"dry snorkel"

[CapnDan]

I snorkel for exercise 6 days a week, some of it in very rough conditions that could easily drown a novice, and I can confirm that dry snorkels are totally inappropriate for rough water swimming. The "dry valve" tends to snap closed without warning, and you can end up sucking vacuum at the most inconvenient times. For most people I would suggest using a semi-dry snorkel such as the Aqualung Impulse II or similar. It breathes well and diverts the majority of the splash water, and it will never suddenly clamp shut like a dry snorkel. Refining your snorkel breathing technique is much better than relying on a dry snorkel to keep the water out.

Another point I would like to make is that a great many commonly available snorkels do not breathe properly. They're fine for snorkelers who swim gently and keep their breathing rates down, but if you need to snorkel hard (i.e. either for exercise or during an emergency situation) and you require some serious air exchange then you will quickly discover that most snorkels restrict the airflow excessively, requiring you to work much harder to push the same amount of air through the snorkel. This is due to a variety of factors such as small tubing diameter, sharp bends in the airpath, or worst of all those poorly-designed antisplash devices that are attached to the tops of so many cheap consumer snorkels. The various deflector plates and slots may guide some of the splash water out of the snorkel, but they also block a considerable amount of airflow.

A simple test of any snorkel that you can perform in the dive shop (with permission of course) is merely to take a few forceful breaths and see how much resistance you feel, especially during the exhalation. For a serious snorkeler there should be very little resistance during the exhalation, although I can tell you that probably 90% of the snorkels on the market will fail that test.

The above may not be quite as relevant to a diver, but I thought I'd give you an experienced snorkeler's perspective.

 

[chewslife2]

Thank-you so much, very helpful input. I shall definately look into this more.
Robert

 

[24940]

whats the answer to not breathing water when using a snorkel in adverse conditions?

Technique..... Breathe carefully and don't breathe water. Seriously. Dry snorkels aren't and they have that nasty habit of slapping shut when you most need air.

 

[LowVizWiz]

I have an Oceanic ultradry that I don't use if you're interested, I just find dry snorkels bulky; however, I do have to admit it does a great job in choppy conditions.

Wys

 

[perdidochas]

Is thre a "dry" snorkel with a high volume breathing capacity that really works, or are all snorkels the same in waves and choppy conditions, whats the answer to not breathing water when using a snorkel in adverse conditions?

I would choose a snorkel with a purge that isn't "dry."

 

[BrianDiver]

I use an old fashioned no valves J tube type snorkel and I rarely get any water in my mouth. (although the straight tubes are getting hard to find -- I'll need to buy a bunch to last the rest of my life) Technique is the key. I've trained with a snorkel and all the gadgets and gimmicks don't replace technique.

Try placing your tongue over the snorkel tube while you're swimming. Just roll your tongue toward the roof of your mouth behind your top teeth. If any water splashes into the snorkel your tongue intercepts it and you can close off the snorkel then reduce your inhalation rate and a quick exhalation clears the tube.

We used to teach this in dive classes but now we're back to the ping pong ball in the cage from the 1960's kids snorkels!

If you use a snorkel for actual breath hold diving you learn to clear it on the way to the surface so there's no water in the tube and you're ready to take your breath. A little puff while surfacing face up (snorkel down) will clear the tube --- if you have any valves the air escapes the tube and never clears.

Take care,

B

 

[perdidochas]

I use an old fashioned no valves J tube type snorkel and I rarely get any water in my mouth. (although the straight tubes are getting hard to find -- I'll need to buy a bunch to last the rest of my life) Technique is the key. I've trained with a snorkel and all the gadgets and gimmicks don't replace technique.

Try placing your tongue over the snorkel tube while you're swimming. Just roll your tongue toward the roof of your mouth behind your top teeth. If any water splashes into the snorkel your tongue intercepts it and you can close off the snorkel then reduce your inhalation rate and a quick exhalation clears the tube.

We used to teach this in dive classes but now we're back to the ping pong ball in the cage from the 1960's kids snorkels!

If you use a snorkel for actual breath hold diving you learn to clear it on the way to the surface so there's no water in the tube and you're ready to take your breath. A little puff while surfacing face up (snorkel down) will clear the tube --- if you have any valves the air escapes the tube and never clears.

With a snorkel with a purge valve, it pretty much automatically clears as you surface. I started my snorkeling career with the straight J-snorkels (and the Parentheses witha moutpiece snorkels). The first time I used a purge, I elected to never go back. Using the same technique as a J-snorkel, a purge valve snorkel clears. (I've never had a purge valve fail, and I've had the same purge snorkel (Tabata, now TUSA) for over 20 yrs, and primarily use it for beach snorkeling (i.e on sandy beaches). ) I've never used a modern dry snorkel, but did have a pingpong ball snorkel (they still made them in the 1970s). I don't see the need for either with a good purge valve snorkel.

 

[judestudio]

Here's one that seems to go the next step. We need a guinea pig.

:11: $85!!!

 

[redrover]

I too surface snorkel around, usually in fact on shore dives. I have a total dry and it worked great – for 6 months then stuck shut too much as in have to bang it around. I got a Tusa Hyperdry 4 years ago and been happy enough with it. I can fold it into a pocket and couldn’t with the much bigger total drys. It has this clip thing so it just snaps on and off the keeper on my mask. Not being a flapper or total blocker it will catch a wave sometimes but except for those couple of months with a dry, is the easiest to clear, most comfortable mouthpeice and the driest I’ve used.

 

[danvolker]

Is thre a "dry" snorkel with a high volume breathing capacity that really works, or are all snorkels the same in waves and choppy conditions, whats the answer to not breathing water when using a snorkel in adverse conditions?

You do realize, that if you learn how to use a straight j shaped snorkel, like a freediver would use ( with no purges or valves of any kind), that it is easy to breath in virtually any size waves you could ever find scuba divers in...certainly 6 to 8 would be no issue...and 2 to 3 foot chop is equally simple.

Rather than wasting money on techno-crap, just find an instructor who really knows freediving technique, and have him/her teach you how to use a snorkel. This includes how to orient it

Regards,
Dan