear-pulling.
The seventh article is 'frequently remove the ears.
Your ears sometimes keel over when you board an airplane or a bullet train.
It is caused by the difference in height between the air pressure outside and inside the body.
Many of you have probably heard of "pinching your nose" or "swallowing spit" as a response to ear drainage.
As you may know, the pressure in the ocean varies considerably with depth.
Therefore, it is necessary to remove the ears each time and adjust them according to the depth of the dive.
If left untreated, earache can even cause rupture of the eardrum or otitis media.
Snorkeling is relatively shallow water diving, so ear pain is not common, but if you experience any discomfort in your ears, be sure to remove the ears.
As with the draining, if you join the tour, the instructor will carefully guide you through the process.
(8) Breathe slowly.
The eight articles are 'Breathe Slowly.
Correct breathing is a very important aspect of snorkeling swimming.
Naturally, since they are wearing snorkels, they cannot breathe through their noses.
Even if you can breathe through your nose, be aware that your mask may fog up or there may be a gap between your goggles, which could allow seawater to enter.
The basic idea is to continue mouth breathing, "inhale through the mouth and exhale through the mouth.
If your breathing is shallow, you will gradually become breathless, so be sure to take slow, deep breaths, like deep breathing.
If you are not used to it, you should be aware of the need to exhale fully.
It may be difficult for first-time swimmers or those who are not accustomed to swimming on a regular basis, but with practice, you will be able to do it, so make sure you master it.
If you breathe in too vigorously, you may swallow seawater by accident, or you may inhale water through your nose and panic and panic, leading to an accident.
It is important to breathe calmly and slowly, without taking strong breaths.
(9) Remember to clear the mask in advance.
Article 9 is 'Remember to clear the mask in advance.
Mask clearing is a method of pushing water out of the mask, even in water.
This is also essential for snorkeling.
As with the snorkel tube, seawater can enter the mask you are using.
Masks can be drained and put back on again by putting them back on with the face to the sea surface each time, but it is a hassle to put them back on every time.
So, make good use of mask clearing and drain the water underwater without hassle.
Here is a simple underwater mask clearing procedure.
(1) Lightly restrain the frame from the front in the sea.
(2) Slowly exhale through the nose and drain water from under the mask.
This makes it easy to drain the mask.
If you join the tour, please be assured that the instructor will carefully guide you on this tour as well.
(10) In any case, do not panic.
The 10 articles are 'Don't panic anyway.
This is true for everything we have introduced here, but you just need to stay calm and act accordingly.
Since this is an unusual environment, panicking will make you more anxious.
Once you panic and lose your composure, you will not be able to make accurate decisions.
Anyone can easily learn the basic movements, so don't worry and do them one by one carefully.
Not panicking means "being able to act calmly.
Therefore, we need to make a point to act calmly.
Here are some simple but effective ways to stay calm and make sure you know what you are doing.
(1) We have already made assumptions about the pinch.
(2) Learn and afford knowledge in advance
(iii) Objective.
4) I have a way to calm myself down.
A lapse of attention or error in judgment can lead to a serious accident.
By staying calm and not panicking, you can enjoy the activity safely.
Please check the precautions for snorkeling beforehand and have a meaningful time.
in the end
We have introduced 10 points to keep in mind when snorkeling.
How was it?
I hope that you have learned the basics of snorkeling, not to go into a dangerous field by force, and not to panic.
In particular, breathing methods and mask clearing are necessary skills to enjoy snorkeling, so practice until you can do it.
In order to enjoy activities safely, you should not swim alone, and you should also take good care of yourself.
Please enjoy an enjoyable snorkeling life in Iriomote Island with careful preparation and constant attention.
Thank you for reading to the end.
This article was written by.
