DECEMBER 18, 2000 - JANUARY 1, 2001 VOL. 156 NO. 25/26

Detour
By ED PETERS

TRAVEL WATCH New Tricks for Buying Old Furniture in China Doreen Chan fell in love the moment she walked into the tiny furniture shop in Gongbei, a southern Chinese city just north of Macau Short Cuts Great news for squeamish travelers: Beijing is renovating 452 public toilets at 305 tourist locations, according to China Daily Web Crawling This is a great place to learn about Thailand's elephants Detour Sunbathing can be risky, sailing is too complicated to pick up in a weekend and Jetskis are loud and irritating Travel Watch Archive Browse hundreds of Asian travel tips

Sunbathing can be risky, sailing is too complicated to pick up in a weekend and Jetskis are loud and irritating. So what can you do with a weekend on the beach? The hot seaside craze in Phuket, Thailand, this season is powersnorkeling—the underwater alternative for anyone who wants the experience of diving without the hassle. Powersnorkelers use masks, weights and flippers, and they breathe via oxygen lines connected to a compressor floating on the water's surface. Thus equipped, they can swim as far as 13 m down, taking in coral and bright marine life without worrying about running out of air or time. Two people can swim in tandem using the same Powersnorkel, but only to as deep as 7 m.

Introduced early this year, powersnorkeling is proving popular with Thais and tourists alike. Anyone over the age of 10 who can swim can do it. "You can pick up the technique in a few minutes," says Steve Anderson, Phuket-based Asian representative for PowerSnorkel International of Brisbane. The Australian says he plans to introduce the sport around the region.

Powersnorkeling is environmentally friendly: the battery-powered compressor doesn't emit damaging fumes. And whereas novice snorkelers can damage coral if they suddenly have to stand up after breathing in a lung full of water, the risk is minimal among powersnorkelers, as the regulator ensures a constant air supply.

And powersnorkeling is less expensive than regular diving. Off Friendship Beach in Phuket it costs $30 a head per hour, including equipment rental and instruction. Call: (66 76) 289-172.

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