Snorkeling: How many People Snorkel?

by andrea
(arlington, ia, usa)

How many people snorkel?

Wow, Andrea, that is one tough question. At least with the question, How many people scuba dive?, I could get a ballpark figure (well, OK, maybe a figure that was within a few miles of the ballpark!).

That's because with scuba diving, you have to get your certification to go diving. So there is some sort of trail of people training to go diving.

Now, with snorkeling, there is no training required. People can just grab a mask, snorkel and fins and hop in the water and go. There is no organized association that trains snorkelers or keeps track of the number of snorkelers.

I know when I go on a scuba dive vacation to a tropical location, it seems like the people who aren't scuba diving are at least trying out the snorkeling.

Many resorts also have to limit the amount of time a guest can use the snorkel gear since it is in such high demand. And if you've ever been to a resort and used their gear, you know you are not the first person to use that snorkeling gear!

We also have the problem of how to count the snorkelers. If a person only goes snorkeling once, say during their Caribbean vacation or cruise, do they count as a snorkeler? Or does a person have to snorkel on a consistent basis?

So, to make a long story short, let's get back to your question. And the true answer is...I have no idea. I have searched the internet and couldn't find any good answer either.

My guess? One heck of alot of people. Many more people than scuba dive, that's for sure. One thing I can confidently say, is that is millions upon millions upon millions...

I apologize for not being able to give you a precise answer. If anyone has better info out there, please feel free to chime in (you can use the comment form).