Do you Need a Snorkel

[Dominantly]

We should all agree that your regulator in your mouth, anytime you're in the water, is probably the best option. But like mentioned above, for those situations where you are either out of air, have a malfunction, or are conserving air, the snorkel is the next best bet.

Sure, in good conditions, you would be fine with your mask on, kicking away, no breathing apparatus involved.

I personally prefer to keep my face in the water, looking around, whenever I am on the surface, so a snorkel is a must for me.


On a side note, I have seen someone try and go descend with the snorkel in their mouth instead of the reg, it's quite humorous.

 

[fnfalman]

Use a snorkel if you think that your life depends on it.

Don't use a snorkel if you don't think it's worth your bother.

Things don't get simpler than that.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Use a snorkel if you think that your life depends on it.

Don't use a snorkel if you don't think it's worth your bother.

Things don't get simpler than that.

True ... but why limit our internet arguments to split fins, deep air, BP/W, and PADI standards ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[vladimir]

Use a snorkel if you think that your life depends on it.

Don't use a snorkel if you don't think it's worth your bother.

Things don't get simpler than that.

And if you're not sure, ask whether a snorkel is necessary and hope that people with opinions informed by experience discuss the pros and cons. If you're really lucky they'll try to expose the weaknesses in each other's reasoning. Then you can form your own opinion. Also fairly simple.

 

[likestodive]

The answer about any safety gear (and a snorkel is safety gear on most easy dives) is 'not until you do'. You can start a dive in nice calm water with the boat in sight and when you surface there are 6 foot waves and the boat is no longer following your drift dive and it takes them an hour to find you (been there done that). I used to carry one of those collapsable kind in my bc pocket. The few times I needed it I realized they were junk. I don't normally use a snorkel. I guess it is a risk I am willing to take.

 

[diver 85]

Hahahaha

So I think this question has been asked before. This is very much a divers preferance. If you plan on having a long surface swim out to your dive site than you might consider keeping it on your mask and using it on your surface swim.

Personally I like to have my snorkel. Sometimes at the end of a dive I want to snorkel around a bit and not have to go back to the truck to get it, besides it really does not bother me.

What was said^^^^, plus, love one when a looong(30+ minutes) surface 'float' might come into play before boarding a boat(70 to 125 miles offshore)---sorta like having a little (cheap) insurance policy stuck to my mask.....--I want to burn my gas UW, not leaving some for above water while waiting....

 

[cmburch]

I do not consider a snorkel as safety gear. It is just a convenience for me.

I can get my butt back to shore safely with a wetsuit and fins. A little harder without the fins.

I use it for long surface swims to conserve air, view the sea life (many times I have seen Ling Cod or Cabezon while swimming in on the surface), maneuver through and around obstructions.

The one I use the most is an AL Impulse 3. It has a comfortable mouthpiece like my regulator, a large bore for fresh air without any restriction. The top diverter is great for minimizing water entry into the tube when water washes overhead.

 

[Hammerhead]

Sorry, must have missed the bit where you mentioned that you dive doubles exclusively.

I don't.

I must have missed the bit where you described how a snorkel will help me if I have an o-ring failure.

I wasn't talking about snorkels, it was something of a segue. To clarify, you first said (my italics)...

Ok fair enough. With me, I put my reg in my mouth to swim out to dive sites as I always have heaps of air (can't remember the last time I ended a dive based on my remaining gas). This might be needed in other places but for the diving I do, if I want to see the bottom whilst swimming out, reg is fine, just don't need the extra air

I replied

I guess you've never had an O-ring or first stage blow on you? Remaining gas very quickly becomes an issue, I promise you.

You replied

Yea I have. Both times I shut the post saving nearly all of the gas.

And now we've got to the nasty bit of pointing fingers and nipping at one another's heels, which is frankly rather distasteful.

If you were in Hong Kong right now, I'd invite you to my local pub for an afternoon pint. The sun is shining, we could sit outside and swap dive lies.

Actually, come to think of it, I could use a drink.

Peace etc.

 

[Sas]

And now we've got to the nasty bit of pointing fingers and nipping at one another's heels, which is frankly rather distasteful.

If you were in Hong Kong right now, I'd invite you to my local pub for an afternoon pint. The sun is shining, we could sit outside and swap dive lies.

Actually, come to think of it, I could use a drink.

Peace etc.

I am sorry I gave you the impression I was annoyed at your posts. I was not at all.

Basically I saw it like this. You asked me a question about if I had an o-ring go, as that makes my gas an issue fast. I said yes but I had no problems shutting down, saving all my gas blah blah. I presumed through this you were some how tying it all into the topic at hand and why I needed a snorkel Hence my follow up post which was intended to be a joke about 'well how's a snorkel going to help in this situation??'

If I am in Hong Kong some time, a beer sounds nice