Do you dive with or without your snorkel attached and why?

[Charlie99]

Charlie, my damn feelings are hurt now. I am not part of the Snorkel Advocacy group, but I don't think they need to be banned from diving altogether. .......I also don't need to disparage or question your experience to make my point. People have opinions, I tend to disagree with yours.

Didn't intend to hurt your feelings , but you gotta wonder whether even a small fraction of the people posting "I bring a snorkel in rough weather" have ever tried it. It was just my natural scepticism kicking in and inquiring about anybody with real experience, since in my one and only rough water experience a snorkel didn't seem to be of much value.

It makes sense that USCG rescue swimmers use a snorkel, since they are actually trying to do something. A diver awaiting pickup, otoh, is basically just bobbing up and down, and maybe signalling.

I'm only part of the Snorkel Advocacy group on alternate weeks, when I argue with the anti-snorkel snobs This week I changed sides for a little variety.

 

[MASS-Diver]

I've been in tons of rough water - as I'm sure most active divers have - I swim on my back, I don't need a snorkle.

 

[divetex]

I have been diving since 1965, and became an instructor in 1966. To me, the carrying and/or use of a snorkel is a personal preference. I always use one when I'm snorkeling. I virtually never use one when I'm diving. I sometimes have a folded snorkel in my BC pocket, but just as often, I leave it in my dive bag. I dive only from boats, and just don't need the snorkel. It's simply too easy to inflate and breathe normally.

 

[DavidHickey]

Well being a brand new diver, I had never even entertained the idea of not carrying a snorkel. In class they pretty much tell you its a must have item. But I will say that they taught me to HATE the friggin thing during the OW training. The instructors rules were that while in the pool you MUST have your snorkel in your mouth. No exceptions!! Even while in the shallow end. And we are talking almost 3 hours in the pool per day. I felt like a horse with a bit in its mouth. You talk about jaw fatigue!!! Anyhow if thats a standard PADI rule it's for the birds!!! I have way figured they were use to teaching kids and that its easier to shut them up if you make them chew on a snorkel all day.!!!!!

 

[montyb]

I don't even use a snorkle when snorkleing with my wife. I mostly dive off of boats so a snorkle is just a piece of equipment that is not needed. I inflate my bc roll over and kick to wherever I need to go.

montyb

 

[Jason B]

No snorkel for me.

Jason

 

[RiverRat]

Well being a brand new diver, I had never even entertained the idea of not carrying a snorkel. In class they pretty much tell you its a must have item. But I will say that they taught me to HATE the friggin thing during the OW training. The instructors rules were that while in the pool you MUST have your snorkel in your mouth. No exceptions!! Even while in the shallow end. And we are talking almost 3 hours in the pool per day. I felt like a horse with a bit in its mouth. You talk about jaw fatigue!!! Anyhow if thats a standard PADI rule it's for the birds!!! I have way figured they were use to teaching kids and that its easier to shut them up if you make them chew on a snorkel all day.!!!!!

You'll soon learn, after you've been diving a few years, that there is a lot of nonsense taught in OW. Don't get me wrong, you need to learn the basic stuff right off, like swimming without a mask, breathing a free flow etc. But you'll also find that quite a bit of stuff you SHOULD have learned you were NEVER taught, or IMPROPERLY taught. The concept of proper TRIM was never taught to me. The true concept of diving throughout the water column neutral was never taught. Learning skills overweighted and kneeling on a platform teaches bad habits from the get go. Now that you have your license to learn, hang around SB, do your homework and go practice becoming a good diver

 

[Goose75]

The instructors rules were that while in the pool you MUST have your snorkel in your mouth. No exceptions!! Even while in the shallow end.

It sounds like you had a bad instructor. I've never seen a class that had them in full time. Makes it hard for the students to ask questions. My OW instructor did take some time to teach us snorkelling techniques (no other gear) and learn how to use them without sucking in half the sea. Other than that he only required we have them on the mask during the class for the PADI requirements to be met.

 

[gmaybee]

I've been scuba diving since 1972 (the horse collar bc's) I was taught to use the snorkel and feel comfortable with it on the left side of my mask.

 

[Azza]

Well being a brand new diver, I had never even entertained the idea of not carrying a snorkel. In class they pretty much tell you its a must have item. But I will say that they taught me to HATE the friggin thing during the OW training. The instructors rules were that while in the pool you MUST have your snorkel in your mouth. No exceptions!! Even while in the shallow end. And we are talking almost 3 hours in the pool per day. I felt like a horse with a bit in its mouth. You talk about jaw fatigue!!! Anyhow if thats a standard PADI rule it's for the birds!!! I have way figured they were use to teaching kids and that its easier to shut them up if you make them chew on a snorkel all day.!!!!!

And here is the reason why some of you deem it neccesary to carry a snorkel.
Its in PADI standards to have all OW students have either a reg or a snorkel in their mouth at all times when in the water and its been banged into your heads.
I seem to remember someone explaining why to me once but it was such a bad reason that I forgot what it was.