dry vs. semi-dry snorkels

[d33ps1x]

Just buy a regular snorkel (the KISS principle) and learn to use it properly.
There is no need to complicate a snorkel; all it does is make you look like
you've length of pipe attached to your head.

Definately good advice to follow the KISS principle. With that said:

-Divers reach for their snorkle mistakenly as a deflator and become task loaded and confused.

-Divers get hung up on their snorkle and flood their masks or worse rip them off their head.

-While diving a snorkle is a definately unneccesary entanglement point

-Snorkles definately interfere with the deployment of the 7' hose (not a concern for everyone).

-Snorkles serve no purpose whatsoever underwater. (Although I did see a divemaster in Cozumel use one to pin down a toadfish for a lazy photog.)

-It's way more effective to swim on your back and breath through your mouth then push all your gear forward through the water while breathing through a Co2 building straw with you on your stomach.

What good is a snorkle in heavy surf? The thing is max 12" high. If a wave washes over you..umm..well...stop breathing for a second. If you consider 1 foot waves heavy surf stay in your bathtub and sell your gear.

If you find yourself wearing a snorkle and aren't sure why except that your instructor told you so?....Get immediatly out of the water and stay out. Safe diving requires a reasoning and thinking individual and you aren't there yet.

 

[mntdiver]

Ditto-d33ps1x...

I've used a ScubaPro Breeze for years, deployed regularly for the occasional freediving on vacation. Otherwise, it's in the bag. As simple of a snorkel as they get, streamlined and low profile. Latest snorkel technology seems to date back to the ping pong ball snorkels of my youth. Free diving with a dry or semi-dry snorkel? Wrong equipment for the job. Come to think of it, what purpose does all that junk serve on a snorkel?

Originally Posted by jaak
"Some say you don't need a snorkel. You also don't need a seatbelt in the car most of the time. I know a man who was doing ice diving. Suddenly he noticed that his safety rope had disappeared. So being a calm divemaster and all he cut a hole into the ice with his knife and breathed through the hole with his snorkel until someone noticed air coming from the ice. Luckily he didn't have to spent more that 10 min under the hole.

u never know "

Very entertaining story, but, gimme a break. Oh, wait, I know that guy, was his name Cliff? A mailman, hangs out in a bar in Boston, "Cheers" I think it was. Filmed before a live studio audience. Jaak, for your own health, wear you seatbelt, and NEVER dive with your divemaster friend for too many reasons to get into here.

 

[R_Deluca]

breathed through the hole with his snorkel until someone noticed air coming from the ice.

How exactly do you notice air coming from the ice. I've seen some pretty big snorkels but oh wait u never know!

 

[d33ps1x]

^

 

[R_Deluca]

Rumor has it that DM's in cozumel use snorkels to fish out Bearded toad fish!

 

[d33ps1x]

To quote Steve Earle:

But I recall all of them dives down in Mexico
One place I WILL never go in my life again.

 

[R_Deluca]

To quote Steve Earle:

But I recall all of them dives down in Mexico
One place I WILL never go in my life again.

What are you talking about!

I thought you loved Coz?

You have the arrogant dive shop owner!
The DM's who use snorkels to "perserve" marine life!
The dive shop owner who says he only sees 2 or 3 din regs a year!
The divers who drag their fins along the coral as they jab their cameras into some nice sponge so they can molest a seahorse!

But they did have some great Quesadillas!!!

 

[d33ps1x]

What are you talking about!

I thought you loved Coz?

You have the arrogant dive shop owner!
The DM's who use snorkels to "perserve" marine life!
The dive shop owner who says he only sees 2 or 3 din regs a year!
The divers who drag their fins along the coral as they jab their cameras into some nice sponge so they can molest a seahorse!

But they did have some great Quesadillas!!!

I believe I addressed that here .

 

[R_Deluca]

I believe I addressed that here .

Sorry!

I forgot about the drunk "i've been diving 30 years sonny" guy!

 

[d33ps1x]

Plural and lots of em. hehe