You must learn to swim first....thats a must !! Not really optional. Please, please, learn to swim first !! You most certainly will get into life threatening situations with a hookah if you don't know how to swim. They are dangerous for people who have years of swimming experience, and even the most basic mistakes can kill you quickly !! Please please get the swimming lessons....you will enjoy them and it really is life changing when you learn to swim....then you can learn snorkeling, and the ins and outs, and rules of scuba/compressed air !! Learning to swim first will give you the best chance of success, .....or maybe just survival !!