Dry snorkels the best?

[AbyssalPlains]

Personally, I don't know a single diver who has progressed past 30 or so dives and still uses a snorkel. If you must have one, get the cheapest one you can find. Contrary to what the industry is trying to tell you in a desperate and pathetic attempt to elevate a piece of plastic tubing to some sort of stylish life-support equipment that can make or break the safety and fun you experience while diving, a snorkel is just that, a piece of plastic tubing.

 

[Walter]

I heard that there are some people who actually prefer just a regular J snorkel with no splash protector. Why is this?

That's because they work quite well, have very little drag. They have no gadgets to break and they are priced quite nicely.

I've used them as a kid but always hated them due to choking on tons of water with even the slightest wave and with no purge valve, a real pain to clear.

There are lots of things I can't do. For example, I can't roller skate/blade. I do believe I could learn the necessary skills, but I've never done so. You've simply never learned to snorkel. You can. Once you do learn, you will not be choking and clearing will be a snap.

Since then I've used cheapo sports store dry snorkels and have moved onto the "totally dry" Oceanic Ultra Dry snorkel, which IMO is so completely overrated it's not even funny. It is not totally dry and water can definitely get in, but overall it's still good. Performance is totally and utterly on par with dry snorkels I've bought for $20 at the sports stores like US Divers or Body Glove. But I can't imagine snorkeling or freediving in anything other than a dry snorkel. So what gives?

It's merely a matter of learning new skills. They are easy to learn with a good teacher.

 

[300bar]

Personally, I don't know a single diver who has progressed past 30 or so dives and still uses a snorkel.

Just come dive with my wife.
She has 4000 (yes Four thousend)+ dives and NEVER went without her snorkel.
She even carry that thing when she goes solo.

 

[ptyx]

Personally, I don't know a single diver who has progressed past 30 or so dives and still uses a snorkel.

I regularly carry a snorkel when doing shore dives - there might be cool stuff to see during the surface swim, and I prefer to keep my air for the dive. Of course, it goes in a pocket as soon as I go underwater, but I still "dive" with it.

To come back to the OP, depending on your gear configuration, a rigid J snorkel might be easier to stow than a folding one by just sliding it under your belt or in a pocket. They're also more dependable (folding snorkels ultimately end up either in two pieces or with a kink which makes breathing hard).

Another (theoretical) advantage of the basic no-valve snorkel is that it can be used (according to some training material) to assist artificial breathing in the water - I'm reserving my judgment on that one

Finally, the only kind of snorkel I'd really stay away for diving is the 'symbolic' folding snorkels. Unless you're a dive instructor and just have to comply with PADI standards, if you decide to carry a snorkel, at least make sure it's actually usable...

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Ok.... I get it now. SCUBA DIVERS generally like a simple or non-existent snorkel because anything more would tend to get in the way, and since the surface swim isn't really that big a part of the experience, a fancy snorkel is not needed.

I freedive and do a lot of snorkeling surface swimming as well, so I've really learned to appreciate the higher tech dry snorkels that you can get for as little as $20. They just make my life easier. When I used to have a regular J snorkel I'd have to really blow hard to get water out of the tube after each dive, and if that wasn't enough, I would have to surface my head to grab a breath and either flip the snorkel upside down to dump the water of try a second blow to clear it. IMO this is stupid. The reason I buy a snorkel is to be able to keep my head under the water 100% of the time, regardless of my head orientation and the amount of waves. If I have to take it out of my mouth and stick my head out of the water to grab air because the snorkel is clogged, the snorkel's not doing its job.

Besides, it's great when you're using a dry snorkel and you get hit by a large overhead wave, but it doesn't concern you in the least because no water from the wave enters your snorkel and you can just continue on like nothing happened. While using a regular snorkel waves would be very annoying.

 

[meesier42]

I hope not to offend you, but it sounds like you need more time with a snorkel in your mouth. what you are describing is fairly common for people that are new to snorkels. With practice you will have the snorkel clear before you even break the surface. I greatly appreciate my J-snorkels and clearing them is very easy, just takes some practice. With practice a basic snorkel, waves are not an issue. Take a look at the snorkels that the bigger freedive companies are making these days. Omer for example has a really nice one, flexible, but not too flexible, great bite piece, good diameter and depth below your mouth to make breathing with a little water in it very easy.

 

[rockjock3]

Ok.... When I used to have a regular J snorkel I'd have to really blow hard to get water out of the tube after each dive, and if that wasn't enough, I would have to surface my head to grab a breath and either flip the snorkel upside down to dump the water of try a second blow to clear it. IMO this is stupid.

Training is what can help you here. I have a very good snorkel, that isn't a dry snorkel, but does have a simple design at the top that keeps most splash and waves out when on the surface. As far as having to blow hard to clear, then you are not clearing properly. You don't clear at the surface, but before you reach the surface.

When you get within a few feet, with your head looking up and therefore your snorkel opening facing down, you start blowing out. As you reach the surface and roll your head you give it a good final blow and your snorkel should be clear every time. You don't have to blow very hard at all due to the fact your snorkel is upside down and you are simply filling it with air on the way up and pushing the water out.

 

[Damselfish]

Some people like very simple snorkels, and I wouldn't deign to tell them what to use. Personally, I lost my last one diving off Cape Ann someplace like 15 years ago and haven't missed it. Certainly for diving a snorkel that traps air, or is bulky (so that it pulls on your mask and gets on the way if you wear it, or is hard to stow if you don't) isn't a good thing. But I don't automatically put down people who like fancier snorkels as having no technique - I know how to clear a snorkel on the way up and do, but features like splash guards and purges still make snorkeling less effort and more enjoyable. I admit I'm not a fan of truly dry snorkels, and if conditions are such that a decent splash guard and purge isn't sufficient I'm not going snorkeling anyway. But if you like to use one snorkeling, so what.

I do agree if you don't know how to clear a snorkel on the way up you should learn, it will make your snorkeling more enjoyable. (Though I'm not sure you can do this with a truly dry snorkel.)

I have a rigid semi-dry snorkel for snorkeling, which I don't dive with as I have no good place to put it. I carry a roll up snorkel when diving, which I wouldn't really want to use for extended snorkeling, even though it does have a splash guard and purge. I see them as 2 entirely different tasks.

 

[Lims]

people talk of snorkels creating drag when scuba diving... so what? I thought most people took there time when scuba diving? Drag isn't really an issue...

 

[Walter]

Ok.... I get it now. SCUBA DIVERS generally like a simple or non-existent snorkel because anything more would tend to get in the way, and since the surface swim isn't really that big a part of the experience, a fancy snorkel is not needed.

Nope. You don't get it. The majority of SCUBA divers use a fancy snorkel with bells and whistles. They have never learned to skin dive and are in the same boat with you. Since they've never developed the skills to use a snorkel, they have a snorkel that kinda compensates for their lack of skills. Most divers do dive with a snorkel.

I freedive and do a lot of snorkeling surface swimming as well, so I've really learned to appreciate the higher tech dry snorkels that you can get for as little as $20.

You've really learned to appreciate the higher tech dry snorkels not because you do a lot of snorkeling surface swimming, but because you've yet to develop your snorkeling skills.

They just make my life easier. When I used to have a regular J snorkel I'd have to really blow hard to get water out of the tube after each dive, and if that wasn't enough, I would have to surface my head to grab a breath and either flip the snorkel upside down to dump the water of try a second blow to clear it. IMO this is stupid.

There are two ways to make life easier. One is to compensate with fancy gear, the other is to learn how to free dive. The advantage to learning new skills is it builds your confidence and allows you to enjoy skin diving even more.

If I have to take it out of my mouth and stick my head out of the water to grab air because the snorkel is clogged, the snorkel's not doing its job.

If I have to take it out of my mouth and stick my head out of the water to grab air because the snorkel is clogged, I'm doing something wrong.

Besides, it's great when you're using a dry snorkel and you get hit by a large overhead wave, but it doesn't concern you in the least because no water from the wave enters your snorkel and you can just continue on like nothing happened. While using a regular snorkel waves would be very annoying.

Besides, it's great when you're using a simple J snorkel and you get hit by a large overhead wave, but it doesn't concern you in the least because no matter if water from the wave enters your snorkel and you can just continue on like nothing happened because you have the skills to easily deal with anything that comes along.