Snorkeling with a young child for the first time is hardly a peaceful experience. My son went for his first underwater excursion in the clear waters of Maui, at the age of 5. In the weeks before our trip, I tried to get him ready for the new experience. We searched for the perfect snorkel mask and I let him practice in his grandma’s pool. He spent a few afternoons swallowing chlorine water-and whining about it-until he got comfortable enough.
But when the time came to get into the big, blue ocean, all that practice didn’t help us much. We fumbled around on a boogie board near the shore, like a pair of socks in the washing machine. I was focused on paddling us around to the best viewing spots, staying clear of the waves, and constantly adjusting my child’s mask, or mine.
There was a calm, beautiful world underneath me, but I was missing it entirely. Luckily, my son wasn’t missing a thing. I glanced at him underwater, and saw him waving at the fish. I asked what he was doing and he said: “I’m just saying hi to the fishies.” His innocence and wonder made me stop and smile. So I stuck my head back under the waves and, for a moment, let myself flow with my son and the fishies.
Today, I’m dreaming of the fishies and the snorkeling we will do during our upcoming trip to Hawaii. I got our snorkel masks down from their storage box in the garage yesterday and we headed over to grandma’s pool. It may be a poor substitute for the big, blue ocean, but a little practice never hurts. We want to be ready, so we don’t miss a thing.
This is linked up to Mother of All Trips and her lovely Monday Dreaming post. Go check it out.
How adorable. I never even thought about taking a child that young snorkling. Thanks for the inspiration.
So do you think Noelle and Colette will go for this? It’s the plan later in August. I also heard that even if they can swim, putting a little lifejacket on them will help them relax enough to focus on the breathing. Hope you guys have a great time and see lots of wonder under the water!
@sharlene and @lorraine this post actually inspired this week’s tip post on, you guessed it, snorkeling with young kids. I’m no pro, but this is what’s worked for me.
I love this post – how many times have I gotten caught up in the shoulds and stresses of being an adult, only to have my kids pull me into the wonder of it all. It’s what makes traveling with them worthwhile.
You should post tips on snorkeling with kids – teaching them, etc. – if you haven’t already – I’m sure it’s a topic people would like to know about.