Should I wear a snorkel or not

[Adamastor]

Well, I don't know anything about Kelp but I do know that sometimes unplanned stuff happens. My girlfriend and I surfaced one time in a squall with no boat in sight. Swells were about twenty feet with white caps, lightning, wind and we were both low on air. It was just a squall, a little localized storm but inside of it, it was wild! We floated on our backs part of the time but ran out of canned air so we switched to snorkels and floated on our chests. The waves kept breaking over us and I honestly think that had we not had snorkels, it might have ended badly instead of having a neat little adventure. We floated for over an hour before we heard the boats horn and I popped a flare. Stuff happens when it happens!

I'd avoid any recreational dive operator who takes his boat out in a storm or doesn't know how to read a weather forecast.

 

[Edward3c]

Carry a snorkel or not, you’re choice. I have one attached to my mask with over 2k dives. It doesn’t get in the way, but the very few times I’ve needed one it was there.

 

[AJ]

Carry a snorkel or not, you’re choice. I have one attached to my mask with over 2k dives. It doesn’t get in the way, but the very few times I’ve needed one it was there.

Well that's the issue, with my Hogarthian config it does get in the way. Therefore I never use a snorkel. But if it works for you, great!

 

[Blackcrusader]

I'd avoid any recreational dive operator who takes his boat out in a storm or doesn't know how to read a weather forecast.

Does that include liveaboards... lost on in Philippines recently with 4 or 5 dead

 

[Belzelbub]

I'd avoid any recreational dive operator who takes his boat out in a storm or doesn't know how to read a weather forecast.

Weather forecasting is not that exact. A strong front rolling through, or a tropical storm are different of course. If the boats stayed at the dock if a possibility of a thunderstorm existed, there would be no dive boats going out in the summer around here.

Isolated storms can pop up in a short time, and literally right on top of you. Sunny and nice everywhere else, but inside the storm is a different story.

 

[BoltSnap]

I'd avoid any recreational dive operator who takes his boat out in a storm or doesn't know how to read a weather forecast.

You have them go through a test before you use them?

Do you think that weather forecasts are always accurate without any unexpected unpredictable events?

 

[mcohen1021]

Just like the title says, do I wear one or not? Thanks so much all and HNY

Yes. If you want to look like a professional, you definitely need to wear a snorkel.

 

[Adamastor]

You have them go through a test before you use them?

I read horror stories on Scubaboard to weed them out.
Of course there are unpredictable events, however if a diveshop offers me to go dive in 4m waves, that will be a hard pass.

 

[Celt]

Divers who are non swimmers don’t know how to use a real snorkel, and trying to explain why they may one day need one seems hopeless.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

That might work in sparse kelp. But it doesn't work at all when the kelp gets thick, like we had at Point Lobos yesterday. If you tried to push the kelp aside or crawl over it you would just exhaust yourself without making much progress. Totally pointless and counterproductive. If breathing gas is an issue, then just bring more.

Are you a hog looped DIR type by any chance?