Practical advice when snorkelling

Practical advice when snorkelling, by Eric from the Atelier Bleu

Once you have started snorkelling, choosing a site that is appropriate for you is the most important thing.

The area should have a good "safety potential" with regard to prevailing winds (aspect), currents, popularity with other potentially dangerous users (watercraft, windsurfers, spear fishers…).

To make you feel safe, the area should be supervised and access should be as easy as possible (easy access on foot, no danger zone, nearby parking, nearby equipment space...).

The ability to enter the water from a beach is a key element as this has the added advantage of reducing any environmental impact caused by users trampling on the seabed.

The underwater topography must be easy to reach (shallow) ideally between 2 and 5 metres in depth, to facilitate observation, see the colours, while reducing the risk of hitting the seabed with your fins.

If the site has a variety of different types of seabed, preferably start with a predominantly sandy bottom, or a location where there are a few rocks, while avoiding areas of seagrass where the long green leaves sway from side to side with the waves and are often scary for beginners. The water must be regularly clear enough to allow snorkelling.

The area should preferably have an interesting biodiversity with different ecosystems to enhance the experience and the educational aspects. In order to inspire confidence, make sure that the water exit zone is always in sight and that this zone is not too rugged. The known sites for snorkelling independently or as part of an organised group generally meet these conditions very well. Do not hesitate to use them.