There are tons of people who consider snorkeling to be a hobby. They enjoy going out to reefs and oceans to see schools of saltwater fish or a bale of turtles. Saltwater snorkeling is hardly a well-kept secret anymore.
What many people don’t know about, however, is how a similar rush of adventure and excitement can be found in freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, and streams.
Just like the ocean, these bodies of water can be home to a rich variety of plants and animals that are ready to be discovered.
So why should you try freshwater snorkeling? There are countless reasons. But, to convince you to give it a shot, we will provide you with what we consider to be the three most important.
1. You’ll Have a Better Understanding of Your Local Ecosystem
Traveling and spending time in nature helps us understand why topics like preservation and conservation are so important.
You might not consider your local town or county to be a hub of plant life, but if you haven’t tried to explore it the same way you would explore the Great Barrier Reef or the coasts of Costa Rica, you aren’t really giving it a fair shot.
By deepening your understanding of the environment you live in, you will have a better understanding of how important your local ecosystem is.
2. It’s More Affordable
Traveling across the world to explore the oceans is not a cheap task. A single trip can easily cost thousands of dollars. Even after that investment, sometimes you show up to a location and are unlucky in the turnout.
When you explore locally, the initial investment you have to make is much smaller to get to the location. Sure, maybe you won’t have that one percent chance to see picturesque swarms of bright fish or dolphins, but the odds are you will still find something interesting, and you won’t break the bank while doing it.
Since freshwater snorkeling is significantly less popular than saltwater snorkeling, the odds of you having to share a location is much less likely. That leaves a lot of nature out there for you to privately explore on your own.
3. You Don’t Need Special Gear
If you’ve ever been snorkeling in the past with your own gear, then you already have everything you need (and possibly even more) to get started right away!
The only essential piece of gear you need is a snorkel. If you already have one, great. If not, there are a ton of affordable, high-quality snorkeling masks available.
If you plan on getting into both freshwater and saltwater snorkeling, or if you still think you would benefit from having a pair of fins, the Voyager or Aviator snorkeling sets are great options that come with a travel bag to keep everything organized.
And if you wanted to go with a bit of a retro look with beautiful views, you might want to consider an oval dive mask like this one.
Once you’ve gotten yourself set up with a nice mask and snorkel, you are ready to explore. Since most masks can be used for both saltwater and freshwater, you don’t need to worry about making additional purchases.
If you still need more convincing, stay tuned. We will be covering the best places for you to try out freshwater snorkeling pretty soon. If you have any ideas or freshwater spots, we’d love to hear about them over on our social media!
