Should I wear a snorkel or not

[Julius SCHMIDT]

I learned by experience the hard way that you don't need a snorkeling snorkel for diving, meaning my regular dry snorkel that doesn't fold up. In my early days, after my mask was leaking and fogging up so much, it was suggested to me by someone more experienced that having a rigid snorkel attached to your mask creates a bit of a drag or resistance on your mask thereby breaking the seal around your face. Problem solved.

No it doesn't. Makes no difference to the seal for a mask and I dive into plenty of strong currents. Fogging up certainly has nothing to do with having a snorkel attached.

Hey it's his story

OK Wearing a snorkel makes your mask fog up. OK lol

No! Constantly clearing your mask because a snorkel is breaking your skirt seal makes your mask fog up.

Shhhhhhhhh!

 

[Happyladydiver]

Tha

I learned by experience the hard way that you don't need a snorkeling snorkel for diving, meaning my regular dry snorkel that doesn't fold up. In my early days, after my mask was leaking and fogging up so much, it was suggested to me by someone more experienced that having a rigid snorkel attached to your mask creates a bit of a drag or resistance on your mask thereby breaking the seal around your face. Problem solved. I no longer dive with a snorkel attached, but I have a cheap rollup snorkel ($11 USD on Amazon) in my BCD pocket for the "just in case" situation on the surface. I always travel with my snorkeling snorkel on the boat. There are some occasions during a surface interval that you may get to snorkel. A couple of years ago in Cozumel, during our surface interval, a friendly sea turtle was hanging around our boat, so I slipped quietly into the water with just my mask and snorkel and had a close interaction with this sea turtle. It was pretty cool!

Sounds awesome with that turtle and a quick internet search turned up several articles that also mention the snorkel may create drag. It makes sense. I don’t need to be a scuba expert to see that what you’re saying is accurate. Thank you for your feedback.sou

I learned by experience the hard way that you don't need a snorkeling snorkel for diving, meaning my regular dry snorkel that doesn't fold up. In my early days, after my mask was leaking and fogging up so much, it was suggested to me by someone more experienced that having a rigid snorkel attached to your mask creates a bit of a drag or resistance on your mask thereby breaking the seal around your face. Problem solved. I no longer dive with a snorkel attached, but I have a cheap rollup snorkel ($11 USD on Amazon) in my BCD pocket for the "just in case" situation on the surface. I always travel with my snorkeling snorkel on the boat. There are some occasions during a surface interval that you may get to snorkel. A couple of years ago in Cozumel, during our surface interval, a friendly sea turtle was hanging around our boat, so I slipped quietly into the water with just my mask and snorkel and had a close interaction with this sea turtle. It was pretty cool!

Sounds awesome! I believe that in some cases that could occur as it makes sense. The drag issue I mean. It may not happen to other people due to a variety of reasons such as the type of mask, conditions etc but it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen to you. Sounds like you fixed it by not keeping the snorkel attached in this instance.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Edward3c]

Folks, its not to carry or not. Each diver (like to OP) should be able to make their own mind up without criticism.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Folks, its not to carry or not. Each diver (like to OP) should be able to make their own mind up without criticism.

I have no opinion apart from the fact I always bring mine. People use one or not I never really pay attention to.
I 've never had a fogging issue or mask leak caused by my snorkel on any dive though. Maybe others just got unlucky.

 

[ginti]

If you use a long hose setup for your regulators (like I do), never.

With a standard regulator configuration, totally up to you. I would say it's better to have one when you're starting out in diving and building confidence in the water. You can swim face-down without needing to use your tank supply for example. It's also useful when it's a little choppy on the surface to get air from a little higher up than your face which might get splashed often. Later, you can weigh the pros and cons of whether you want to keep the snorkel or not.

At higher levels of diving (tech, wreck, cave) you'll find that it is considered an entanglement hazard and forbidden in training. The long hose setup normally used in these types of diving can catch the snorkel when you share gas with your buddy and dislodge your mask. The location of the snorkel by your chin can also hinder deploying your necklace regulator.

At these levels, you're not typically going to swim long distances on the surface face down, but rather on your back, so a snorkel isn't much use and may actually dig into the water and give you a mouthful when you don't want it.

I also keep my regulator in my mouth at all times in the water, so I'm ready to take a clear breath of air with no risk of inhaling water accidentally from a snorkel.

Agencies like PADI require recreational instructors and students to have a snorkel during training, so if you see your instructor with one, it might not be their personal choice.

I remember a post on Facebook of @johnkendall exploring a cave only with a snorkel (no scuba equipment). But that was a very special case. Besides this case and some other very specific examples, your description is accurate.

I have to say that sometimes I miss a snorkel to look down when I need to swim a lot just not enough to bring one with me every dive

 

[formernuke]

I have to say that sometimes I miss a snorkel to look down when I need to swim a lot just not enough to bring one with me every dive

Thats why I like the roll up ones, remove from pocket clip on when I want one unclip and put back into pocket when I'm done.

 

[doctormike]

Folks, its not to carry or not. Each diver (like to OP) should be able to make their own mind up without criticism.

Not sure I get it. One of the main reasons we have this forum is that people post questions and other people can discuss why one approach is better than the other. Debating the advantages and disadvantages of something isn't criticism, it's helpful. Sometimes people change their long held habits based on new information that they get here. I certainly have...

I like this summary of the "anti-snorkel-on-mask" position.

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

Not sure I get it. One of the main reasons we have this forum is that people post questions and other people can discuss why one approach is better than the other. Debating the advantages and disadvantages of something isn't criticism, it's helpful. Sometimes people change their long held habits based on new information that they get here. I certainly have...

I like this summary of the "anti-snorkel-on-mask" position.

Great and entertaining article on the use of dorkels!

 

[Raphus]

Good article. A bit long, but thats exactly my opinion

 

[formernuke]

Not sure I get it. One of the main reasons we have this forum is that people post questions and other people can discuss why one approach is better than the other. Debating the advantages and disadvantages of something isn't criticism, it's helpful. Sometimes people change their long held habits based on new information that they get here. I certainly have...

I like this summary of the "anti-snorkel-on-mask" position.

That is a longer version of why I carry a very similar dorkel in the same place he does.