Tips for Snorkeling

Copyright 2006 Rob Daniels

Snorkeling is a great way to introduce yourself to the ocean. But like any sport/activity, it is important to be aware of basic safety rules to ensure that your snorkeling experience is enjoyable.

Be Calm

Choose calm conditions to enjoy a safer snorkel. Make sure the water and weather conditions are safe. One day the waves can be a meter high, and the next day the water is still. Calm water will make the snorkeling experience more enjoyable especially for beginners. Typically, a morning snorkel is best, while afternoon snorkeling may have more of a current and sea breeze.

Well Fitting

It is important that the snorkeling equipment properly fits snorkelers. Choose a pair of swim fins that fit your feet comfortably and a snorkel that will fit easily in to your mouth. Fins that are too large will often slip off swimmers feet when they are swimming. Masks that do not properly fit will often allow water in.

Swim

The best thing anyone can do to stay safe around the water is to learn to swim. While non-swimmers can snorkel using a life vest, it is generally a better snorkeling trip when able to swim. While snorkeling, it is important to keep your bearings. Following fish can be a fun pursuit, but be careful not to swim to far from the shore or boat. It is also important to be aware of any current; if you feel yourself drifting to far from other snorkelers or the boat be sure to signal others.

Study the Site

Prior to diving find out the potential problems or conditions that surround a specific dive site. If the particular site is well-known for the waves, currents, shallow spots, difficult entries or exits be sure to wear a life jacket. Being aware of your environment prior to snorkeling will mean that you can focus on snorkeling when you are in the water.

Do Not Touch

Don't put bare hands into crevices or holes. Never touch, handle or feed marine life except under expert guidance and following locally-established guidelines. Where possible, walk on bare surfaces to avoid trampling marine life.

Learn the Basics

Learn how to clear water from the snorkel and learn how to put your mask back on when you tread water. It is important that even beginners know how to clear water at the surface and resume free breathing without removing snorkel their mouth.

Clean Up

Take your garbage home with you, especially things that require special disposal, such as batteries. Be respectful of the environment so that others to can continue to share the beauty and fascination of the underwater world.

2 Secrets To Selecting The Right Hawaii Vacation Rental

You've finally decided you and your family on going to take that long awaited dream vacation in Hawaii. You've decided that you want to go the vacation rental route for numerous reasons: privacy, comfort, location and cost effectiveness. Next, you probably Googled Oahu Vacation Rentals and are faced with the daunting task of choosing among some 175,000 web sites. Where to begin? Here's two secrets that will help you make the right choice so you can enjoy your stay in Hawaii t...

You've finally decided you and your family on going to take that long awaited dream vacation in Hawaii. You've decided that you want to go the vacation rental route for numerous reasons: privacy, comfort, location and cost effectiveness. Next, you probably Googled Oahu Vacation Rentals and are faced with the daunting task of choosing among some 175,000 web sites. Where to begin? Here's two secrets that will help you make the right choice so you can enjoy your stay in Hawaii to its fullest.

Secret One: Use a reservation service. There are several reasons for this. First, a single property vacation rental listing by owner will severely limit you to the dates that you can take your vacation. Vacation rental properties in Hawaii run nearly 90% occupancy, so unless you know your travel dates six months to a year out the odds are high that their property won't be available for the travel dates you had in mind. Second, the owner is only concerned with booking their own property so they will extol the virtues of their vacation rental and not mention any of the faults.

Secret Two: Make the right choice of reservation service. Make sure it is locally owned and operated. Websites like vrbo and findrentals (for instance) don't have a clue about geography, weather, attractions, events and the other necessary information required to give you the property that best fills your needs. For instance, let's say you want to whale watch but also want to vacation on Oahu. Your reservation service should be able to tell you that you need to stay on the windward side of the island if you want to see the whales. Another tip-off of services to avoid are those that do automated, credit card bookings.  Steer clear of these services as this implies they aren't interested in talking to you, they just want your money. Be wary of sites that have more than 100 properties….there aren't that many decent selections on Oahu, or any of the other Hawaiian islands, on the market. The more a service exceeds 100 properties, the greater the odds you'll end up in an overpriced, undesirable vacation rental. Here's another great hint. If a reservation service states that they have hotels or condos available in Kailua, or will have them soon, choose another service. Since, by zoning law, Kailua does not allow hotels or condos, you should realize that once again, this is a service that wants your money, not your piece of mind. Always ask the reservation service person you are talking to where they are located. Someone based in Las Vegas or Los Angeles won't have a clue about how to give you the best property for the vacation experience you have in mind.

With the standard vacation rental property terms being no refunds after you've paid your deposit, you absolutely want to make sure you make the right choice. A good reservation service will ask you questions about what you want to do and see on your vacation and will actually try and talk you out of a property you had in mind if they don't think it appropriate to what you had in mind. This is not an attempt to upsell you, it's more a matter of matching your vacation desires and needs with the perfect choice of vacation rental venue. One vacation rental reservation service that meets all these requirements is Pacific Islands Reservations. They are owned and operated by Ingrid Carvalho, who was born and raised in the islands, as were her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. She has been serving visitors to Hawaii vacation rental needs since 1996. She currently represents ninety vacation rentals on Oahu and another 90 vacation rentals on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. She has actually been to each and every property she represents--she even took most of the photographs of the vacation rentals you see on her web sites. She doesn't take credit cards but she's happy to spend time talking with you to make sure you get the right property to maximize the value and enjoyment of your vacation.