An argument for always having a snorkel

[jeandiver]

Er , is this anything like dem Cave Snorkels?

As a caver , snorkels are a NO NO !!!!!
Entanglement hazard.
And SINCE were diving in a spring environment , er , uh , the only navigation errors we care about are the ones Underground.

But Hey , I love the discussion !!!
Keep it going.

Thanks!
Jean

 

[micknewton]

I wonder if the level of previous snorkeling experience (i.e. prior to learning scuba) plays a large part in whether or not a diver decides to use a snorkel while diving. For myself, I snorkeled so much growing up that breathing through a snorkel is second nature to me. When I learned to dive, it seemed perfectly natural to carry and use a snorkel as part of my gear. I can see how a person that never learned to use one prior to taking up scuba might see it simply as a nuisance.

When my wife and I took our OW cert dives together, I was very experienced and comfortable using a snorkel and she had very little prior experience with one. On two of the dives she knocked her snorkel loose during entry. At the end of one dive we ended up playing ‘Open Water’, drifting in a strong current away from our boat with very little air left. I switched to my snorkel and relaxed. My wife had no snorkel and ended up choking down a good portion of the Pacific Ocean before I reminded her that she still had air in her tank. She still isn’t comfortable using a snorkel. She may never be comfortable with one.

 

[spectrum]

I wonder if the level of previous snorkeling experience (i.e. prior to learning scuba) plays a large part in whether or not a diver decides to use a snorkel while diving.

You might be onto something there.

I for one also did a lot of skin-diving prior to scuba and armed with mask, fins and snorkel wandered quite a ways off shore with confidence. In some ways I think I may see it as a "Swiss army knife" on the water.

Pete

 

[seaducer]

I wonder if the level of previous snorkeling experience (i.e. prior to learning scuba) plays a large part in whether or not a diver decides to use a snorkel while diving. For myself, I snorkeled so much growing up that breathing through a snorkel is second nature to me. When I learned to dive, it seemed perfectly natural to carry and use a snorkel as part of my gear.

This seems to be perfectly logical. I am going to be an exception though

I had extensive snorkeling experience before diving, and I almost never take one with me on scuba.

 

[peterbkk]

This seems simple to me.
Keep a fold up in your pocket.
That way if you need one you got it.
Being in your pocket it wont get in the way of your long hose, increase risk of mask flooding, get you entangled, get your hair caught in it (assuming you have hair, unlike me)...etc.

I have never needed one but after reading this I may take a look at a fold up.

cheers

I agree that it makes sense to keep a fold-up in a BC pocket for that "just-in-case" situation when you have a long surface swim in a choppy sea with a near empty tank. What if you surface and the dive boat is missing? It happens.

So why don't the equipment manufacturers make more foldable snorkels. I have only found two and one of those was made from poor quality plastic that deteriorated after a couple of years.

Does anyone have any recommendations for good foldable snorkels?

Someone once asked me, "if you were on a rapidly sinking dive boat, what would you grab?" After some thought, and assuming a potential long float while waiting for rescue, I suggested grabbing:

1. wetsuit (helps float, protects against exposure)
2. mask and snorkel (helps if the sea gets rough)
3. drinking water

Then worry about the life boat.

So, having a snorkel in close proximity of your dive gear would make sense for this, "should never happen but why not be prepared" situation.

Regards
Peter

 

[cfelliot]

I hadn’t posted on this thread for a while because it turned in such a storm between the two sides of this issue.

I wasn’t trying to blame a navigation error on the lack of a snorkel, nor was I really complaining about the back swim. My only point was that I had changed my opinion on carrying a snorkel.

What was your point in not having your snorkel???

I had grown complacent about wearing a snorkel. During my first year of diving, I wore it on every dive. As time went on I stopped because I really don’t like the thing hanging from my mask.

This experience enlightened me to the fact that there ARE situations where it is a helpful item to have. Keeping a fold-up in a BC pocket means I don’t have to have it hanging from my face, but if it is needed it’s there. I carry a safety sausage too, but as yet I’ve never had to use it. I don’t see how it’s any different.

 

[hellfish]

Aqualung makes a roll up snorkle you can carry in your vest pocket,so you never will be with out one , pointless or not.

 

[Splitlip]

Actually, a lot of the cheap "non folding" snorkels out there can just be folded up.

I was an experienced snorkeler and a pretty good free diver before scuba. I won't wear a snorkel in scuba gear. I think they present a hazard on a mask when using scuba.

I still see no advantage in wearing a snorkel in rough seas. The water just pours over the top of the snorkel. I would rather float up high on my back while swimming with my head out of the water.

If the boat leaves me, I won't care about looking down at the reef. I will be scanning 3 points on the horizon as I kick to shore on my back holding my SMB upright.

Just my $0.02.

 

[spectrum]

I really don’t like the thing hanging from my mask.

With most of my diving being in cold water with 5-7 mm of neoprene on my head I never really noticed mine on the mask.

When I began to make some local scuba dives hood less at the peak of summer or when traveling the cage of my dry snorkel (save it for another thread!) was very irritating on my somewhat bald skull. For those dives I now have a plain tube snorkel that does not irritate me. Diving is an adaptation.

Pete

 

[peterbkk]

I too have scuba dived for many years now without a snorkel attached to my mask (although I do have one in my pocket). I always have one with me just in case there is a between-dive opportunity to snorkel with some interesting marine life.

But the demise of the snorkel with scuba will remove one graphical expression from the diving lexicon. In the old days, we described a strong current as a "snorkel banger" because, if you were on the deco line or hanging on to a wreck or reef hook in a strong current, the snorkel would pound repeatedly the side of your head. A good gauge of current strength...

Talking of the old days, does anyone else remember those snorkels with the curved top, a little basket and a ping-pong ball...

Regards
Peter