Getting out of a Seaweed Entanglement

Snorkelers exploring kelp forests, or who swim into a patch of thick seaweed can accidentally become entangled. This can be a dangerous situation, but if handled correctly, will only be a minor inconvenience.

If you find yourself entangled, try to remain calm. Panicking and thrashing around will only make the entanglement worse. Relax and try to locate where you are entangled. If possible, carefully untangle the seaweed with your hands. If it is not possible to manually untangle yourself, use a dive knife to cut through the seaweed. Once you have freed yourself from the entanglement, look for the least dense way out of the seaweed and head that way. It may be necessary to slowly propel yourself backwards to escape the seaweed.

Always pay attention to your surroundings so that you don’t get caught in dense seaweed where entanglements are more likely to occur.