Ode to the lowly snorkel

[irishsquid]

...As for using a snorkle while swimming on your back; I can't imagine how that would work. It sounds like you would get a mouth full of salt water.

I'm with you on this. IIRC, the last time wearing my snorkle, the tube was up when my face was down in the water. If I'm on my back, my face is up and the tube is down in the water. I'd have a hard time breathing.

 

[TonyErnst13]

If you have a snorkel on your mask, while swimming on your back, your snorkel will be underwater. Snorkels are for snorkeling, or while instructing. When I am doing Scuba for fun, I just wear Scuba Gear.

 

[g1138]

Snorkels have uses, but none of them involve cold water diving, and although a warm water diver may choose to keep one on his mask, I do not believe there is any necessity to do so.

Monterey Kelp crawls aren't exactly tropical Lynne.

I personally don't find snorkels to be a necessity to dive. It's a convenience piece of gear to make a dive easier. So when conditions dictate or when they might dictate the use of a snorkel to make a surface swim easier, I'll attach it to my mask.

My J-snorkel just likes to catch on my bungee necklace, so I'd rather get rid of it when I don't see myself using it. Before using a bungee necklace, I found no nuisances using one, so I was in the boat of "always wear a snorkel".

I think the main problem today is those floppy corrugate hose snorkels and neoprene mask straps that only allow snorkels to be attached butt up to the mask frame.

 

[gcarter]

As for using a snorkle while swimming on your back; I can't imagine how that would work. It sounds like you would get a mouth full of salt water.

Keep in mind it isn't like swimming on your back without scuba gear - you are really swimmimg on your BCD. You aren't flat in the water, you are at more of an angle, and it is actually quite easy to keep the snorkle out of the water.

 

[g1138]

I'm with you on this. IIRC, the last time wearing my snorkle, the tube was up when my face was down in the water. If I'm on my back, my face is up and the tube is down in the water. I'd have a hard time breathing.

Push your snorkel back along your mask strap. It's not a unicorn horn, it's a snorkel. Think submarine, they don't have their periscopes pointing off the nose.

 

[t4e]

Are you saying that a snorkle is of no use swimming on your back?

I did a back swim with my snorkle in cold water to and from the descent buoy on a dive last week.

(I'm an air hog so I like to keep my air for when I'm UNDER the water)

how the heck can you comfortably do that? its just unnatural for a snorkel to be used that way

 

[AfterDark]

I was trained and dived 95% of my many years diving in cold water, in wet and dry suits with a single tank with doubles even triple 72’s never have I left my snorkel behind and I use it exactly as the OP described. We dive the way we are trained. I snorkeled for 5-7 years before I was old enough to take scuba lessons. We were trained to use the snorkel when on the surface. That’s what I do. To those that don’t like the way it looks on me; I ask why you lookin’ at me look at the fish!
I lost my best diving snorkel last season and I missed it. I haven’t found one like yet. There are no bare bones, big bore contoured barrel, silicone flex, snorkels made anymore. They have purges and top blocks and all manner of nonsense that make them cumbersome and a PITA to use.
It’s no wonder people don’t like them! I’m not fond of any snorkel I’ve looked at yet, junk, overpriced junk.

 

[danpass]

snorkel .... always.

cheap piece of gear that can make a difference.
small piece of gear that can be tucked away (or left on the mask).
versatile piece of gear that can help poke out a lobster/crab/lochness monster and get a good pic.

I got rid of the left one and am sticking with the Filefish, because like AfterDark, I prefer simple and that snorkel is as complex as I will accept lol

 

[mala]

snorkles are not needed.

long surface swims are usually due to bad planning .

 

[gcarter]

snorkles are not needed.

long surface swims are usually due to bad planning .

Or a desire to shore dive.

And long is a relative term. Any surface swim I use my snorkle.