Look Down Under

Thursday, July 10, 2014

The underwater world at Beaver Lake is quiet, beautiful, full of life. It's a realm that's being enjoyed more and more thanks to guided snorkeling trips offered this summer by Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area.

Parts of the park cradle the lake shore and the clear, refreshing water is ideal for snorkeling. Masks and snorkels are provided on the trips and let swimmers gaze at the underwater landscape of rock, timber and fish.

Snorkel Beaver Lake

Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area snorkeling trips will be held at 10 a.m. on July 18 and 25. Cost is $6 per person and includes a mask and snorkel to use. Snorkels may be kept after the trip.

Those under age 18 must have an adult with them. Trip size is limited and reservations are required. Call the park office at 479-789-5000 to sign up.

Source: Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area

Take a deep breath through the snorkel to experience the silence and peace that's found beneath the rippled surface.

For $6, swimmers get a mask and snorkel to use, snorkeling instruction and a van ride to a secluded spot on Beaver Lake for a 2-hour outing. Masks are returned after the trip, but people may keep their snorkels. Life jackets are worn by youngsters and adults while snorkeling. The park provides life jackets or snorkelers may bring their own.

Rebekah Penny, an interpretive naturalist at Hobbs, leads the snorkeling trips that start at the park's Visitor Center. Swimwear isn't the usual visitor-center attire, except on snorkeling day when swimsuits and flip-flops are in fashion. Penny starts the trips out with some basic snorkeling tips, then the swimsuit crowd piles into a park van for the short drive to a scenic shore.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Jacque Smith of Decatur brought a crew of youngsters to Hobbs for the inaugural snorkeling trip held in June. The novice snorkelers vibrated with excitement when the masks and snorkels were handed out.

"We try to do some nature activities on our summer break," said Smith, who teaches sixth grade math and science at Decatur schools.

Steven Turner and Jaime Grant of Fayetteville were camping at the lake and signed up for the inaugural snorkeling trip. Both are like fish in the water, comfortable with swimming and snorkeling.

The van ride ended in a cove that Penny selected for its stair-step, rocks, a bluff and easy wading into the water. After a tad more instruction, our group of eight snorkelers eased face-down into the lake and swam away.

Snorkeling is easy. Just swim across the surface, breathe through the snorkel and gaze at the world underwater. It's like a glass-bottom boat tour, only you're the boat.

Life jackets make snorkeling easier and are required on the snorkeling trips. A life vest lets a swimmer float on the surface and keep eyes underwater.

It's not natural to breathe face-down in the water, so first-timers may need a little practice, but not much. Our crew snorkeled happily along after a few moments of practice.

Emily Lucas, 9, had seen sunfish before, but never one swimming underwater inches from her mask. There was the rocky bottom to see and some timber down below as we floated along. Everyone seemed to enjoy the swimming as much as the snorkeling.

Hobbs bills itself as a park of hidden diversity, Penny said. "We want people to see the diversity above the water and the beauty below," she said of the snorkeling trips.

Back on shore, our group dried off in the afternoon sun. Jaime Grant said she enjoyed going with a group.

"I hadn't been snorkeling in a long time, so it was good to be with some people. It keeps you oriented in the water to see where you're going," she said.

Down Deeper

Swimmers who get the snorkeling bug on a Hobbs trip might venture out on their own snorkeling adventures. In the world of reservoirs, Beaver Lake is one of the clearest in the Ozarks. People often pass by many other lakes on their way to Beaver to enjoy the lake's clear water by swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving.

Want to become a certified scuba diver? Snorkeling is a good first step, said Jim Butler, owner of C&J Sports dive shop near Beaver Dam.

"It's a great way to test the water," he said, "Sometimes people can feel claustrophobic with a mask on and snorkeling gets them used to wearing a mask."

Snorkelers don't go deep, but Butler said there are plenty of fish and scenery to see while snorkeling in a few feet of water.

"Hopefully, that will get them pumped up enough that they'll want to try diving," he said.

Beaver Lake's clear water and scenery are well known among scuba fans. Dive schools from distant cities bring their students to Beaver Lake to complete their scuba certification.

The water is exceptionally clear this summer and underwater visibility is excellent, Butler said. The water gets clearer the closer one is to the dam. The bluffs and rocky stair-step shores in the dam area are popular for scuba diving and snorkeling at Beaver Lake.

"We're lucky to have it right here in our back yard," Butler said.

Outdoors on 07/10/2014