Water Safety & Snorkeling
SAFETY FIRST!
BOATS: Our fleet is a mix of "big" and "small" Inspected Passenger Vessels, driven by US Coast Guard Captains and with mates who are also marine science instructors.
STAFF: All staff instructors are American Red Cross Lifeguard certified. They have lots of experience supervising students in the water. Students are taught snorkeling methods and hand signals for communication, and are carefully supervised at all times. MarineLab uses the buddy system, and buddy pairs are instructed to stay within arm's length of each other and within 100 feet of the boats. Orally inflatable snorkel vests are worn by all participants at all times in the water while snorkeling. These vests provide extra buoyancy if desired by the individual and are brightly colored to aid visual tracking of the snorkelers.
SNORKELING:
Participants do not need to know how to snorkel, or how to swim well prior to their visit. We carefully orient each student to the water and to the use of snorkeling equipment in every MarineLab program.
The first thing our instructors do with any student group is to evaluate their swimming ability. This evaluation merely demonstrates the student's comfort level in the water; there is no required time limit or stroke to swim 50 feet. If a student appears uncomfortable at all, our instructors pay special attention to that student while in the water. Non-swimming students are provided with extra buoyancy and extra supervision. We specialize in encouraging unsure swimmers, through patience and care, to become reasonably confident snorkelers.
After their evaluation, students are shown the proper technique for fitting and using their snorkel gear. They are instructed to use the "HHH" snorkeling position: head, hips, and heels at the waterline to avoid touching the coral.
“We had a student who struggled in the water on the swim test. The staff was very good with him but also stern on making safety a priority. Because of this he improved every session and was able to be successful snorkeling on the reef.”
WETSUITS
In the cooler months (November through March) shorty wetsuits are provided at no charge.
We have a wide variety of fins, masks, and wetsuits in stock to fit snorkelers from 8 to 80 years old. If you are concerned about whether we have appropriate size options for your child, feel free to contact us to confirm.
Contact Coordinator Anne Hill at 305-451-1139 ext 1 or via email at coordinator@marinelab.org.
