There are some occasions where it will be necessary for people to swim in the ocean. Some people will feel quite comfortable venturing out into the ocean as long as land is in sight. This type of swimming in the ocean will usually occur in a beach setting and there may be many people around that can be contacted if the swimmer requires help reaching the shoreline.
When people plan to go snorkeling however, it might be necessary for them to abandon all land connections and board a charter boat that will take them to a coral reef location that will be out in the open ocean areas and the distance traveled by boat will make seeing land virtually impossible. In the open ocean, there are very few opportunities that a swimmer will have to be saved and they must rely on their own swimming abilities to remain afloat for any length of time.
Salt water has a consistency that will help swimmers remain afloat. The body is very buoyant when exposed to salt water and swimming through the water might require a person to use more strength in their strokes than they would if they were swimming in a swimming pool filled with fresh water. Snorkeling equipment is very light and...