Katrena and I went snuba’n. Many of you might ask, what is snuba? Snuba, invented in 1988, is a dive experience that combines the best of both snuba and snorkeling. It allows participants to go deeper than snorkeling using a shallow water dive system that makes it possible to dive as deep as 25 feet below the surface for up to 30 minutes without wearing heavy air tanks. Snuba was created for those who enjoy the ocean and would like to experience the wonders of breathing underwater. Snuba is safer and easier than scuba and does not require certification.
A professional guide is with you the whole time. You progress at your pace, letting go of the raft and diving down when you choose to, and diving at the depth you prefer. You wear a lightweight harness that tethers you to the snuba raft on the surface by way of a 25' hose. The raft carries your tank on the surface and follows your every move. You breathe through a regulator, wearing a small weight belt, mask, and fins. Minimal equipment for maximum fun! Beginners are instructed in the proper use of the snuba gear and in a very short time you are enjoying the beauty and serenity of the underwater world. If you have ever wondered what scuba diving is like, there is no safer and easier way to find out than snuba. Many people have commented on the fact that snuba is easier than snorkeling. While you are snuba’n, you can expect to see coral reef here that is frequented by green sea turtles, octopus, and a great variety of tropical fish and marine life. Let me tell you though, it is a little harder to get used to than one might think. We are always taught to breathe through our noses and not through our mouths. The first rule of snuba is to breathe through your mouth using your regulator. Our brains fight the urge to breathe underwater because every fiber of our being tells us to hold our breath underwater, but our guide told us to make sure and NOT hold our breath. Once you get used to the breathing part though, the rest is easy and oh so much fun.
I only freaked out and panicked once. After much practicing on the surface of the water, I finally was ready to “dive.” The instructor began to dive, but as hard as I might try, I could not dive. The instructor finally came back and put another weight on my belt and that helped, but once again I came to a point that I could not seem to descend as deep as I would have liked. Finally, I started to descend down, BUT all of a sudden I just kept descending, even when I did not want to. Apparently, I was vertical (I learned one is supposed to be horizontal when diving and not vertical), and I starting sinking. Before I knew it, I was touching the bottom of the ocean, 25 feet down. This is when I freaked out and panicked. I saw my instructor but he was looking forward, not backward at me. I began to swim in circles thinking I was about to die when I remembered what the instructor told us if we needed to go to the surface – grab your 25 feet of hose that was tethering you to the raft above and SLOWLY pull yourself to the top – so that is what I did. After I got back to the top, caught my breath and regrouped, I was able to go back down. The pictures I took surely do not do justice to what I saw below the surface, the brightly colored fish, the coral, and the marine life. Sadly, about the time I finally got it all figured out, we had to head back. 
Some of you might ask about Katrena’s experience…well, considering she does not like water in her face and she has never even been snorkeling, she did very well. She was able to keep her face in the water and was breathing through her regulator. Who knows, maybe next time, she will even let go of the raft.
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