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

[String]

Surface swimming (especially in chop) is only one of the purposes of a snorkel on a dive.

But its entirely unncessary for that. You can provide plenty of bouyancy, you can use your reg, you can swim on your back all perfectly well without a snorkel. Its NOT needed for this.

A snorkel is a tool.

Its about as useful as an electric lawnmower in the sea.

Fixing/adjusting you or your buddy's equipment while in the water can sometimes require having the face in to see what you are doing. Previewing your descent also reqires a face down position. Using your reg is a needless waste and holding your breath is tedious.

Do the air calculations of 30 seconds or so breathing at 1 atm/surface pressure. You'll find it so small to be utterly insignificant and not even noticable.

Entanglement is a matter of knowing where your space is and proper positioning. In my 28 years of diving, I have to admit that there times when I wondered why I wore mine, however when it is needed and used, it always pays off.

It limits what you can and cant stick your head into, simple as that. For all the use it us you may as well ducttape a large plywood plank to your head to achieve the same limiting effect and use underwater.

 

[GottaScuba]

I have been diving for 8 yrs now and I never go without a snorkel no matter the conditions. You will never know if you may get into a current etc... and end up with a surface swim. Long surface swims are not fun on your back !!!

 

[jhaxton]

I see a lot of divers without their snorkels, new divers tend to have them attached, and was wondering if the more experienced divers were not using them becsuse they didn't want to look like a newbie, or just don't see the need for them. How anybody would not wear one doing a drift dive is puzzling

I don't like diving with a snorkel, but I always keep one on the boat. Last trip, that came in extra handy as we had the rare opportunity to swim with a 35ft whaleshark for about 45 minutes when we spotted it on the way to our second dive of the day. I wouldn't have had nearly as much time up close and personal with the shark had I been popping up for air every 15 seconds!!

 

[String]

I have been diving for 8 yrs now and I never go without a snorkel no matter the conditions. You will never know if you may get into a current etc... and end up with a surface swim. Long surface swims are not fun on your back !!!

I tend to find surface swims are more comfortable on my back than any other position, especially this time of year when its nice NOT to have your face in sub 40f water for an extra 30 mins.

 

[JulieannevZ]

I find a snorkel rather a nuisance while I'm diving.

However, I really like it when / if I surface a long way from the boat and need to swim for awhile.

My husband doesn't like the snorkel and always swims on his back if he has to swim on the surface.

In the state of Queensland, Australia where I live, there's a law saying all divers should have a snorkel with them at all times!

..

 

[boxcar]

In the state of Queensland, Australia where I live, there's a law saying all divers should have a snorkel with them at all times!

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Ahhh, confirmation...Thanks...FWIW, I always take one along and don't mind it, but I was thinking of 'downsizing' until I heard about this requirement...any more info?

 

[Steven Blanchard]

But its entirely unncessary for that. You can provide plenty of bouyancy, you can use your reg, you can swim on your back all perfectly well without a snorkel. Its NOT needed for this.

Its about as useful as an electric lawnmower in the sea.

Do the air calculations of 30 seconds or so breathing at 1 atm/surface pressure. You'll find it so small to be utterly insignificant and not even noticable.

It limits what you can and cant stick your head into, simple as that. For all the use it us you may as well ducttape a large plywood plank to your head to achieve the same limiting effect and use underwater.

Such a vociferous response for something as simple as a snorkel. If you don't like them you don't have to use them. Some of us put them to use and are quite comfortable with them, but all divers and diving conditions are different.

 

[String]

The main issue is people incorrectly stating its a safety device when it blatently isnt and then using flawed logic to try to justify it.

Thats all my post was aiming to show.

 

[BigJetDriver]

Well, folks,

I had never thought to see such heat generated by a lowly piece of plastic pipe. :11:

I carry a snork, either in a holder attached to my harness when diving wet, or in a pocket when diving dry, in the open ocean, and here is why I do it:

Quite a long time ago, I thought to myself, these "tech" guys generally don't use snorks. I don't while public safety diving. I guess I'll just stop using one.

Then, one day, when we were doing a long cruise along the reefs in Cozumel, I came up with my buds to get back on the boat, and, lo and behold, no boat. No boat ANYWHERE in sight!!!

The wind had picked up, and so had the seas. Of course, with mask firmly in place on face, BC inflated, and reg in mouth, being slapped around by three to four foot chop was tolerable (sort of).

As the time went on, and we were decidng we'd better start the lonnnnnng haul to shore, I realized that the needle on my gas gauge was creeping into the "Suck Chrome, paleface!" position.

I tried removing my reg, and turning my back to the chop, but it was what is described by mariners as a "confused sea". Getting slapped in the chops BY the chop turned out to not to be my idea of fun.

Fortunately, before things got TOO serious, the missing boat hove over the horizon.

After that, however, I said to myself: "Self, let's be smart about this and stick a snork in a pocket from now on when I'm in the open ocean!"

So call it what you want, safety device or useful tool, it doesn't matter. It can be handy, indeed, to have aroundl

As Mr. Natural always said: "Get the right tool for the job, Kids!!!"

Rob Davie :doctor:

 

[Aquaman28]

snorkels are just that....for snorkeling. scuba is for scuba diving. if you come up to find no boat and don't like the idea of the backstroke, you can always inflate your bcd, remove it and place your arms through it with the butt end of the tank away from you. think about it.