snorkel differences..real or imagined?

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bluedogs

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Location
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I've been snorkeling most of my life and diving for half of it...but now I see all these new snorkel designs, and to be honest, I hate choking on water in my snorkel when the ocean is a bit surgy. Do the semi-dry snorkels keep water out? I see others with different drainage channels, etc.

The dry snorkels have too many moving parts, and some of the semi-dry look very clunky and bulky.

Which is your favorite snorkel?

I'm heading off to Tonga for a 9 day snorkel trip with the whales...imaging some rough waters at least part of the time and don't want to be continuously surfacing to purge my snorkel...

Thanks in advance.
 
My favorite snorkel is the last one I found. :D

Just be careful who you tell about that :wink:
 
I started out using those fancy purge valve snorkels but pretty quickly changed to a basic snorkel. No purge valve no dry top. Much more streamlined feel in the water. With proper technique you should be able to clear it pretty easily after each dive as you surface.
 
I too hate to be surprised by a breath that includes water - whether a little or a lot. I found all this zabber about snorkle drag to be nonsense as far as I can tell - at least for my diving conditions and style.

I tried a sleek semi-dry and it was just that - semi. Dry if calm, in chop not so much. I switched to a dry with a mechanically simple closure. Never got another surprise drink nor had the mechanism get clogged in any way.

I can see a possible snorkle snag problem in confined spaces but I will never enter any of those.
 
I too hate to be surprised by a breath that includes water - whether a little or a lot. I found all this zabber about snorkle drag to be nonsense as far as I can tell - at least for my diving conditions and style.

I tried a sleek semi-dry and it was just that - semi. Dry if calm, in chop not so much. I switched to a dry with a mechanically simple closure. Never got another surprise drink nor had the mechanism get clogged in any way.

I can see a possible snorkle snag problem in confined spaces but I will never enter any of those.

You have to change your perspective. A real snorkler is surprised by a breath that doesn't include water.
 
A proper snorkel is simple, with no purge valve or semi-dry mechanical nonsense involved. Some of these simple snorkels are a tad too short. I use a Mares Dual snorkel. It's ideal from my perspective as a long time snorkeler, and I highly recommend it.
 
as a long time snorkeler, I love my Aqua Lung Impulse 2! absolutely love it. I was in the same position as you.
Dry snorkel did not work for me and I wanted a big purge valve. This snorkel did the trick! still going strong years later.
They have the 3 now!
Good luck.
 
I was skeptical of the newfangled snorkels when they came out, and some of the early models really, uh, sucked? Or not, as the case may be.

But the newer ones really are effective.

I've been leading student study tours every year or two where snorkeling is involved, and over the last 25-30 years I've noticed fewer (none anymore, really) issues caused by a mouthful of water.
 

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