Snuba Diving in the Caribbean (What is Snuba?)

Snuba® is a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving, however snuba offers the simplicity and safety of snorkeling without the need to get certified to go scuba diving.

"Snuba®" is a patented shallow water diving system, bridging the gap between snorkeling and scuba diving by allowing users to breath surface air from a hose that extends from the surface down to 20 feet.

• Great family fun, ages 8 and up
• No snorkel or scuba experience is needed
• It's Safe & easy
• No heavy equipment or extensive training
• No certification is required
• Equipment and instruction provided by a tour operator
• Snuba is a personalized guided tour by a licensed tour operator
• Snuba has been featured on MTV, "Undersea Adventures," "Travel America," and in "USA Today"

Snuba is safe and easy and does not require certification like scuba diving. Even those who are not strong swimmers or are first time snorkelers can enjoy the Snuba experience.  Snuba is easily accessible to all over eight years and older, though there is a program called Snuba-Doo that allows those four years or older to experience Snuba.  It's also a  way for a certified diver to introduce non-certified partners to the underwater breathing experience perhaps leading to full scuba certification.

Though Snuba uses compressed air, users do not have to worry about decompression issues (the bends) because of the relative shallow depth (less than an atmosphere) and tour duration.  What makes Snuba safe is the minimal complication of equipment, connection to the surface and fully guided tour over pre-surveyed "Snuba Trails".  And just like a scuba diver you should not hold your breath while under the water and descend and ascend slowly.  Slow ascents and descents will allow your ears (and lungs) to pressurize/ajust just like in an airplane.

Snuba diving allows you maximum freedom of movement and full control. You breathe using a standard diving regulator, which is connected by a 20-foot air line to a scuba tank that floats on the surface of the water in a specially designed raft. As you move about underwater, the raft follows you, allowing you to dive to a maximum depth of 20 feet.There is no heavy diving gear.

Snuba Raft with tour guide and snuba divers.

Every Snuba tour is guided by a professional as each Snuba operator is licensed by Snuba International, Inc. Your guide will familiarize you with the Snuba equipment you will be using and briefly describe what you can expect in the water.

Instruction will start in shallow water and take whatever time necessary to get comfortable breathing underwater. Once comfortable, the group is then taken on a guided underwater snuba tour. Tours may leave from shore or a boat depending on what type of tour you arranged. During the dive you are never more than 20 feet from the security of the raft floating on the surface.

A couple Snuba diving.

Just like scuba diving, Snuba gives you the feeling of being more apart of the underwater world. The reefs you Snuba dive in have beautiful and abundant marine life, but please remember to respect the ocean by not touching, or breaking coral or taking anything out of the ocean.  Coral is very fragile and one can break thousands of years of grown in a matter of seconds.  Also, some corals such as fire coral, sting if they are touched...so it's always best not to touch any coral.  And because you can go deeper than the average snorkeler you will encounter sea life, such Moray and Spotted eels that should not be touched or provoked.  A no touch policy is best while enjoying snuba and the coral reefs!

Snuba Photos (click to enlarge)

Snorkel/Dive/Snuba Tip:
Take off all of your "shiny", especially silver jewlery.  Though quite rare, sometimes dangly shiny things in the water look like small fish that could attract a fish such a barracuda. She might get the wrong idea about your jewlery and come in for a closer look than you might like!

Places in the Caribbean you can Snuba Dive:

U.S. Virgin Islands
Snuba Dive at Trunk Bay	VI Snuba Excursions	(340) 693-8063 Fax 779-4519	Email	Website
Coki Beach	Snuba of St. Thomas	(340) 693-8063	Email	Website
Coral World	Snuba of St. Thomas	(340) 693-8063	Email	Website
BVI
Snuba BVI	Prospect Reef Resort	(242) 494-3311	Email
Aruba
DePalm Island	Snuba Aruba	(297) 942-999	Email	Website
St. John, U.S.V.I.
Snuba Dive at Trunk Bay, Coki Beach, Coral World and St. Thomas Hotels	VI Snuba Excursions	340-693-8063	Email	Website
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
Coki Beach	Snuba of St. Thomas	(340) 693-8063	Email	Website
Coral World	Snuba of St. Thomas	(340) 693-8063	Email	Website
Snuba Buck Island	Snuba of St. Thomas	(340) 775-4389
Coki Beach and St. Thomas Hotels	Dive World	(340) 775-5971	Email
St. Maartin
Bobby's Marina	Beach Safaris N.V.	(599) 542-6024	Email
Grand Cayman
Seven Mile Beach	Kirk Sea Tours	(345) 949-7278 Grand Cayman, B.W.I	Email	Website
Barbados
	Ocean Adventures, Inc.	69 Clearview Heights St. Michael, Barbados	Email
Puerto Rico
	Sunset Snuba	(787) 354-0999	Email	Website
Turks and Caicos
	Snuba TCI		Email

Riviera Maya/Cancun
Maeva Club	Maeva Club	0052 (984) 871 3000	Email	Website
Sacred Paradise	Parque Xcaret	52 (987) 14000	Email	Website
Natural Aquarium	Parque Xel Ha	52 (987) 54070	Email	Website
Beaches at Cancun	Hotel Camino Real
Beaches at Cancun	Hotel Zona
Isla Mujeres
Garrafon Park	Garrafon Park	52 (998) 987-71100		Website
Cozumel
Le Cieba Hotel	Aqua World	52 (987) 2-07-00
Catamaran Sail, Snuba & Snorkel	Mayan Paradise Tours	52 (987) 872-2394 Fax 52 (987) 869-0923	Email	website
Snuba Cozumel	Sand Dollar Sports	52 (987) 2-07-93	Email	Website
Chankanaab Park	Snuba Chankanaab	52 (987) 6-05-04	Email
Snuba Cozumel	Chankanaab Park	52 (987) 1-00-08	Email	Website
Brisas Hotel - Cozumel	Costera Sur Km. 1.7 Cozumel, Q. Roo, Mexico 77600	52 (987) 872-2900

For additional information about Snuba check out Snuba International's website at: http://www.snuba.com

Photo's and Video Courtesy of Snuba International © Snuba International, Inc.

Other Recommended Articles Scuba Diving in St. Lucia: St. Lucia SCUBA Diving - FAQs: Caribbean Stingray City Grand Cayman: Cayman Islands Families and Kids in the Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Tobago Scuba Diving: Trinidad and Tobago Yal-Ku Lagoon - Akumal, Mexico: Akumal Mexico Xcaret Eco Park: Playa del Carmen

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