Bog Snorkeling: Crazy, but Cool!

Have you ever wanted to swim in a murky trench? Well, you can. And you can compete in it too. It’s called bog snorkeling. All you need is a snorkel, a mask, a pair of fins, and a wet suit. The wet suit is optional. Pretty simple, right?

The Start of Bog Snorkeling

This may be the first time you’ve ever heard of such a sport, but it’s not anything new. Bog Snorkeling began in in the United Kingdom in 1976 when some friends came up with this idea at their local pub. Nine years later, the first World Bog Snorkeling Competition began in 1985. Since then, there have been annual World Competitions for Bog Snorkeling at the Waen Rhydd peat bog in Wales. These contestants are more than tough, they are adventurous.

How does Bog Snorkeling Work?

Each contestant takes turns swimming two lengths of a 60 yard water-filled trench. They can only use leg power, no arms. The goal is to be the fastest snorkeler, reaching the lowest recorded time. And of course, each competitor dreams of beating the World Record of 1 minute and 22 seconds set by Kirsty Johnson in 2014.

World Bog Snorkeling Championship 2016

Bog snorkelers came from around the world to compete in this exciting competition. Some are from Sweden, England, Poland, Holland, Australia, Japan, Czech Republic, USA, Canada. The men's World Championship winner for 2016 goes to Daniel Norman with a time of 1:26.38 seconds. He is an 18 year old boy from Wolverhampton, England. The women's World Championship winner for 2016 goes to the Swedish snorkeler, Anna Lohman, with a time of 1:33.10 seconds. 

Summer 2016 Goals: "Breathe Your Best"

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It is hard to believe that the calendar is flipped once again. Now, the month of June is here, and you know what that means, preparation time. This is the month where the Vision is established and the goals are made. This year, our vision here at Kapitol Reef Aquatics is to allow you to "BREATHE YOUR BEST!" Listed are some goals that all of us should share in common as we prepare to have the best summer in history! This is only possible thanks to Kadence Technology who allows everyone to "BREATHE YOUR BEST." Let us swim in this together...

Goals:

1. Hold Breath for 4 Minutes underwater.

2.Experience the life under the surface in a whole new way, and do the best we can to preserve that life.

3. Dive to "sunken treasure."

4. Visit a new snorkeling location and turn off/eliminate all distractions keeping us from becoming one with nature and her beauties.

5. Give back to the community that I participated in to accomplish these goals.

As we make plans now to accomplish these goals, we would like to impress upon your minds that Kadence Technology which is found in our Kapitol Reef Snorkel allows you to "BREATHE YOUR BEST." In fact, we promise it will! So, when you begin to turn in your last assignment or book your tickets, do not forget to purchase your Kapitol Reef Snorkel and gear. Your summer will never have been so easy to breathe. 

Family Vacations with Kapitol Reef Snorkel Sets

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Within every Mother and Father is a desire to bring to their children an unforgettable and thrilling Family Vacation. You know, the one where the children still talk about it when they are 30 and 40 years old at a Family Reunion.  Allow us here at Kapitol Reef to aid you in such a noble quest.

Family Vacations do not need to put a dent in your wallet. So many think that a quality vacation involves beau-coup bucks, or even one that needs to be at least seven to ten days. Although this sounds very nice, snorkeling doesn't necessarily need to follow that pattern.  Life below the water in many cases is free. Yes, we said it, experiencing the life and treasures under the water can be a free experience.  Children hunger to know  if Nemo really exists. They also are fascinated with the fact that there are coral habitations. However, this may not be in the back yards or on the other side of the town to most people. Our suggestion is snorkel the nearest reservoir, lake, river, or some type of body of water. 

Though fishing is fun, it can be even more fun to snorkel and see the fish in their elements. It can be an adventure to snorkel the surface of a man made reservoir and discover a school bus on the bottom of it, placed there for divers to explore. Such treasure can be found scattered in our local reservoirs in Southern Utah.   

The greatest thing about this type of vacation is that it can be an opportunity to practice and master the Kadence Technology found in the Kapitol Reef Snorkel which allows you to hold your breath up to 22% longer!  

Entering the Water Effectively and Efficiently

Sometimes, getting into the water with fins, snorkels, masks, tanks and more can seem daunting with waves, slippery rocks, and other hazards. Here are some tips to make entering the water a little more effective and efficient.

Mask

If entering the ocean or water with waves to deal with, keep your mask pulled over your head and hanging around your neck to keep it from being washed away when a strong wave hits you. 

If you don't have a mask, you can check out our swimming masks and see what fits for you!

Fins

 Wherever you are entering the water, whether its from a boat or shallow shore entrance, putting on your fins can be a struggle. 

If you have an opportunity to sit down on a bench or a rock by the water, that can be the easiest way to create a 4 figure with your leg resting on your other leg to put one fin on at a time. 

If you have to stand in a boat or on the shore, use your swimming buddy as a support to hold onto as you again make a 4 figure with your leg and put one fin on at a time. The buddy system makes this process a lot easier than trying to put your fins on alone, especially if waves are constantly pushing against you. 

Entering the water or being close to the waters edge before donning your fins will make it easier to move about after your fins are on. 

Again, we hope that if you don't have a good pair of fins, you will take a look at our fins. They're great!

We hope you enjoy snorkeling and diving as much as we do, and hopefully the next time you attempt to enter the water, you will find an easier, faster approach to your water experience!

For further tips on snorkeling, check out our blog on essential tips for beginner snorkelers. 

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for further blogs, news, and deals from Kapitol Reef. You can also join our Facebook Group and become a part of our online community!

Lastly, take a look at our snorkels and sets for some great deals on the most unique snorkels!

Crystals May Replace Scuba Diving Tanks

Have you ever dreamed of swimming deep in the ocean for an hour or more,  watching coral sway in the ocean current and fish dart around the rocks, without having an oxygen tank strapped to your back? Thanks to the University of Southern Denmark, that dream may become possible in the not too distant future.

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Professor Christine McKenzie gave some great insight about a new crystal material that is being developed at the University of Southern Denmark. This crystal, a base of cobalt surrounded by an organic molecule structure, absorbs oxygen from the matter around it. 

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The crystals change color with the change in oxygen saturation. Absorbed with oxygen, the crystals take on a black shade; pink when oxygen is released.

As development continues with this crystalline material, scientists are determining its capacities. A bucket of these crystals, for instance, can deplete the oxygen in a small room. A few of these grains could be used to provide a breath of oxygen. 

Another benefit of these crystals is their ability to release and absorb oxygen without ruining the structure of the material; the crystals can be used over and over. 

Oxygen can be released through heating the crystalline material, or creating a vacuum to release the oxygen molecules. McKenzie said the University is also looking into the possibility that the oxygen could be released through light amplification upon the crystals. 

So, why is a snorkeling company writing about some science experiment in Denmark? We are writing about this Aquaman crystal because it has a potential to be developed for diving. Wouldn't it be great if this crystal could be used to breath oxygen underwater for extended amounts of time? No more bulky scuba tanks. You would be able to dive deep in the ocean waters, freely moving about, while using a simple devise that activates the crystals and releases oxygen into your lungs. Now this will require oxygen blends in order to prevent oxygen toxicity. You can read more about that in our article about air tanks.

There is still a lot of research and development required before this crystalline material becomes mainstream and usable, and there are many hurdles to overcome on how they can safely apply it to diving, but it's exciting to think about. 

In the meantime, Kapitol Reef is way ahead of the game in the snorkeling world. Be sure to check out our revolutionary snorkel with our patented Kadence Technology which allows you to hold your breath longer and breathe easier. I think you'll be stunned with your results!

And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to our blog newsletter. You can also join our Facebook Group and become a part of our online community!

Now get our there and breathe your best!