Have you mastered the art of duck diving, goggle defogging and practising your very best mermaid impression? Then it might be time to up the ante and transition into scuba diving. Swap out the snorkel for a rebreather to dive deeper, for longer. Snorkelling and scuba diving are two of the best ways to enjoy and explore the ocean, however, there are some big differences between the two you may have overlooked.
Snorkelling is swimming with a snorkel (mask and tube) that you can wear to breathe through your mouth when floating near the surface of the water. You have to hold your breath to dive down to see the marine life roaming further underwater.
Scuba Diving is swimming deeper underwater wearing a fitted wetsuit and dive gear, breathing with help from an oxygen tank. You can swim at leisure in the ocean for extended periods of time, exploring the underwater world at your own pace.
The limitations of snorkelling
Whilst snorkelling is a great activity when you are swimming in the ocean around Perth, it is a very basic way to see what is going on beneath the surface. Unfortunately, you are limited to how long you can hold your breath as to how long you can stay underwater for. The depth you can dive can also be a challenging when snorkelling as the deeper you go, the higher the pressure. Without proper equipment to help with decompression, it can become quite uncomfortable for your inner ears. Snorkelling is a fantastic when the sun is out and the water is warm. However, when the colder weather sets in this recreational activity can be difficult to enjoy. Even with proper exposure protection such as wetsuits, being so close to the surface rather than completely submerged, you are likely to experience higher wind chill and rougher waters that will limit the amount of time you can spend in the water.
Benefits of scuba diving
Scuba diving allows you to completely immerse yourself under the water for extended periods of time without having to frequently return to the surface for air. There is slightly more dive gear involved than your traditional snorkel, fins and wetsuit – however the benefits are worth the added weight. Scuba diving does require some training to engage in the underwater activity safely starting from a general dive ticket up to specialised dive courses and technical dive tickets.
Perth scuba diving can be enjoyed all year round with the correct wetsuit and exposure protection, and is often better when there are cooler water conditions. The ocean is clearer, there are seasonal changes to the sea life and best of all, there aren’t as many divers around flooding the popular Perth dive locations!
Get a scuba diving ticket
If you are interested in making the transition from snorkelling to scuba diving, Dolphin Scuba can help. The Welshpool located dive gear shop is open seven days a week, and runs PADI accredited scuba diving courses all year-round. Dolphin Scuba has one of Australia’s most diverse ranges of premium diver gear and is staffed by seasoned divers who can offer advice on top dive locations around Perth. Start your scuba diving journey the right way with a team that lives and breathes the ocean. Enquire online, drop by the store or feel free to contact us on 9353 2488.