It's never too late...

Only just read this!
Granny23 had me in stitches!

nonnanna, I relish the thought of you opening the door to the postman wearing only a mask and snorkel. That really would go down in history,

Thanks for the tips everyone. I think I will have a go with a mask and snorkel. Should I try wearing it in the house first to get used to it? Then in the bath? I feel a comedy moment coming on...good job we know our postman. I once opened the door to him dressed as a caterpillar, I was trying out a costume for a fancy dress party and forgot I had it on. He laughed about it for weeks. I must remember not to smile Grindos when I finally get to the water stage.

July and still not been in the sea..until this afternoon!It was fantastic and a balmy 13.5 deg. Anyone else going to join me?

You can practise with a mask and snorkel in the bath!

It always comes back to bite you some way, doesn't it Grindos?!

I tried to snorkel in Corfu once. I got into the sea by a wall to hold on to, put my mask on and my face under the water. It took quite a while for me to have the confidence to breathe normally. When I did, I was so pleased, I smiled, broke the seal on the mask, water rushed in, I gasped and choked. Haven't done it since.

Mr n. snorkels in Mauritius , he loves it but I am afraid it is not me (smile)

If you are not a confident swimmer, get a face mask and snorkel! You don't even need to be able to swim - it is very difficult to get underwater wearing a face mask and just floating on the surface. You breathe through the snorkel tube, and the valve closes if a wave swamps it.
I have never learnt to breathe properly when swimming and I used to get a crick in my neck through trying to keep my head up, but with a face mask I can swim all day and just breathe normally.
Do I sound a tad enthusiastic? Once you have seen your first pristine coral you will understand!

nonnanana ! Don't let me put you off! At least you can swim! You have a go.

When we were teenagers, we used to go down to the local tidal swimming pool in May to see what the thermometer said. As soon as it hit 56F (13.3C) we'd be off for a swim most days after school. Hardy souls we were then.

Always regretted not getting into water sports...as a result of being very late learning to swim. When I read the blog I thought 'I could do that!' Then I came onto this thread and changed my mind. Swayed by jo8 and realised that I too would be coughing and spluttering with that awful stinging in my throat and nose from the sea water. Then I read Granny23's account of her daughter's escapade and laughed so much. Never realised a wet suit could cause those sort of problems, I'm definitely not getting one nor am I taking up any watersport in the foreseeable future.

Oh Granny 23 that was just too much! As I used to say as a kid - Laugh, I thought my pants would never dry

Granny23 great start to a dull Friday, thanks!

Granny23 - you've started my day with a

I am 'nesh' (Lancashire word for feeling the cold!) when it comes to swimming
The air temperature in Nuweiba last week was 36C and I only float on top of the water, but I still found some little cold currents!

greatnan, exactly! I needed two wet suits when scuba diving in the Gulf of Thailand with a surface temp of (they said) 27°. It certainly wasn't that once one went deeper, and even that is 10° below body temp.

G23

Granny23 - I think it's the way you tell 'em!
Swimming in water at 13C - no way, it was 26C in the Red Sea last week and I thought it could have been a bit warmer.

I've just read this to DH, G23. We're both in stitches. Please put it on YouTube.

Wonderful, G23 - reminded me of my own fiasco doing the same thing in NZ too. I was lucky to have my personal physician (sister) with me.

Granny23! You have had me howling with laughter! And I need a wee!

Soooo funny Granny23!

Sorry that should be BIG boobs, not bug boobs - think Dolly Parton.

DD2 went out in a boat to swim with dolphins when she was in NZ. They reached an appropriate spot and she (under 5' with bug boobs) was handed a giant, man-sized wet suit. They had nothing smaller on board. She slipped into it easily enough and with several turnups on the arms and legs was able to waddle to the side of the boat and slip backwards into the water. Now DD2 is an excellent swimmer, but the suit inflated itself around her, such that she was stuck on her back with a giant beer belly and inflated arms that kept rising skywards and could not be forced into the water.

Superhuman effort enabled her to turn over but she just turned onto her back again like a self-righting life raft. Unbeknown to her a whole pod? of dolphins arrived to join in the fun. She did not see them as all she could see was the sky. Fortunately (or not) her DP had elected to stay on board and film this 'once in a lifetime experience' so there is a record of the floating blimp with the dolphins all around and sorry but No, it has not been posted on YouTube nor sent to 'You've been framed'. A member of the crew had to stop laughing for long enough to dive in, push her back to the boat and deflate her by pulling down the zip so that she could clamber back on board. They had the decency to refund her fee for the trip, saying that it was their fault for not bringing a small sized suit and that they hadn't enjoyed themselves so much in years.