SAFETY
A Common-Sense Approach to Snorkeling Safety for Older Adults by Dan Orr , President, Dan Orr Consulting, ID
O VER MY DECADES of promoting diving safety, I’ve often said that the surface of the water can be a deceptive boundary. To someone standing on a sun-drenched beach or the deck of a charter boat, snorkeling
Snorkeling places unique physical demands on the human body. When you mix those demands with age-related physi- ological changes and long gaps in swimming activity, a beautiful day in port can turn tragic in minutes.
looks like the ultimate low-risk, high- reward vacation activity. You just put on a mask, pop a snorkel in your mouth, and float, right? Unfortunately, that mindset - treating a snorkeling experience as a passive amusement park ride rather than an active and sometimes strenuous aquatic sport - is a major reason why we see a disproportionate number of critical emer-
Let's look at the real risks facing older snorkelers today, and how they can take control of their own safety. 1. The Trap of "I Used to Swim" (Lack of Recent In-Water Experience) One of the most common precursors to an aquatic emergency is a false sense of security based on past performance. Many older adults heading to the tropics remember themselves as the strong, con-
gencies, and sadly fatalities, involving older adults in the water. For example, in an 18-month period in the Florida Keys, there were seven reported snorkeling fatalities and eight snorkeling-related injuries (involving exhaustion, fatigue and physical injuries) involving older adults.
fident swimmers they were twenty or thirty years ago. But if your recent water experience is limited to a backyard pool or a relaxing soak in a hot tub, your body is not conditioned for the open ocean. There was an interesting segment on a national news network recently in which they compared swimming in a pool to swimming in the open ocean. They took a number of people with various levels of watermanship and had them swim 100 yards in a swimming pool. They then took them to a beach and had them swim the same distance in the open ocean. A few of them were able to make the open-water swim, but the majority struggled and a couple had to be assisted by the nearby safety personnel on jet skis. This shows that the open ocean can be deceptive and that, without proper safety equipment, a leisurely swim in the ocean can become deadly for the unprepared. The Reality Check: Seawater presents unpredictable cur- ▪ rents, choppy surface conditions, and sudden temperature shifts. The Panic Cycle: When an unconditioned swimmer en- ▪ counters an unexpected current or swallows a little water, anxiety spikes. Panic leads to rapid, shallow breathing, which rapidly escalates into exhaustion and a total com- promise of the airway. Encourage your customers to get back into a local pool before they book an ocean excursion. This will help them re- establish their comfort level in deep water, practice breathing through a snorkel, and evaluate their true physical stamina
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