Best Dry Snorkel

[Jimmer]

Oceanic makes the same snorkel as the Aeris mentioned above, just in case you have an Oceanic dealer nearby but no Aeris dealer. And they do work.

 

[*Floater*]

I bought one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...earch.dll?from=R40&satitle=290073027964&fvi=1

I only used it a few times in the pool before selling it, but it was definitely dry. There was a valve at the top which would close if I went below water, and a small purge valve at the bottom which would eliminate any water when you breathe out if some did sneak in.

The only reason I sold it was because I realized I preferred regular snorkels; I prefer getting some water in my mouth to the feeling of sucking on a closed pipe. I ended up not liking a valve at the top that could cut off my air supply, I'd rather the water cut it off even if that means water in the snork. Also what if the top of the snork is partly submerged? I guess the valve closed since no water came in, whereas with a regular snork you could still get air albeit some water would also come in.

 

[SteveAD]

scubapro phoenix will stay dry when submerged

 

[spectrum]

We have had good luck with my Genesis Mojave.

We got them in our skin-diving days and it made a big difference when the surface was sub-optimal. The dry feature is OK but to me the bigger bang is the baffle system that makes it pretty splash resistant. I can clear a plain tube just fine but I get tired of constantly blowing splash out sometimes.

We do mostly shore dives and with a snorkel we can save air on the way out while enjoying the bottom view.

Two observations...

1. When diving without a hood or beanie the top cage bugs the heck out of me as it grates on my balding head. Never noticed it was there with hoods or beanies. I'm getting a simple J tube for our upcoming warm water trips.

2. If you catch a heavy wind the wrong way the valve will close off when you try to inhale. I have only had this happen when winds we such that I would not be out skin-diving anyhow.

Enjoy your skin-diving. It's your ticket to a big part of what we enjoy as scuba divers and you couldn't ask for a better foundation should you ever seek to become certified.

Pete

 

[empressdiver]

The OP said he can't afford to dive because of his kidlets. He needs a snorkel for his snorkeling since that is what he says he can afford to do for the next few years

The point made earlier in my post was that the OP should save her money in the interim and buy the cheaper, clear tube snorkel rather than an expensive, dry one.

The longer term benefit is that, since a snorkel tends to be used only in limited conditions in scuba diving, its better not to have invested as much money into it.

Anyway, divers should be so well trained in the use of the clear tube snorkel that it should feel weird not to clear the tube on surfacing.

As well, the extra moving parts just unnecessarily create more potential failure points in the diver's gear and drag in the water. Better to just follow the KISS principle.

 

[CompuDude]

Snorkels are cheap, even on a kid-induced budget. Since you are buying for the express purpose of snorkeling, by all means buy a nice, dry snorkel, since that's what you prefer. Dry snorkels are lousy for scuba, but I agree they can be good for actual snorkeling.

If you're buying one that will be primarily for scuba later, get a semi-dry, not a dry one. (Dry snorkels trap a column of air along the side of your head when you go down... again, great for free-diving while snorkeling, but lousy for scuba). For primarily scuba use, without the concern of extensive snorkeling, I'd say get a good pocket snorkel, but even the best of them (such as the Oceanic pocket snorkel) don't quite reach the levels of a good semi-dry for snorkeling, so it's best to have two snorkels: one for snorkeling, and one for scuba. If you'll definitely only have one, I'd recommend staying away from dry snorkels.

 

[jarhed]

Not sure I understand why dry snorkles are bad for scuba. I love my dry snorkel for snorkeling and during the rare times I use it for scuba, it serves its purpose quite well.

I would be interested in why some don't like it other than cost.

Take care,
John

 

[Web Monkey]

Not sure I understand why dry snorkles are bad for scuba. I love my dry snorkel for snorkeling and during the rare times I use it for scuba, it serves its purpose quite well.

I would be interested in why some don't like it other than cost.

Take care,
John

They're huge and heavy and will rip your mask off in a strong current and almost suck your tounge out of your mouth if you dive with it.

I have an Ocean Master and love it for snorkeling because I don't have to pay attention to the waves. I know that I'll either get dry air or nothing, however for SCUBA, I use an Oceanic pocket snorkel, which has 2 flexible tubes and stows nicely in a pocket.

Terry

 

[jarhed]

Interesting, I don't notice and drag at all from the Aries that I dive with, and I do tend to dive some strong currents. I have seen some bulkier models that might have some drag associated with them.

Different for different people I guess.

John

 

[Jeremy Bouwman]

i like my scubapro phoenix for when i go snorkeling. I haven't had a problem with getting any water in it so far.