Would You Suffocate If You Snorkel For Too Long?

Snorkeling is a beautiful underwater activity that is done with the use of a snorkel.

It is fun and lots of people engage in, it is a beautiful activity that people of all ages can engage in especially when on vacation.

It is usually best to stay in shallow waters while snorkeling, with your face down along the surface of the ocean you can enjoy the beauty of marine life.

Regular snorkeling with a regular snorkel is very good for beginners, especially children and with that, you can still observe marine life from the surface of the ocean with your face down.

However, if you wish to go deeper you would need to use a dry snorkel or a full-face snorkel mask, but even with that you still have a limited time you can stay fully submerged underwater.

Now this leaves us with the question some people have asked if you would suffocate if you snorkel for too long.

Let's answer this question then.

Would You Suffocate If You Snorkel Too Long?

Yes, you would suffocate if you snorkel too long.

This is because unlike scuba diving where you have scuba gear that comes with an oxygen tank (which also has a limited time frame), with snorkeling you would have to hold your breath when you are fully submerged in water.

An average adult can hold their breath underwater for at least 45 seconds to 1 minute, however, some breathing techniques have been created to help in increasing this time frame.

So if you do not return to the surface to get some air in due time, in about 45 seconds to 1 minute you will likely suffocate if you remain longer when you are fully submerged underwater.

These breathing techniques improve lung capacity, and help you slow down your heart rate which reduces the need for oxygen by the body. 

Different types of snorkels can help you increase your time frame underwater as well.

Tips To Last Longer Snorkeling

Fitness has to do with snorkeling like with every other physical activity, so the level of fitness you have would determine the amount of time you can spend snorkeling.

You would need to use your legs, arms, and even your core to swim properly, this will make you use a significant amount of energy and use muscles that you never thought you had.

If you come unprepared you will get tired easily when swimming as it is a full-body exercise. 

You should spend time getting yourself fit before you go diving, snorkeling, or engaging in any other underwater water activity.

However you do not need to go to an extreme when you want to get fit, you should spend some time in the pool doing laps before you go snorkeling. 

This would help you increase the time you can spend underwater.

Now with you being fitter than the average guy who can only hold his breath for 45 seconds, you can dive deeper to explore deeper sights more closely.

Always take deep breaths and exhale fully; do not do this in a fast and hard way, you should relax and practice taking full breaths slowly.

You would conserve energy this way and it would slow down your heart rate, which would mean less need for oxygen, allowing you to hold your breath for a longer time underwater.

It has been observed that with practice, your long capacity can be enlarged. 

It would make you able to hold your breath for a longer period, resulting in you being able to stay submerged for a longer period exploring underwater life.

Conclusion

So yes, it is possible to suffocate if you snorkel for too long. 

Even with the techniques to increase your time snorkeling underwater, it is still a limited process you have to go back to the surface for air.

However, do not push yourself beyond your limits when snorkeling, practice breathing techniques to help you stay longer underwater, it will help you have a nice snorkeling experience.