Judging by all the advice I’ve ever been given, it’s really best if you never went snorkeling on a full stomach. This is a lesson I sort of learned the hard way and I don’t want other people to make the same mistake that I did!
Unfortunately, it’s not always safe to go without eating. If you have to decide between going really hungry due to scheduling or eating before you jump in the water, then it’s better to get at least something in your system.
Going in with a full stomach is a great way to get cramps, though, which is exactly what happened the time I tried it. You’ll also possibly end up with indigestion the same way that you might if you were going swimming right after you ate.
In effect, that is what you’re doing. To make matters worse, you’re going to have a pretty bad reaction if you end up swallowing some salt water and have something in your stomach.
So what should you eat before snorkeling? You want to restrict yourself to raw fruits, certain hard vegetables and maybe some greens. Don’t overeat or go immediately after eating either. A full stomach can lead to cramps which will make snorkeling dangerous.
What Should You Not Eat Before Diving?
Nearly everything else should probably be off limits! Imagine what it would feel like if you were to eat a large heavy meal consisting of breads, poultry and dairy products right before you went snorkeling.
You probably wouldn’t even be able to breath through a tube with all of that heavy food in your stomach! More than likely, you wouldn’t be able to move very well either.
While you shouldn’t ever eat processed foods full of junk, you really don’t want to have these before you go snorkeling because they’re among the worst when mixed with salt water.
In theory, you shouldn’t ever be swallowing much salt water when snorkeling. Anyone who has been out, however, knows that practice can be quite different.
As a rule, you won’t want to eat anything that would make you feel ill in the heat either. Snorkeling in warmer waters or on clear, hot days will feel like doing anything else demanding on a day like that.
You won’t want to have too much food in your stomach if the mercury starts to rise and you get sweaty in the process!
Can You Snorkel if You’re Overweight?
Usually the biggest issue with being overweight isn’t really snorkeling per se. Some larger people might have problems getting back aboard with a boat ladder if they’re snorkeling in deeper waters.
If that’s the case, then you might end up needing a little assistance. That being said, activities like snorkeling are also a great way to get some additional exercise if you’re trying to re-sculpt yourself a little so you don’t want to let your weight discourage you.
In general, it doesn’t matter too much about your weight. However, you’ll want to make sure that you’re actually fit to dive.
As someone who has struggled with weight matters, I know that in many cases other health problems can arise as a result of increased body mass. You don’t want to start snorkeling right away if you’re dealing with a serious medical condition.
Don’t ever push yourself if you feel that you’re not in a position to engage in any activity where your airflow would be restricted. When you breath through a snorkel, the amount of oxygen you’ll be getting is much less than what you might usually be able to breath on land.
Naturally, you might want to talk to a medical professional if you’re on the fence about whether or not you should be snorkeling. Otherwise, though, the extra activity might actually do some good.
There are certainly far less pleasant ways to add exercise to your routine!
What to Eat After Snorkeling
More or less, you could eat anything that you would have eaten after any other activity. Assuming that you’re not going to do anything else underwater for at least some time, you could eat a full meal afterward and not feel any weird effects.
You’ll want to be more cautious if you plan on going back in the water later on, but you could plan for this by spacing out the time between eating a big meal and heading back to the beach. There’s certainly a reason that so many great restaurants are located next to the water!
Those who are starting to get serious about the sport might want to consider an after-snorkeling mix that’s relatively high in protein. Think about the kinds of foods and beverages you’d normally have after a heavy lifting session.
More than likely, you’d want to give yourself something that feeds your cells and helps you to recover from the more strenuous aspects of what you were doing. There are any number of shakes and drinks you could mix that serve this, but there’s a good chance that you could make something all natural on your own.
At the same time, you may very well want something more substantial after you’ve been out on the water anyway so you could consider balancing actual solid foods to give yourself the boost you need if you’ve expended a ton of energy while you were out on the water.
Don’t eat too soon after snorkeling if you’ve ended up swallowing more than your fair share of salt water, since you could still be at risk of getting one of those weird reactions. In general, you don’t want to eat if your stomach is upset.
Just give yourself a little time and the sensation will pass. It’s an uncomfortable feeling to be sure, but as long as you haven’t swallowed enough to actually make yourself real sick it should soon pass without incident.
You might want to also add plenty of fresh actual drinkable water to your diet after snorkeling, because the ocean is sure to dry you out due to the difference between your body and it’s brine.