Snorkel in mouth on surface??

[Xman]

For boat diving the snorkel is just a nuisance. Shore diving in calm conditions it is just a nuisance. Shore diving in rough conditions it is dangerous. Why do we have them when we have a tank on our back?
Not even sure we should use them between dives, I don't know but I suspect it would affect the offgassing. The more tech minded could probably tell us.

As another poster has stated..snorkeling on the surface will not significantly affect offgassing. However, you should avoid breathhold diving on snorkel while still offgassing as this can lead to DCS problems when combined with nitrogen loading from a dive.
There have even been DCS cases from breathold diving alone, but only after multiple long breathold dives.

 

[ninedives]

Shallow water black out causes regular deaths in snorkelers, I know personally of at least one case. Even more difficult for a DM is to tell a unconsious snorkeller or a dead one from a live one.

 

[jim T.]

I am constantly perplexed by the "modern" view that carrying and using a snorkel is l. bad 2. un-macho 3. unsafe 4. ALWAYS in the way...

I was originally trained in the '70s but am now again a new diver. I personally think it's silly not to have a snorkel with you as yet one more back up/safety piece of gear. I agree 100% with the captain (pg. 4) that when you need one and don't have one, you'll wish you did.

Leg cramps are another one where if you can't relieve it by pulling back on your fin, swimming face down for a bit sometimes makes the cramp go away. If the live boat has taken off after other divers or is out of sight around a point for now, preserving tank air can be comforting.
Suppose a brief squall came up or a flotilla of reckless speed boaters/jetskis came along and you needed to submerge to get out of "their" way. Any number of situations could arise that would make snorkel use a valuable option. If you have to wait 10 minutes for the "yahoos" to go away or needed that 10 minutes of tank air to swim away from them underwater, you may be glad that you were on your snorkel when you were on the surface first watching the drunken armada approaching you.

If you ever had to ditch your rig, for whatever "far-fetched" reason(s) a snorkel can be a life saver allowing you to reach shore/a boat.

I sense that the "no snorkel" school of thought is a fairly recent popular development. I really can't understand it.
If you find a mask mounted snorkel gets in the way then there's no reason whatsoever for not having one in a B.C. pocket, on a harness strap, etc. It's just another example of gear redundancy in my view.

Even though I'm new (25 dives) I honestly can't ever see myself not carrying a snorkel as a back up. I'm still breathing heavier than I'd like after gearing up and entering the water (shore dives) so I like preserving my tank air via the snorkel until I'm ready to descend. This only takes a minute or so, but-why not extend my bottom time while getting ready or waiting for buddies or club members who are still struggling to get their fins on, etc.

Sure the vast majority of the time I've floated on my back/wing, but on a very long surface swim, occasionally flipping over to snorkel can be a nice thing. My reg is ALWAYS in my right hand when snorkeling.

 

[Xman]

I am constantly perplexed by the "modern" view that carrying and using a snorkel is l. bad 2. un-macho 3. unsafe 4. ALWAYS in the way...
.....................................etc

I can't understand why it seems to be such a major for people either. A lot of us that choose to dive without snorkels use a long hose setup. In this configuration, a snorkel is a snag hazard for the hose. Some choose to carry one elsewhere, some of us don't.
A lot of others do their diving from boats and the hassle of taking one is not outweighed by the possible usefulness of one (for them).
Also, local environment comes into it. Kelp makes having a snorkel attached a pain in the ***, and they have no place inside wrecks.

I say, who cares? Take the gear that YOU require for the particular dive YOU are doing. If you want to wear a snorkel, wear a snorkel. If you don't......then don't. Why get worked up about it?

 

[MasterGoa]

yes, that must be it. These old timers know what they are doing and since they dive almost everyday after work, and have been doing this since they grew up here, I have to think they are correct. Also, when we dive on their boat, there is no one on board and this makes me a bit nervous since I am used to the captains babysitting me, following the bubbles, the marker etc. I always know that they will know which way I went due to the current, conditions, etc. It is a whole different feeling with no one on the boat....I may actually start carrying a snorkel. I remember Lynne said she has hers on the webbing with intertube rubber.
I am a weight belt fan but my BF likes integrated. I think people with no hips have an issue---there is no place for the belt to rest really. I don't like integrated because the weight is able to shift and I just don't like that lack of precision in my trim when trying to take a picture.

Your shifting weight problem is easy to fix.

I had the same problem and I too like taking teh pictarz...

So simply hook a small velcro strap or thread
across the hard surface of your weight thingnies.

You could even use 8ld fishing line and a neddle...

You can also tack shut the higher(or deeper) part
of your weight thingnies.

 

[TSandM]

Catherine, just to clarify . . . I don't normally carry a snorkel. I did have to carry one for Rescue, and that's when I put it in backup light position on my harness. It was a fairly innocuous way to carry one, though.

 

[Shaka Doug]

As a certified diver you should listen to and respect the advice of those supervising your dive activities. You agreed to this when you signed your "Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding" in your certification class. (Don't all certification agencies follow these ten rules?)

In this case, if there was a question about the need to use the reg. instead of the snorkel, you should have just asked the DM. She would have had to give you some kind of valid reason or you would have been right to not listen to her, yeah? You could have made up your mind after hearing her answer. Maybe you could have even challenged her if you didn't agree.

She probably had "her reasons" for making you use the reg. I agree, most of the time, snorkels are unnecessary and they get in the way. There are times when they are really important and valuable. Personally, I like to save my tank air for underwater use. It sounds questionable in this scenario if the water was indeed calm. Who knows why she wanted you to use the reg instead of your snorkel? Maybe that was covered in the dive briefing. No one here on the 'Board was there so I think you're asking the wrong qusetion to the wrong people. If you really want an answer to your question, you should have asked her, back then. Perhaps she wanted you to get used to your regulator. Perhaps she wanted you to start sucking up air to make the dive be over quicker. Perhaps she wanted you to set an example for the newbies entering the water. Who knows? She's the only one who does know for sure.

I've been a Divemaster/ Instructor for 21 years and I've seen lots of weird stuff along the way. I would guess that I've only used my snorkel on less than 20 percent of my dives. I have seen countless certified divers who really don't have a clue. Many of them can't even put their fins on without a struggle. Most of them that have snorkels, have them on the wrong side. Almost all of them wear their masks too tight. Lots of them struggle with their equipment and their bouyancy and the majority of them are not in very good physical conditon to begin with. I'd say the DM in this case sized up the situation and deemed it best to have you use the regulator. Maybe it was the body language you were sending her??

 

[Diver Dennis]

Wow. This is an old thread...

 

[RussR]

Nice. I did not realize this generated so much feedback.

I realize the DM was only being EXTRA careful now - I guess if you are dealing with noob divers you never know what you are getting youreself into.

Now I float on my back and hold my reg close by... - I still carry a snorkel.

It ws all about gas managment as far as I was concrned at the time.

Still love diving - be in Ft Lauderdale in two weeks!!