There are some of us who become compulsive about a new hobby. You may well have met them. They simply have to have all the kit and it must be the top of the range. One such was a chap called Bob. Bob had had many different hobbies in his life, golf, computing, guitars, photography, all requiring a huge input of hard-earned cash. He was a guitarist in a well-known band who were off to entertain holiday-makers in Majorca for the summer and so what better new hobby to undertake but Snorkelling? After studying the catalogues and websites who supplied Snorkelling equipment, he duly parted with his readies. Also, a knowledge of the marine life he would expect to encounter was provided by a book from the same supplier. He poured over this intensively. Then came the big day. The band were fortunate to have their daytimes off, of course and so they all went to soak up the sun on the nearest tourist beach. Now he was an expert in Snorkelling and marine life, the rest of the band expected Bob to choose a possibly more rewarding location for his first Snorkelling expedition. No, he donned all his new gear and made his way down the beach and into the sea amongst the kids with inflatables. He waded out to, ooh, waist depth and bent double, putting his face mask into the water. He stayed in this position for a full half hour, making no attempt to swim anywhere, whilst beach balls and swimmers were all around him. Finally getting back to the party on the beach who were by now splitting their sides laughing, Bob took off his mask and earnestly declared `it`s a different world down there`.

If you are lucky enough (or should I say old enough) to remember `Stingray`, Gerry Anderson`s wonderful sub aqua precursor to `Thunderbirds`, you will remember the amphibian beauty called Marina. She could swim underwater without any breathing equipment at all but we land mammals require some assistance whilst Diving. Scuba Diving has long been a passion for many people who take great delight in experiencing the under water world whilst on holiday. The `scuba` part of scuba Diving is an acronym for `self contained underwater breathing apparatus`. Like snorkelling, scuba divers need flippers or fins and a face-mask connected to the breathing equipment. In the case of scuba Diving this is an air cylinder worn on the diver`s back, which has a breathing tube and mouthpiece. If you are a serious diver, it is very important to select the right kind of mask. The mask should be watertight and specifically designed for the purpose of scuba Diving. The cheaper, plastic skirted face masks available from seaside gift shops and beach stores will not suffice. They may be much less expensive than a proper Diving mask but, as with all so-called bargains, it will not be anywhere near suitable for its declared purpose. If you consider the vast array of marine life to be encountered in each different part of the world, it also takes a knowledge of the various species of fish and other underwater creatures to fully appreciate the joys of this activity. Books to help you identify the things you will see in different locations are available from stockists of Diving and snorkelling equipment.

In our formative years, we are generally expected to connect with water at our local Swimming baths or leisure centre. Some of us take to it like the proverbial duck to water and some us, well?.don`t. For the latter, the activity of Swimming will subsequently be reserved for tentative forays into the sea or the Swimming pool whilst on holiday. Heaven forbid that one should ever have occasion to have to swim in a life threatening situation ! For the former, however, Swimming provides not only a great deal of pleasure but an extremely beneficial way of exercising and keeping fit. Fitness experts seem to agree that it is one of the most efficient ways of keeping in trim and using muscles which a healthy body needs to remain flexible. Also, Swimming can aid our cardio-vascular health. As well as simply keeping our bodies fit, Swimming competitively is a sport which, over the years, has thrown up some of our most famous Olympians such as Duncan Goodhew, June Croft and David Wilkie. Taking it this far, of course, requires so much more than the average input of a confident swimmer who swims for pleasure. Any competitive swimmer who has ambitions to succeed will tell you that it is a necessary evil to be up and away early for a five o`clock session in the local pool. Several nautical miles later, it`s time to shower, dry off and get on with their day. After school or work, it`s back to the pool for the evening session. Hmmm, I think a little jaunt in the Med sounds more my style.

As the diver`s nose and eyes are inside a Scuba Mask, the diver cannot breathe in through his nose, except when wearing a full face Scuba Mask. However, inhaling from a regulator`s mouthpiece becomes second nature very quickly. Scuba Mask have a durable, tempered glass plate in front of the eyes and a `skirt` of rubber or silicone to create a watertight seal with the diver`s face. A strap keeps the mask in position. Scuba Mask that are used at depth must be constructed so that the diver can exhale through the nose into the mask to prevent the `squeeze` caused by increasing pressure during descent in water. Some Scuba Mask have a one-way outlet valve under the nose to let water out. The diver simply holds the mask upright and exhales through the nose. Other masks have ways to hold the nose closed to assist in equalizing the pressure inside the ears.

Snorkeling (also spelled snorkelling) is the practice of swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with Snorkelling Sets, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins amke up most Snorkelling Sets. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn alongside your Snorkelling Sets. Combining these tools allows the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions for extended periods of time with relatively little effort. Snorkeling is a popular recreational activity with Snorkelling Sets, particularly at tropical resort destinations and many places recreational scuba divers venture. Snorkeling in Snorkelling Sets is also employed by scuba divers when near the surface, and search and rescue teams may snorkel as part of a water-based search.

To prevent Prescription Diving Masks from fogging up due to condensation on the glass plate many divers spit into their Prescription Diving Masks, wipe the spit around the inside of the plate and wash it out with a little water. There are commercial products that can be used as an alternative to the saliva method for clearing out the Prescription Diving Masks. Refraction of light entering the Prescription Diving Masks makes objects in salt water appear about 34% bigger and 25% nearer when underwater, as shown in the underwater vision article. As the diver descends, the water acts as a colour filter eliminating the red end of the visible spectrum of the sunlight entering the water leaving only the blue end of the spectrum. Depending on the depth and clarity of the water, eventually all sunlight is blocked and the diver has to rely on artificial light sources to see underwater, made easier with Prescription Diving Masks.