Snorkel question

[CaseyJr]

I don't know if this is an issue with my snorkel or my lack of experiene using a snorkel. I'm new to scuba. I've been using my snorkel in the pool to help get me more comfortable having my face in the water and to get practice finning. After going about 3/4 around the pool, I'm having water show up in/around the mouthpiece. Even after I blast it out a few times, it's bad enough that I have to come up to breathe (a panic reaction, I think). Now, that's no fun and I lose my focus for practicing! So, is it a normal thing to have water in the snorkel, and if so, how do I learn to live/cope with it? If it's not normal, what can I do different to keep it from happening? I have a Phoenix dry snorkel (I have a fear of sucking in a mouthful of water -- acutally, I have quite a few water related fears, but I really do want to practice and master them so I can enjoy diving!). Could the purge valve be malfunctioning? Does the diameter of the tube have anything to do with it?

 

[cmburch]

The snorkel should be dry and not filling with water. It may be the purge valve or a leak where the mouthpiece attaches. I am unfamiliar with Phoenix snorkels. I use Tusa and Aqua Lung semi-dry snorkels. The tube diameter has to do with breathing resistance. Smaller diameter harder to breath. If you are in a pool practicing perhaps a basic J-tube (no valves) may work best. See LeisurePro.com for a huge selection and reviews on snorkels.

Reach up while swimming to make sure the top is above water and adjust angle if needed.

 

[seductiveconcepts]

I have actually experienced this a few times and each were different reason. First ensure you have a good seal around the mouthpiece, it should feel comfortable but it must be pretty firm, if you have a weak grip or are getting to lax, water can seep in from the corners of your mouth. Second, check the purge valve in the bottom, they are not complicated, they are just a silicone flap with a nipple in the middle. Ensure you don't have any sand or debris inside it and that it is laying flat agains the sealing surface. Thirdly, check where the silicone tube meets the plastic bore (the corrugated bending part) and ensure the plastic doesn't have a hairline crack and the silicone hose doesn't have a hairline crack (mine was brand new and had the cracks). This could also be some technique problem with the snorkle not being over the crown of your head when you are face down in the water, but I would think the dry valve would shut and you would notice it. Best of luck...
Jeremy

 

[CaseyJr]

I'm going to inspect my snorkel... We have cats (who like to play fetch & chew on things), so I'm careful to keep it & my mask out of their reach. awprint: That would be about right!

 

[CaseyJr]

OK, I checked my snorkel in the sink and there was water leaking in around the mouthpiece (the one that came on the snorkel). I cranked the mouthpiece down with a zip-tie -- no more water. But, I practiced some in the pool today and was still having water show up in the m/p, maybe even worse than before. And still, blast clearing didn't solve the problem expect for maybe the next 2 breaths. I showed it to the dive shop owner and his comment was that "there's no such thing as a dry snorkel." He looked it over and couldn't find anything wrong --even took it apart to check the purge thingy. I really don't think the water is leaking in from around my mouth. Should I try a different brand?

 

[diver 85]

OK, I checked my snorkel in the sink and there was water leaking in around the mouthpiece (the one that came on the snorkel). I cranked the mouthpiece down with a zip-tie -- no more water. But, I practiced some in the pool today and was still having water show up in the m/p, maybe even worse than before. And still, blast clearing didn't solve the problem expect for maybe the next 2 breaths. I showed it to the dive shop owner and his comment was that "there's no such thing as a dry snorkel." He looked it over and couldn't find anything wrong --even took it apart to check the purge thingy. I really don't think the water is leaking in from around my mouth. Should I try a different brand?

I would @ least try(borrow) another one & check that one out.......something doesn't seem right with yours....

 

[Web Monkey]

maybe the next 2 breaths. I showed it to the dive shop owner and his comment was that "there's no such thing as a dry snorkel." He looked it over and couldn't find anything wrong --even took it apart to check the purge thingy. I really don't think the water is leaking in from around my mouth. Should I try a different brand?

First, the dive shop owner is full of poop.

There are at least a couple of fully dry snorkels. Ocean Master makes one. They're terrible for diving because they're heavy and big as a house, but they're great for snorkeling.

However that still doesn't take care of your problem. Your snorkel is either leaking or water is running in from the top, and figuring out which would take an in-person inspection which is hard to do on the internet.

One option would be to just ignore it and become the world's greatest snorkel-purger. I owe my mask-clearing skills to a series of masks that never quite fit right.

Terry

PS. I just read your previous post. If you're really getting 2 breaths out of it before needing to clear, it's either leaking or you're swimming underwater. If it's new, just bring it back and tell the shop owner you want a different one.

 

[CaseyJr]

I mentioned that I was using the original mouthpiece that came with the snorkel, but water was leaking around it. So I cranked it down with a zip-tie, but it still leaked. Well, apparently that wasn't the right mouthpiece. I took a closer look when I was rummaging through my gear bag and found a loose mouthpiece that looked like the one on my snorkel. Just to see, I put this one on and it was an instant, snug fit (plus, I used it in the pool last night without any trouble!)!

I examined the 2 mouthpieces carefully (they are curved, not straight), and noted that they were very slightly different in color, and very slightly different in size -- only noticable side-by-side. Somehow I ended up with someone elses older m/p and I guess I grabbed it by mistake once when I was experimenting with positioning of the m/p on my snorkel.

So, don't know where it came from, but it taught me another lesson: always give my gear a careful, visual inspection.