What is Snuba Diving?When oceanographer and innovator Jacques-Yves Cousteau perfected SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) in the 1940s, he not only revolutionized the scientific study of the oceans, but gave birth to a thrilling sport that now thrives wherever there is water. But even with over sixty years of technical advancement, many recreational divers find SCUBA tanks to be bulky or unwieldy. Thankfully, there is a new diving option available. Called Snuba, it crosses the thrill of SCUBA with the ease of snorkeling, and it is gaining in popularity all over the globe.
34-year-old Todd Winn is a Snuba instructor for Maui Molokai Sea Cruises. Born in Texas and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Winn learned to dive while attending California State University Chico, and has lived on Maui for over 8 years. He is most proud of his 7 year old, who dives better than he does. Here Winn offers a basic introduction to the sport of Snuba:
- Less equipment to wear.
Snuba divers use the same breathing equipment and techniques as SCUBA divers, but they don't have to wear the heavy tanks on their backs, which makes for a much lighter swim.
- Tanks ride on the surface.
Instead, the tank rides at the surface in a raft, and is attached to a line that comes down about twenty-five feet and has the breathing regulator on the end. The air travels from the tanks above to the regulator in your mouth.
- Half-hour dives.
According to Winn, Snuba trips typically last between twenty-five and thirty minutes, depending on the instructor and on how good the divers are at following directions.
- Instructors lead groups.
Experienced instructors usually lead groups of no more than six divers, and this ratio allows for lots of personalized attention.
- Great for first timers.
Because of this low instructor-to-student ratio, and because Snuba is so easy to get the hang of, Winn sees Snuba as a great choice for first-time divers who want to experience the underwater world.
- Popular everywhere.
Snuba is available worldwide. According to Winn, there are more Snuba dives conducted in the world today than any other form of diving.
For more information about Snuba and other types of diving, check out the following organizations or websites:
Snuba International
www.snuba.com
VI Snuba Excursions
visnuba.com
Scuba Duba
www.scubaduba.com
Underwater Society of America
www.underwater-society.org
Scuba Source
www.scubasource.com
Cyber Diver
www.cyberdiver.net | 
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