Apollo snorkel

[dgangi]

I currently have a Ocean Master "dry" snorkel and it does a good job on the surface. But underwater it keeps banging me in the head with that big fob on top. My friend also had one and he said that the fob trapped air and caused the snorkel to float around more than another snorkel without such a device -- thus the head banging.

My other problem is that I continually would grab for the snorkel when reaching for my inflator hose. I nearly took my mask off a few times doing this...

So I decided to try a "folding" snorkel...something I could put away underwater if I had to. There were only 2 I could find -- the Sherwood and Apollo. The Sherwood is a truly foldable snorkel but it's design is a little scary to me -- flexible mouthpiece/hose that can retract into the main tube (material seemed a little weak), and a hinged main tube that seems like it could break. The Apollo has the shape of a "traditional" snorkel, but it is made out of a material that flexes. I decided to take and chance on the Apollo (I was in NYC on business and stopped by the Leisure Pro store -- it was only $25 vs. $50 MSRP so I decided to take the chance on it).

I notice that many on this board don't dive with a snorkel. I'm still a relatively new diver and can't stand to be without my snorkel on the surface...especially since I need to conserve air as much as possible.

Anybody else have the Apollo snorkel? Do you like it? And is it flexible enough to truly be "foldable" as they claim??

Thx...Doug

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Dry snorkels are for snorkeling, not scuba diving. Like you said, it bangs you in the head, floats around, poses as a power inflator and is generally a pain. It's also the last thing you want strapped to the side of your head when diving in a current! That's what we tell our students before they buy a snorkel and we recommend that they go with a simple "J" snorkel or something with a purge but no fancier; you just don't use the snorkel enough when diving to justify the annoyance caused by a dry snorkel. You can get a suitable scuba snorkel for a very reasonable price.

I've never used the one you have, I stick with a simple snorkel with a purge valve. I paid $15 for it and it serves me well. Would like to have a folding snorkel for dive sites that have a current!
Ber

 

[otter-cat]

I think that the Impulse 2 is considered a "dry" snorkel, but maybe "dry" snorkel means something more specific than what I'm thinking of. The Impulse 2 has a cone-shaped vent on the column that allows water that comes into the top of the snorkel to fall out before it reaches the bottom where the mouthpiece is.

I don't think that there is any way for it's design to trap air and make it float, but I've never used one. It'll cause drag in a current like any snorkel, though.

 

[dgangi]

As a follow-up to my original post, I decided to buy the Apollo snorkel a few weeks ago and had the chance to use it on a recent week-long dive trip to Cozumel. I can say that this was one of the best purchases I have made to date.

Cozumel is known for its currents, so I was a bit concerned about diving with a big snorkel attached to my head. But I don't like the idea of giving up my snorkel (I think it is an important piece of safety equipment). So I decided to give the Apollo a shot...

When I begin my dive, I like to breathe out of the snorkel to save air. Swimming on the surface heads-down gives me a chance to survey the dive site (as opposed to many of my friends who bob on the surface and talk to each other). Only when everybody is ready to submerge do I put my regulator in my mouth...

During the slow descent is when I remove the snorkel. That's the only part I don't like -- the snap that detaches the snorkel from the mask strap is a little hard to press. A few times I had to wrestle it to get it to break loose.

But after it comes loose, I can easily fold up the snorkel and put it in my pocket. The snorkel naturally likes to fold into thirds, and the end result is an object that easily fit into the pocket on my BC.

And swimming without the snorkel underwater was very liberating. I never mistakingly grabbed it while looking for my inflator hose. And bang-induced headaches became a thing of the past.

Lastly, the drag was greatly minimized without the snorkel. On my first 2 dives I left the snorke in place and could really feel it getting pulled around by the current. In fact, it was quite bothersome as it would pull hard on my mask strap.

So if you want to keep a snorkel on hand but don't like to swim with one, the Apollo may be the right one for you. As a snorkel, it breathes and clears very well. And as a folding snorkel, it is compact enough to fit in most any pocket.

But make sure you try out the mask strap "detach" mechanism before you jump into the water. It's a little tricky to work without some practice.

Thx...Doug

 

[Ber Rabbit]

"TANK strap detach mechanism"??? Am I missing something or should that be MASK strap? Never heard of a snorkel that attached to your tank
Ber

 

[dgangi]

Ber Rabbit once bubbled...
"TANK strap detach mechanism"??? Am I missing something or should that be MASK strap? Never heard of a snorkel that attached to your tank
Ber

Oops...mean "mask strap". I edited the note to fix the error...

Thx...Doug