An argument for always having a snorkel

[mpgunner]

So, what is a good "folding snorkel to get? I like that idea of having one ready that doesn't get in the way.

 

[dive_lover88]

never liked snorkle hanging on my mask...just another item to worry about.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Snorkels SUCK.....

 

[dive_lover88]

Agreed

 

[Garrobo]

I've had a few dives where I thought that it would be nice to have a snorkel. I use one in the pool when I am excercising my legs by finning around. Other than that it stays in the bag even though I'm a Dork Diver and it would go nicely with my dorky outfit.

 

[emttim]

Snorkels SUCK.....

Well said. Sounds like navigation was the issue with the OP, not the snorkel, but I'm personally done trying to keep the snorkel out of my face/way since I never use it in the first place...took it off my mask strap before I packed my gear away yesterday and I suspect it's going to stay in the gear bag for a very long time...

 

[fisherdvm]

Last week while doing our morning drop-off dive at Coco View in Roatan I had a learning experience.

At Coco view the second boat dive is a drop-off dive on either Newman’s Wall in the southwest or Coco View Wall in the Northeast side of the channel. You then swim to shore. On this dive we were dropped at Newman’s.

We, group of 4, were coming in with the wall to our left and were at about 90 ft. Somehow, we crossed the channel and were headed out Coco View wall. Bad mistake in that we all assumed the wall was still on our left and didn’t check our compass heading – lesson #2, group consciousness isn’t always right!!

We came up to 45ft at 750psi and surfaced at 500psi, but had gone a fair distance down Coco View wall. I was down to 250psi after the SS.

What would have been a simple surface swim back in the other direction became a pain in the ^%^%^ back swim rafting on the BCDs.

I will never dive again without a snorkel!

I agree with you totally, and disagree with others who said you should use your reg. Shore exit can be very difficult, especially if you had to assist a buddy in distress. I would have save the reg for the last minutes. The more reserve you have for the last 100 yards in the tank, the better. And, no, I don't believe 500 psi is alot of air if you had to struggle through the surf assisting an injured buddy. A snorkel might help. The swim in is difficult if waves are hitting you, and I have never attempted it on my back. Have anyone done a shore entry with 6 ft waves finning in on your back? I would like some comment.

 

[Rick Inman]

And on a long surface swim, 500psi will not last long.

This has been stated a couple of times. But how long, exactly, will 500psi last on the surface?

With an AL80, 500psi is about 14cf of gas. Unless it's a raging sea on the surface, if you are just easily kicking along, you might have a sac of around .5. So that 500psi is going to last you around 28 mins. Even if you're sac is .7, you'll get 20 mins.

Also, someone brought up the kelp argument as a reason for a snorkel. That's funny, 'cause I was going to use the same argument against it. Snorkels in the kelp underwater..??

Pass, thank you.

I have a folding pocket snorkel. A few years ago in HI I stayed at a place that had a great shore dive, but it had a long swim out to depth, and you had to navigate through a channel cut in the shallow reef to get there, or you'd be bouncing on the rocks. Swimming face down was the only way to do it. It cost me about 200psi to make the swim on my reg. Sometimes I used the pocket snorkel, which I stowed prior to descending.

I've seen divers choking on their snorkels in choppy seas, while those using reg relaxed. I've seen snorkels in current cause mask floods. I've seen snorkels get hooked on cables and other stuff in the water. I've seen hoses get tangled in them. I've seen long hair get wrapped miserably in the snorkel and keepers.

If you like the snorkel, use it. I speak for myself only when I say, I find a snorkel has the potential to cause more problems than they solve.

BTW, I have lots of snorkels. I find them at dive sites on a regular basis, so it seems to be a piece of dive gear that's easily lost.

 

[Zeeman]

...but a snorkel would have made the solution much easier!

Let me guess, top of the snorkel always points north?

 

[cfelliot]

Let me guess, top of the snorkel always points north?

The propensity of some on Scubaboard to flame on “out of context” snippets never fails to amuse.

The purpose of my original post was to relate an experience and the determination which I made for myself.

Your opinion may differ and I respect that, but your comments serve no purpose except to keep a large number of divers as lurkers to this board.

Chuck