Life in the Parks: Learn How to Snorkel

A light rain Sunday morning didn’t keep Debbie Braun or Sue Meyer inside. But it probably didn’t matter since they were about to spend the next hour and a half submerged in a pool learning how to snorkel.

Thomas LaBruyere, manager of Y-Kiki-Divers, and another instructor were on hand to teach the class, which was held at the Kennedy Recreation Complex. While LaBruyere might be a snorkel-pro, Braun and Meyer didn’t exactly take to it like fish in the water.

Both Florissant women had attempted unsuccessfully to master the sport of snorkeling in the past. Braun’s last try was during a vacation to Disney World, and Meyer gave up for a few years after an unsuccessful go on a trip to the Virgin Islands.

This time there were no white beaches or colorful aquatic life awaiting the divers. But to kick things up, LaBruyere tossed a plastic shark and a toy torpedo into the pool.

Before slipping into the water, the women sat on the pool deck and listened to a few snorkeling safety tips. First and most important, don’t touch the coral reef. That wasn’t a major concern for Sunday’s lesson. But other tips like keeping hydrated and applying a heavy dose of sun block were good to keep in mind.

Braun, 57, and Meyer, 68, waded toward the deep end of the pool, flippers and goggles firmly in place. For the next 10 minutes, they learned how to breath through their snorkel tubes, faces plunged under the water.

“There are a few tricks to it,” LaBruyere said. “But it’s really not that difficult.”

Braun and Meyer might have disagreed with that. Even after several goes at floating on top of the water while peering down at the pool floor, both women were having troubles breathing without getting mouthfuls of water.

“Tell her about putting her tongue on the roof of her mouth,” LaBruyere shouted to his partner who floated next to the women.

That’s just one tip LaBruyere tries with new snorkelers. And he’s taught many of them over the years.

LaBruyere started teaching scuba diving and snorkeling at Y-Kiki-Diving in the late 1990s. At the time, he had just retired as a hospital administrator and snorkeling was just a hobby. But now it’s a full-time gig for him, and he loves it.

He’s snorkeled in Cozumel, Mexico and plans on going to Roatan, Honduras next month in hopes of seeing a whale shark.

“Don’t worry,” he said, referring to the shark. “They’re plant eaters.”

Dreams of snorkeling while relaxing on vacation is what brings a lot of people to these snorkel lessons, LaBryere said. The benefit of learning before you go is that you have several days to learn as opposed to the one or two hours you might have at a resort.

LaBruyere spends several days with beginner snorkelers and divers, teaching them everything he knows. And once the students are ready, he takes them to open water.

Braun and Meyer weren’t ready for that step yet. Braun had successfully completed several dives, popping up with no unwanted pool water choking her. But Meyer was still having trouble. 

The complex's summer snorkeling classes normally fill up fast with six to eight divers, but classes may also be scheduled with just two participants. For more information, call 314-615-5572.