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

[waterwraith]

I usally don't use a snorkel (on my mask) when I dive because mine slips in the snorkel holder and gets tangled with the inflater hose on my BC and then rips my mask down. If I am in a situation where I need/have to have a snorkel I usually slip it under the cumberbun on the BC or place it in the BC pocket (mine fits with just a couple of inches sticking out). When I am in open water I always have my snorkel, but when doing quarry dives I never have it.

My 2 cents.

 

[BigJetDriver]

I just ignore the anti-snork people.

I developed a bunch of new respect for both the snorkel and the big SMB while I was sitting off the cost of Florida after a drift dive, in the middle of a bunch of big waves, and the boat wasn't there.

It's a big ocean, and when you don't have anything except what you brought, you start to be very grateful for the stuff you did bring.

Also that "breathe your tank on the surface" advice is useless for any significant amount of time. When you come up with 500 PSI, you only get about 20 minutes with a slightly elevated SAC. Even if you come up with 1000, it's only around 40 minutes. This isn't a lot of help after a couple of hours.


I'd say the same for the "time your breathing to coincide with the wave trough" advice. I'd be willing to bet that after a few hours of that, pretty much anybody would give quite a bit for a moderately-dry snorkel.

I keep one in my pocket. However as has been said here a number of times, there are no SCUBA police, and anybody who doesn't want one certainly doesn't have to bring one.

Terry

Terry,

All very good points. Well said. I would have to offer one correction, however, that is that there ARE scuba police! I are one, albeit not quite in that sense.

Trust me on this one, I will never be handing out citations on the boat to anyone, whether I see them SNORKING or NOT SNORKING!!!

Cheers!

Rob

 

[SeanQ]

Here's a thought. Turn off your tank and breath through the regulator. Won't the air come in through the exhaust ports? I don't know much about regulator mechanics so I can't say if this would harm it in any way. It seems to me that it would act as a splash guard; it would probably work better than a hand.

Any thoughts?

 

[H2Andy]

Here's a thought. Turn off your tank and breath through the regulator. Won't the air come in through the exhaust ports?

nope... good idea, but it won't work. regs "lock up" when you
try breathing with no air on.

 

[SeanQ]

OH right. I forgot about the exhaust valve. My brain is currently exhausted (no pun intended) from doing logarithms. It seemed to make perfect sense at the time.

 

[big b]

as a PADI instructor always remember that statment that you signed that " I agree to abide by PADI standards" PADI standards includee use and wearing of a snorkel . and what happens when you come up in a chop or serious wave action where is your are situation if you are using your tank air what if a long surface swim is involved. I agree there are a lot of what if's but how much room does a snorkle take.

 

[Zero]

Pack it & wear it always!

 

[bsimpson]

Greetings All,
For Quarry and short dive trips I tend to leave my snorkel on shore. When I went diving in Cozumel I made sure I took mine with me. The reason was since I was diving off a boat it could take a few minutes for them to arrive and I wanted to save my air "in case" I saw some thing spectular and wanted to go back down. I would not recommend swallowing the brisk salty sea water
It's all about personal preference.

 

[king]

If that is the case when you surface & find it become more choppy than you manage only with your reg. You are glad you have one at hand.

 

[String]

Well, String,

I haven't the faintest idea why you so vehemently foam at the mouth when presented with the sight of a snork. Perhaps your mother was attacked by one when you were in the womb?

Because its an entirely worthless piece of plastic forced onto people by agency brainwashing that has no useful purposes and if worn can hinder a dive as opposed to help.

It is a piece of plastic pipe. It is simply a tool, nothing more. If you have a use for it, use it. If not, don't. Otherwise, there's really no need to get your knickers in such a twist about it.

Thats fine but there are so many false claims in here about it being a safety device it cant really be ignored. The last thing wanted is another generation of new divers reading some of this and deciding its essential.

Mayhap your technique is so good that you float above the chop in any sea. Somehow I doubt it, but it's impressive if so.

Positive buoynacy isnt hard to acheive. Once floating you can breath normally or float on back or use the reg. A small plastic pipe is going to have no affect what so ever in heavy chop. It will simply get swamped.

I would just note that military rescue swimmers find a use for a snork in rough seas. I guess you are just better than they are! :11:

Rescue *SWIMMER* is not a scuba diver.