Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
I found a snorkel to be useful for long surface swims through the kelp forest where flipping over on your back would result in your tank valve getting completely wrapped up in kelp. The idea is to surface swim past all the shallow boring stuff out to the deeper part to the “drop zone”. Snorkeling out on your belly allows you to view the scene below you and to navigate through the kelp whilst saving your precious tank air for your dive.
However, of late the kelp forests in Kalifornia have been decimated by those damn pirple urchins so a snorkel is just a useless dangly that doesn’t really need to be there right now since the surface is pretty much free and clear of obstructions. But then, if someone really likes to surface swim face down looking at the scene below them kicking out to the ‘drop zone’ kelp or no kelp then I suppose a snorkel is a perfectly good tool to have.
Did it ever bother me attached to the side of my mask, naw, I’m used to it, no problem.
However, of late the kelp forests in Kalifornia have been decimated by those damn pirple urchins so a snorkel is just a useless dangly that doesn’t really need to be there right now since the surface is pretty much free and clear of obstructions. But then, if someone really likes to surface swim face down looking at the scene below them kicking out to the ‘drop zone’ kelp or no kelp then I suppose a snorkel is a perfectly good tool to have.
Did it ever bother me attached to the side of my mask, naw, I’m used to it, no problem.