Snorkel Use

[Mr Carcharodon]

Try navigating through thick kelp on the surface without a snorkel and on your back then get back to me and let us know how it went.

I do this all the time. What point are you trying to make exactly? http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/images/smilies/More Smiles/shakehead.gif Are you in some way inhibited from breathing without a plastic tube in your mouth?

 

[Thalassamania]

I don't suspect that you do it all the time, in my experience (and I've spent a lot of time at Scripps and at Lobos/Monestery) the kelp patches down south are much less dense then the ones up north.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I do this all the time. What point are you trying to make exactly? http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/images/smilies/More Smiles/shakehead.gif Are you in some way inhibited from breathing without a plastic tube in your mouth?

The point I'm making is that it's a lot easier to navigate through a kelp bed on a surface swim by going through it face down while breathing through a snorkel. Sure I could do without the snorkel and breath hold face down and take a breath in from the side once in a while but why? snorkelling allows me to breathe steadily.
Rolling over on your back and trying to go through kelp, the first thing that happens is your tank valve will get hung up in the kelp, and when you roll over to see where you're going the kelp gets wrapped up on your rig even worse.
It's easiest to go over and through kelp face down and pick a path through the thin areas or to push it under you and allow it to slide under your front side which has way less entaglement points than your back side.
I guess a person who absolutely hates snorkels with a religious ferver could crawl over kelp face down with reg in mouth but I prefer to save my air for the dive and I don't always want to start my dive right in the kelp bed in 15 or 20 feet of water, I like to go out a little further out before I drop. Our bottom typography is a lot different from Socal also. It's not always possible to drop down and go under the kelp close to shore due to the radical terrain and giant rocks.
We don't have long sloping beaches and low lying shelf reef like Socal, our terrain is much more radical and treacherous.

Your kelp beds are not the same as what I dive in. I dive North of SF on the North Coast.
I've dove Malibu: Leo Carrillo, Deer Creek, Refugio, El Cap, etc.. I've also dove Catalina. A few strands of giant kelp here and there is not what I'm talking about. Try going through a bed of well developed North Coast Bull Kelp sometime. I freedive in the stuff too.
A snorkel is a great simple easy to use inexpensive piece of wonderfull dive gear that makes surface swims a pleasure.

 

[TMHeimer]

(Most of) you guys are funny. To argue about whether you need a snorkel or not is just silly. Seriously, you don't have better things to do all day long? Take one if you want, don't take one if you don't want. I have one of those fancy snorkels with a purge valve and a bobber to keep waves out. I use it - wait for it! - when I go snorkeling. Works great. I don't like it dangling next to me when I dive, so I don't take it scuba diving. I do have one of those roll up nautilus snorkels referenced several posts back that lives in my bc pocket. Got it at Sport Chalet for about $20 or so. Doesn't bother me or take up any appreciable space when underwater, but I have it in case I need (or want) to do a surface swim. I suppose I could use it as a rescue breather, and I did learn how to do that in rescue class, but mostly I just like to have it just in case. If you don't want to bring one, doesn't bother me. I'm not right and you're not wrong. Have fun and safe diving!

Mike

Best post of all these yet. What else is there to say? 93 posts in 4 days, as expected on this often debated, relatively unimportant topic.

 

[fnfalman]

Cannot dispute with your usage of the snorkel here. It makes surface kelp crawl easier. No doubt.

Nonetheless, it still NOT a "safety" device or a "life support" device. You said it, kelp crawl while taking a breath here and there can be done. Just not as efficient.

The point I'm making is that it's a lot easier to navigate through a kelp bed on a surface swim by going through it face down while breathing through a snorkel. Sure I could do without the snorkel and breath hold face down and take a breath in from the side once in a while but why? snorkelling allows me to breathe steadily.
Rolling over on your back and trying to go through kelp, the first thing that happens is your tank valve will get hung up in the kelp, and when you roll over to see where you're going the kelp gets wrapped up on your rig even worse.
It's easiest to go over and through kelp face down and pick a path through the thin areas or to push it under you and allow it to slide under your front side which has way less entaglement points than your back side.
I guess a person who absolutely hates snorkels with a religious ferver could crawl over kelp face down with reg in mouth but I prefer to save my air for the dive and I don't always want to start my dive right in the kelp bed in 15 or 20 feet of water, I like to go out a little further out before I drop. Our bottom typography is a lot different from Socal also. It's not always possible to drop down and go under the kelp close to shore due to the radical terrain and giant rocks.
We don't have long sloping beaches and low lying shelf reef like Socal, our terrain is much more radical and treacherous.

Your kelp beds are not the same as what I dive in. I dive North of SF on the North Coast.
I've dove Malibu: Leo Carrillo, Deer Creek, Refugio, El Cap, etc.. I've also dove Catalina. A few strands of giant kelp here and there is not what I'm talking about. Try going through a bed of well developed North Coast Bull Kelp sometime. I freedive in the stuff too.
A snorkel is a great simple easy to use inexpensive piece of wonderfull dive gear that makes surface swims a pleasure.

 

[jwin]

Very funny!!!
Hey, if I were abalone diving in the Faralones I'd bring a bazooka!!!
My point?
My LIFE trainning is to bring all the equipment that YOU think the task might need...
PLAN your DIVE and DIVE your PLAN!!!!
Just my two Copper disks.

John

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

I have a snorkel and only ware it is I am going to do free dives or if I was to snorkel during my SI's. Also If I have a long surface swim. I ware a BP/W so I dont have a pocket to tuck it in to I have to ware it which I just LOVE!!!

 

[fnfalman]

I have a snorkel and only ware it is I am going to do free dives or if I was to snorkel during my SI's. Also If I have a long surface swim. I ware a BP/W so I dont have a pocket to tuck it in to I have to ware it which I just LOVE!!!

Strap the snorkel to your inner calf with compression strap?

I've seen people done it this way. Out of the way yet there if you want to use it.

 

[fisheater]

I have a snorkel and only ware it is I am going to do free dives or if I was to snorkel during my SI's. Also If I have a long surface swim. I ware a BP/W so I dont have a pocket to tuck it in to I have to ware it which I just LOVE!!!

Even though I, too, dive with a BP/W, I have a flexible Cressi snorkel that I keep in my left thigh pocket, just in case I need it at the surface.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Nonetheless, it still NOT a "safety" device or a "life support" device. You said it, kelp crawl while taking a breath here and there can be done. Just not as efficient.

I never said it was a safety device or life support, you must have me mixed up with someone else.
I just think it's a handy gizmo.