Logan Schultz
Staff Writer
One of Florida Southern’s newest clubs has quickly become one of the largest on campus. Established in the spring of 2024, the Florida Southern Snorkel Club has rapidly grown to 250 members and counting. As the most popular outlet for this activity on the campus, it has quickly become a lively environment for snorkelers of all skill levels.
Event Coordinators Alex McManus and Chris Viglione, both members of the executive board, shared their experiences and enthusiasm for the club. They emphasized their trip to Devil’s Den, as the highlight of the club’s first semester. The Snorkel Club arranged the carpooling and ticketing to the underground spring in Gainesville, charging members nothing more than the cost of admission.
“Being from North Carolina, there isn’t a huge culture for [snorkeling and diving] there. Up here it’s a lot bigger and it was really nice to have an outlet to share my passion for this hobby with people. I kind of realized that when we were all at Devil’s Den,” McManus said.
The trip filled to its maximum capacity of 35 people almost instantly, encouraging the club to plan more events with fewer attendance limitations for the coming year.
The Snorkel Club boasts hundreds of members, and naturally, not all of them are expert divers. Club President and co-founder Molly Kennedy emphasized how the activities are designed to target all skill levels.
“Basically the idea behind it was it was going to be a community of people who liked to be in the ocean or the springs who are interested in freediving, snorkeling, and scuba diving,” Kennedy said. While the club does not officially sponsor scuba dives, many of its members are certified to do so. The GroupMe for the club then acts as a channel through which diving friends may be found.
The Snorkel Club’s next general meeting will take the form of the “Spooky Snorkel Skills” event, which Kennedy, McManus and Viglione are excited about. Viglione described the Halloween themed event.
“One of the big things we were talking about is bobbing for apples, but instead you’re diving for weights at the bottom of the pool … it’s just a fun activity to replace a meeting but everyone has fun and gets to practice their skills.” Vigilione explained. The Spooky Snorkel Skills meeting will take place at the Hollis Wellness Center Pool on Oct 23 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with scuba gear provided for attendees.
Looking ahead, the Snorkel Club’s executive board plans to sponsor events at new locations, welcoming members of all skill levels.
“The only somewhat requirement that there is that you can at least doggy-paddle. That’s literally it.” McManus remarked. Kennedy added, “It’s an adventure. If you’re looking for a new experience and you’re interested in trying something with people who are equally as excited about it, this is a fun place to start.” Get connected with Florida Southern’s Snorkel Club through their Instagram, @fscsnorkelclub.
