Snorkel or not?

[SNorman]

If there is no need, ever, for a snorkel while you are in the water away from the shore or a boat, then the entire argument about needing to be a good swimmer to do SCUBA is moot. After all, you always have your fins and BCD.

To me a snorkle lets me conserve air on the surface in situations where I would have used my regulator instead, like if the water is choppy or during a surface swim. And if I'm out of air or have trouble staying buoyant because of a BCD problem, the snorkel is there.

But I am just a noob. Maybe I'll change my mind. I did take the guard off my tablesaw because it got in the way

 

[REII]

A snorkel is going to do you no good if you run out if air. Give the OOA signal to your buddy or do an ESA or whatever but once you get to the surface you will be able to breathe with or without the snorkel.

The OOA situation that I was referring to is on the surface either waiting for a dive boat to pick you up, or swiming to a boat or shore. Not as easy to use an octo in that scenareo.


[/QUOTE] Just because you are further from shore or the boat does not mean anything. do a surface swim. It may suck but at least you are not risking an OOA at depth.[/QUOTE]

If you are in choppy seas you would have a hard time doing this.

[/QUOTE]In summary the only reason you need a snorkel is because someone told you to use it, or if you are in fact snorkeling. Other than that if you are doing a surface swim lie on your back and enjoy the scenery or talk to your buddy.[/QUOTE]

The reason I use a snorkel is because I have used mine, rough seas or not, and have found it more comfortable to swim with the snorkel than without it. In my case it is usually at the start of a dive, but none the less, I prefer to have a snorkel with me at all times.

TOM

 

[Carribeandiver]

Sure, in a lake or quarry you can breath easily while on the surface but try breathing easily when in the ocean, even with small swells. My snorkel is always in the way but it sure comes in handy when hanging on the tag line waiting my turn to get on the boat.

Which leads to my question. How do those fold up snorkels work? Do you have to connect it to the mask to stay vertical? If that is the case, isnt it a pain to take off your mask and connect the snorkel? Breathing is hard enough with swells splashing on your face. Having no mask on really beefs up the difficulty level.

 

[ckaspar]

I just don't understand why people seem to think that they need to use a snorkel when they are on the surface to breathe. We live our day to day lives without a snorkel. I swim in the pool withot a snorkel. I swim in the ocean without a snorkel. Why is it that becuase I have a tank on my back and a mask around my neck or over my eyes does it make a snorkel nescessary. The only thing a snorkel has done is make me choke on any water getting in there or get in the way when diving, i.e. flooding my mask because it got hung up, kicked, grabbed, etc.

If the water is choppy then I time my breaths so that no water is over my mouth when I breathe. I dive the oceaa all of the time. If the chop and waves are so bad that I cannot breathe while on the surface I call the dive. That would be a waste of time to try to dive that or at the very least not fun.

What is all this talk about conserving air on the kick out to the dive site? You have all the free air you need. Just breathe!

Use the reg underwater and your God given breathing talents we have all had since birth when above the water.

Why does that not make sense?

 

[rongoodman]

I have an Oceanic fold-up snorkel that has a little Velcro-like gadget on the snorkel and another piece which stays on the mask strap. To deploy the snorkel you just stick the two together-no mask removal necessary.

 

[Cacia]

I just don't understand why people seem to think that they need to use a snorkel when they are on the surface to breathe. We live our day to day lives without a snorkel. I swim in the pool withot a snorkel. I swim in the ocean without a snorkel.

I would really enjoy seeing you try that in big random seas. No air=no reg in mouth= wave in Mouth=salt water in lung. It happens to me at times just removing my reg to shout something to the captain about a bouy location beneath the surface....I swim pretty well. Having your airway exposed to the force of the power of a swell, I just don't think you would have the same opinion here. At least not waiting on the surface for 45 minutes for the boat after a drift...very routine here. I have done some diving in SoCal off the channels and there are conditions when you need a snorkel there too.

I think TSandsM came up with a cool idea, I plan to try it.... She attaches her snorkel on her chest webbing of her BP/W with bike tubing and was totally out of the way but very easy to grab if needed.... I have needed a snorkel lately and not a fan of the fold-ups because they get nasty.

I am just waiting for my first flat tire...I was half way hoping for one last night, just to get it crossed off the list.

If the chop and waves are so bad that I cannot breathe while on the surface I call the dive. That would be a waste of time to try to dive that or at the very least not fun.

Oh...did not see that. Well, that explains it...we do have fun dives in big seas. hey, the Corsair wreck is at 107...the surface does not effect us at all.

 

[REII]

I just don't understand why people seem to think that they need to use a snorkel when they are on the surface to breathe. We live our day to day lives without a snorkel. I swim in the pool withot a snorkel. I swim in the ocean without a snorkel. Why is it that becuase I have a tank on my back and a mask around my neck or over my eyes does it make a snorkel nescessary. The only thing a snorkel has done is make me choke on any water getting in there or get in the way when diving, i.e. flooding my mask because it got hung up, kicked, grabbed, etc.

If the water is choppy then I time my breaths so that no water is over my mouth when I breathe. I dive the oceaa all of the time. If the chop and waves are so bad that I cannot breathe while on the surface I call the dive. That would be a waste of time to try to dive that or at the very least not fun.

What is all this talk about conserving air on the kick out to the dive site? You have all the free air you need. Just breathe!

Use the reg underwater and your God given breathing talents we have all had since birth when above the water.

Why does that not make sense?

How much diving have you actually done, and where do you usually dive?

TOM

 

[Coldiver1]

I normally leave my snorkel at home and bring my table saw with me on a dive.----Foldup snorkel in pocket works well for me.

 

[Damselfish]

I'm one who prefers to swim with a snorkel rather than on my back. And if the water isn't calm a snorkel is certainly nice. But even better is a reg in my mouth, which is my solution since I'm rarely trying to conserve air anyway.

 

[donnad]

i too didn't like the annoyance of having that snorkel on my mask, so i bought a "fold-up" model that has a little plastic carrier and keep it in my BC pocket. just in case i ever need it on the surface........if there's some wave action goin' on it may be handy to have.