On a camping trip in Pembrokeshire, Andy Torbet contemplates the pleasure of three generations snorkelling together
TORBET ON THE TUBE
Full circle in the surf
On a camping trip in Pembrokeshire, Andy Torbet contemplates the pleasure of three generations snorkelling together
Snorkelling is truly accessible. I’ ve written before about its appeal from the point of view of its lightweight and flexible nature. I still keep some snorkel kit in my car for a cheeky snorkel when I’ m on the road or after work. Its simplicity makes it ideal for the more remote dive locations: I’ ve chosen to snorkel lochs at the top of mountains rather than dive for no other reason than my snorkel weighs a lot less than a 12-litre steel cylinder.
This innate accessibility not only applies to how we can use snorkelling to access dive sites, but who can access it. Snorkelling is normally much less physically demanding than even the simplest form of recreational scuba diving. This makes it an ideal place to start for for the young, old or physically impaired. Scuba diving has a legacy of helping disabled and injured people with organisations such as The SCUBA Trust or Deptherapy, or BSAC’ s own Diving for All initiative. But snorkelling is a great first, or last, step in your journey of underwater exploration.
On a recent trip to Pembrokeshire, camping with not only my wife and kids but also my in-laws, the spectrum of ages that can get out and snorkel together was embodied as three generations took to
The Torbet-Biggins snorkel team prepare to head out
Wendy Biggins on shore cover
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PHOTO: WENDY BIGGINS