Do you wear a snorkel while boat diving?

[DiveMaven]

I don't wear a snorkel either, but carry a folding one instead. On the surface if it's choppy and I have to wait to get back on the boat, I keep my regulator in my mouth until both feet are on the boat. If I were on the ladder and fell back in the water with a snorkel in my mouth, it would be nearly worthless as it would be flooded with water and I'd have to clear it prior to taking a breath. With my reg in my mouth, I have access to air the entire time.

I also prefer to swim on my back for surface swims.

 

[Jamdiver]

To answer your question, no. I think using a snorkel IMO while boat diving is pretty pointless.
On shore dives however I do think a snorkel is necessary especially in rough weather conditions, big waves stuff like that.
As others have said it can be a serious PITA because it's forever getting caught in my inflator house while diving.

 

[Giggi]

UGH! My hair always gets tangled around my snorkel and rips about half of my temple out when I take it off...and I surface swim on my back. I hate snorkels (but I'm still a newbie diver so I wear it all the time). As for forgetting to swap it out for the regulator before descending, there's a HUGE difference in the air draw feel between the snorkel and the regulator so I don't think I would ever make that mistake...at least not until I get my own (not rental) regulator.

 

[dive_lover88]

i take my snorkle everywhere...juz in case a passing storm occurs while i'm underwater...and the seas become rough...

 

[DennisS]

Add me to the "No Snorkel" brigade. They're more bother (and hazard) than they're worth. Think of them as training wheels for divers that haven't yet become comfortable in the water: a nice confidence booster but, ultimately, a PITA.

Too funny, I look at some of these old divers down here in south florida who've been regularly diving 20 or 30 years and a lot of them wear their so called "training wheels", they look pretty comfortable in the water to me.

"It's a big ocean" There's always the possibility that you may become a small speck on the ocean. It may be 24-48 hours before someone sees you. I'll keep my snorkel, I like getting my air intake a little higher than mouth level when I'm floating vertical in a chop.

I carry a safety sausage and a whistle too, I don't use them when I'm underwater diving and I haven't used them on the surface either. I carry them as confidence boosters.

 

[SteveDiver]

Freshwater absolutely not....Ocean Yes... Wearing a snorkle can be annoying.

 

[pilot fish]

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=1061610&highlight=pilot+fish#post1061610


I guess more needed to be said about this subject? Some fine answers in this link, in addition to this thread.

I wear mine. It's just another piece of safety equipment.

 

[SueMermaid]

No, I don't usually bring one with me, and I never attach it to my mask. It rips out my hair and gets in the way.

 

[flyguy]

I ditched mine the second I was done my OW certification. It was never any use during certification and haven't found a use for it in the last couple of years either. It's always in my bag but it's never found it's way out since.

I swim on my back and I usually have more air left than the majority. So if the water is choppy I just keep my reg in my mouth. Why waist air? Well the tank is going to be filled anyways so it makes no difference.

I suppose if I had a large pocket and was worried about being left in the middle of the ocean/lake for hours to days I might take it along.

 

[jwvanno]

I always wear one attached to my mask and use it frequently.

My girlfriend never wears one at all. She hasn't even packed it the last dozen dives.

Of course, she hasn't forgotten to switch to the regulator while submerging, like I have once or twice. ;-)