Do you Need a Snorkel

[fnfalman]

Just say No to snorkels.

But without snorkels, how are we going to do snorkel fight?

 

[Splitlip]

Someone finally came up with a reason to carry a snorkel while scuba diving that I can agree with.

 

[Sas]

Please bear in mind that I haven't even taken my OW cert class yet and have never actually dived... Isn't the general idea to maximize bottom time? If you are wasting your air on the swim out, this does reduce your bottom time, does it not? I may be completely missing something here, but I always envisioned tank capacity as THE limiting factor on a dive. I understand that there may be situations where air is not what limits your dive time, but I would think this the exception rather than the norm.

It depends what ends the dive. For me (shore diving is generally at 10m or less, boat diving deeper):
-winter shore dive - cold ends my dive at about 90mins max, I always still have a lot of air left (temp gets down to 9C/48F), about a third or half a tank (I use steel 85cf or steel 100cf single tanks).

-summer shore dive - temp gets up to 24C/75F. I can do a couple of hours on a single, so generally I run out of stuff to see before my tank runs out. I have used nearly all of a tank and gotten about two and three quarters of an hour, but it is rare I have the time or the inclination to do a dive that long.

-boat dive 0-20m - generally imposed runtimes by the boat ends my dive, rather than my gas, or else a buddy hitting their turnaround pressure

-boat dive 20-30m - I reach my no decompression limit before I run out of air, or again, there is a time imposed by the boat or a buddy getting low on air, often I'm diving twin tanks too, though not always at this depth, so that means stacks of air, even for two dives.

-boat dive 30m-40m - I use twin tanks (100cf) and keep deco to a minimum (less than 20mins), so I have a lot of air left when I finish the dive.

Anyway, when I was new to diving, air was often a limiting factor, but my air consumption has dropped by over half since I started diving and now it is rarely the reason I end a dive.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I always wear a snorkel. I feel naked without it. I often like to be able to do multiple dives on a single tank, so while on the surface, I will generally conserve air with the snorkel.

Also, when diving in very cold water, I always felt that I warmed up faster breathing relatively warm, moist air from the snorkel on the way in, rather than the super dry air from the tank that has been chilled by long term exposure to the cold water below the thermocline and then further cooled by adiabatic expansion. Discontinuing the evaporative cooling of the lungs from super dry, cold air from the tank as soon as practical seems like a very good idea to me.

I used to often scuba dive about 1/3 mile from shore. Being able to snorkel and alternate with laying on my back, made the swim easier. Having the snorkel also allowed me to use all my air for the scuba dive (and catch more lobsters) , because I knew I would be swimming in with my snorkel and zero air. Also, as others have said, you can swim more efficiently at the surface if you are minimally bouyant (and using a snorkel) rather than having the BC inflated like a puffer fish and trying to plow through the water. Laying on your back and swimming blindly toward a rocky shore is often not a good idea. Using a snorkel can be much safer because you can see where you are going and avoid rocks and use your arms to protect your face from rocks and things in the surge.

Having a snorkel affixed to a mask also allows me to snorkel down and check on scuba divers and would also faicilitate a swimming rescue. Having a snorkel on my mask has allowed me to render aid to struggling divers on the surface quicker and easier.

If you are ever in a situation where you are left floating in the open ocean for an extended period, the snorkel will be very welcome. You will not be able to use the air from your tank indefinitely and in my opinion, some reserve should be saved in the tank in case a ship tries to run you over and you need to descend deeply to get away from it. I have been in situations with solid whitecaps that were challenging with a full BC and a snorkel; without a snorkel it would be very uncomfortable.

Also, for the people who wear back inflate systems (that push you face down when fully inflated) a snorkel would be really important in rough seas. Trying to "lean back" or minimally inflate the wings is just not gonna cut it in a squall at night for example.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I often like to be able to do multiple dives on a single tank, so while on the surface, I will generally conserve air with the snorkel.

Given the makeup of the people who read ScubaBoard, I'm going to point something out ...

<soapbox>

Doing multiple dives on a single tank isn't a safe practice for most divers. If you are going to do this you should ... at a minimum ...

- be experienced enough to know exactly how much air you are going to need for a given dive depth and duration

- pay really good attention to your depth, time, and tank pressure

- have good enough skills to self-rescue in the event that you miscalculate

The last diver I personally knew who made a practice of doing more than one dive on a single tank ended up dead ... he ran out of air at 60 feet while diving alone. He thought he had enough experience and skill to deal with it (he was a DM candidate).

Turned out he didn't.

You will not be able to use the air from your tank indefinitely and in my opinion, some reserve should be saved in the tank in case a ship tries to run you over and you need to descend deeply to get away from it. I have been in situations with solid whitecaps that were challenging with a full BC and a snorkel; without a snorkel it would be very uncomfortable.

If you are putting yourself in a situation where you have to dive down to avoid ships that are "trying to run you over", you have way more serious issues than whether or not you're carrying a snorkel.

Also, for the people who wear back inflate systems (that push you face down when fully inflated) a snorkel would be really important in rough seas. Trying to "lean back" or minimally inflate the wings is just not gonna cut it in a squall at night for example.

First off, the comment about back-inflate BCDs is nonsense, and perpetuating a myth.

Furthermore, if you are diving in squalls at night, you have way more serious issues than whether or not you're carrying a snorkel.

Ships and squalls are things that divers can, and should, avoid by choosing not to put themselves in those situations ... rather than relying on a plastic tube to "save you" because you were too dumb to make reasonable decisions about when and where to dive.

That all makes for entertaining reading (I suppose), but realistically, a good diver will be relying on good judgment to not put themselves in those situations.

</soapbox>

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DCBC]

...Where I part ways with people is when they start overstating its importance and referring to it as "safety equipment". It is hardly that. It is a piece of gear that may or may not be useful to some, depending on what other gear and instructional choices they have made, what skills they've acquired, and the conditions in which they dive.

That, really, is ALL it is.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob, I hadn't refered to a snorkel as a piece of safety equipment, but it certainly could be. In a similar way, Fins are not normally considered to be "safety equipment," but I have been in conditions where I would have been injured without them.

I would definitely consider a snorkel to be a piece of rescue /self-rescue equipment, in-that it may be used to facilitate in-water AR, or to improve personal performance in-case a long swim is required.

I (like anyone) can only express my opinion on the topic under discussion. I do not suggest that my opinion is empirically correct, but it is shared by:

- The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard (Rescue Swimmers)
- U.S.A.F. and Canadian Air Force (Search and Rescue Technicians)
- U.S. Navy (Surface Rescue Swimmers)
- British and Danish Air Force (Rescue Technicians)

As you have pointed-out, it is also required by many SCUBA certification bodies as a required piece of equipment.

Perhaps myself and these organizations are mistaken as to the importance that a snorkel may have in certain situations, but this is not my experience.

 

[DennisS]

Do you need a snorkel while recreational diving, I've heard in some places it's illegal to dive without one but it's always in the way.

As you can see by the posts, some people love em, some people hate em. It's your decision

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Bob, I hadn't refered to a snorkel as a piece of safety equipment, but it certainly could be. In a similar way, Fins are not normally considered to be "safety equipment," but I have been in conditions where I would have been injured without them.

If I can make an analogy to a car .. fins are your motor, a snorkel is your air conditioner. One is necessary to the function of the activity, the other is a convenience.

I would definitely consider a snorkel to be a piece of rescue /self-rescue equipment, in-that it may be used to facilitate in-water AR, or to improve personal performance in-case a long swim is required.

All things in their proper context ... a snorkel is not NECESSARY for either rescue or self-rescue. It may make such activities easier under certain conditions, but I cannot conceive of a situation where a rescue would fail because you didn't have a snorkel.

I (like anyone) can only express my opinion on the topic under discussion. I do not suggest that my opinion is empirically correct, but it is shared by:

- The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard (Rescue Swimmers)
- U.S.A.F. and Canadian Air Force (Search and Rescue Technicians)
- U.S. Navy (Surface Rescue Swimmers)
- British and Danish Air Force (Rescue Technicians)

All of whom are training divers to perform specific functions that are not shared by recreational diving ... context is everything.

As you have pointed-out, it is also required by many SCUBA certification bodies as a required piece of equipment.

There are several things required by many SCUBA agencies that I don't believe are necessary. There are also several things not required by those same agencies that I believe should be. Agencies follow their own agendas, and for their reasons. In the case of snorkels ... depending on the agency ... it's either due to the fact that they begin their basic OW program by teaching freediving skills (in which case a snorkel is needed equipment) or it's an artifact left over from a time when they used to teach skills which they have since dropped from their curriculum.

Perhaps myself and these organizations are mistaken as to the importance that a snorkel may have in certain situations, but this is not my experience.

These would be the same organizations that resisted the use of nitrox for years, because they were firmly convinced it was dangerous? The same ones who currently restrict their instructors from teaching in certain configurations because it's "tech" gear?

Would it be the same organizations that you have famously made thread-after-thread-after-thread complaining about because they don't meet your training standards?

Agencies ... like people ... base their decisions on opinion. And often there is disagreement and confusion even among the agency ranks as to what the policy really means. But if you want to represent that agency, you have to respect their opinion. When I'm teaching, I do what they tell me is required. That doesn't mean I always agree with it.

Snorkels have their use ... overstating that use doesn't do anyone a service. It simply reflects poorly on the credibility of those who promote them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DCBC]

If I can make an analogy to a car .. fins are your motor, a snorkel is your air conditioner. One is necessary to the function of the activity, the other is a convenience.

... In your opinion.

All things in their proper context ... a snorkel is not NECESSARY for either rescue or self-rescue. It may make such activities easier under certain conditions, but I cannot conceive of a situation where a rescue would fail because you didn't have a snorkel.

I on the other hand, believe that it's wise to have the appropriate equipment for the conditions that you are diving in. If the conditions do not require it, I would agree with your statement. However my local conditions warrant wearing one in my opinion.

All of whom are training divers to perform specific functions that are not shared by recreational diving ... context is everything.

I agree that context is everything, but disagree with your statement. I train divers to rescue their buddy, as is required by many training agencies. Every time they dive, they may be called upon to perform a rescue. In this there is no difference from a rescue swimmer's function.

There are several things required by many SCUBA agencies that I don't believe are necessary. There are also several things not required by those same agencies that I believe should be. Agencies follow their own agendas, and for their reasons. In the case of snorkels ... depending on the agency ... it's either due to the fact that they begin their basic OW program by teaching freediving skills (in which case a snorkel is needed equipment) or it's an artifact left over from a time when they used to teach skills which they have since dropped from their curriculum.

Nevertheless, it is a requirement. I don't personally believe an Instructor should drift too far away from what their Agency requires; especially in a public forum designated for "basic diver discussion."

Snorkels have their use ... overstating that use doesn't do anyone a service. It simply reflects poorly on the credibility of those who promote them.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob, I don't believe that I have overstated anything.

 

[fnfalman]

When or if I were to become a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, then I'll worry about the importance of the snorkel.

If I were drifted afloat and caught in a squall while diving in SoCal, I'd ditch my whole rig and just let the 7mm wetsuit float me. Because at this point, the scuba rig with emptied tank is pretty much worthless to me, if anything a detriment because it disallows me to swim more efficiently.

US Army paratroopers jump with fully ladened ruck sack and weapons strapped to their sides. They may even execute drops that are so close to the earth that they wouldn't bother to pack reserve chutes because there is no time to deploy the reserves. I would not suggest for recreational parachutists to execute their jumps the same way Uncle Sam's finest do just because...