How Is It Different from Scuba Diving and Free Diving?

While snorkeling is dependent on drawing air from above the surface and using it to breathe normally under water, scuba diving and free diving work differently.

Scuba diving (deriving from the acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) involves divers carrying their own supply of breathing gas with them in lightweight, pressurized tanks while swimming under water. This allows them to go far below the surface of the water for extended periods of time, and explore deeper areas more closely. Being a deep water activity, scuba diving requires a fair amount of training and safety precautions.

Free diving is different from both scuba diving and snorkeling in that it requires the diver to hold their breath while under water. Though it does not require any breathing equipment, it is important for free divers – particularly for those who dive deep – to have a certain level of fitness and swimming skills.

Both free divers and scuba divers may use snorkeling tubes as part of their gear, but for them it is an additional accessory that allows for breathing in fresh air near the surface or conserving the compressed air in their tanks, while the essence of the activity takes place deeper. For snorkelers, the tube is at the core of the activity.
 

A Brief History of Snorkeling

Variants of the snorkeling tube have been in use for over 5000 years. Archeological evidence suggests that farmers diving for sponges off the island of Crete used hollow reeds to prolong their time under water as early as 3000 BC.

Aristotle’s writings from the 4th century BC describe divers who used straight, hollow tubes – which he compared to the trunks of elephants – to draw air from above the water’s surface. Incidentally, it is Aristotle’s pupil Alexander the Great who is credited with supporting the creation of the first diving bell, another early invention that allowed divers to breathe below the surface by using air trapped in a pocket created by a large bell-shaped object.

The first evidence of curved devices being used for this purpose is from China from the 4th century AD, when hollow rhinoceros horns allowed divers to look downwards or ahead while being submerged under water.

These early versions of snorkeling as well as diving persisted through the years across continents. It isn’t until the 16th century that the first evidence of the modern snorkeling tube appears, and the great Renaissance artist, scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci may be who we have to thank for it! His sketches reveal his designs for a mask with two long tubes distinctly bending away from it, the openings of which were kept above the water’s surface with the help of a buoyant, bell-shaped float.

Amongst his many designs and inventions, da Vinci even sketched webbed gloves, which can be seen as precursors to the snorkeling fins in use today.

The word ’snorkel’, which derives from the German word schnorchel – slang for nose or snout – was first used around the time of World War II to refer to the airshaft of submarines. It isn’t until 1951 that the usage of the word in English can be found with its current meaning. Coincidentally, it is also around this period that snorkels as we know them today – lightweight, J-shaped tubes – came into use.

Today, the comfort of snorkeling equipment and the ease of using it have made it one of the most popular recreational water activities. No longer restricted to sponge farmers, fishermen, and inventors, there are approximately 20 million snorkelers across the world, exploring the wonders of the underwater world!

Source: https://www.jenreviews.com/snorkeling