In an effort make a point to his sons , Andy Torbet carries out an unusual experiment deep in a German forest
TORBET ON THE TUBE
Black Forest shallow
In an effort make a point to his sons , Andy Torbet carries out an unusual experiment deep in a German forest
I
’ ve been asked , and may even have written about how deep you have to go before your dive is no longer classed as snorkelling . It ’ s a difficult one , so I ’ ll take the easy way out and riposte with a counter-question – how shallow can you go and the dive still be considered a snorkel ?
I recently returned from a camping holiday , our preferred format for family sojourns , to The Black Forest National Park in Germany . I can thoroughly recommend
No means ‘ nein ’ for the visiting snorkeller it for hiking , waterparks , beautiful market towns , a to-the-second accurate bus service , sausages and beer . However , it ’ s not renowned , with good reason , for its dive spots .
I did try and jump in a couple of the clearer , although extremely cold , woodland lakes . We all trekked up into the heavily wooded hills , following the streams and waterfalls to the lakes . But , even with my smattering of German learned in the Army and barely stretching beyond ordering a round in the pub , it was clear from the numerous signs that swimming was verboten . Clearly , the German tourists around the lake were unlikely to turn a blind eye to my trespassing .
However , a small stream flowed past the back of our camping pitch and the boys spent many an hour playing in it , just as small boys should . And I had not transported my mask and snorkel all the way to Baden-Wurtlemberg for nothing . So , I decided to take a dip .
The waters were , to say the least , bracing . Accordingly , I opted for the multi-dive plan with plenty of surface interval to rewarm in the sun . The maximum depth was hard to establish as my dive computer seemed convinced I ’ d never left the surface . But I