Snorkels

[JamesBon92007]

Since we are on the subject, I have a question: Why is it that, at least for free-diving snorkels, a 3/4" I.D. tube is considered better than, say, a 1/2" ID tube? It seems to me that we would get a more complete air exchange in a smaller diameter tube and that a small amount of CO2 charged, exhaled air might still remain in the larger tube while breathing normally. Is there supposedly less resistance on the larger tube and is that supposed to reduce fatigue or something? I remember reading about it in Skin Diver Magazine when the larger snorkels first became popular but i can't remember what they said. I bought one, of course, but now I'm at a point in my life (you might call it senility) where I am re-inventing the snorkel.

 

[Sam Miller III]

• Just for you Bond , James Bond

from my files...

The Big Barreled Snorkel

The big barreled snorkel was developed many years ago in the garages and workshops in Southern California by free divers, competitive spear fishermen, and just plain ole spear fishermen
The first one I recall seeing was at a spearfishing meet in Dana Point. Duke Pawowitz a well known and respected spear fisherman of geneses era was competing in the meet and shared his construction technique with me which is as follows:

1) Obtain a length of ¾ inch PVC
2) Securely seal both ends with a PVC cap using PVC glue
3) Slowly and carefully heat the PVC with a heat lamp or open flame
4) Bend the heated PVC to conform to the contour of your face-Careful-hot!
5) Allow to cool
6) Trim to size
7) Attach a salvaged snorkel mouth piece – glue and tape. Mine were taped from the top of the barrel to the mouth piece

I made two PVC snorkels – Used one stored one. When I moved to present home over 25 years ago I unfortunately gave them a toss.

Always remember in the genesis of diving if it cost over a dollar we made it, dry suits, wet suits weight belts, fins, masks and even snorkels.

Thus was my saga of one man’s homemade snorkel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a number of years LA Co UIA and NAUI jointly presented a dive conference titled “International Conference on Underwater Education” aka “ICUE” and called by most just plain 'IQ.'

It was in every sense of the word a professional conference, complete with recognized presenters, abstracts and published proceedings. IQ was attended by divers from all walks of life and from all over the world including most manufactures which at that time were located in Orange and LA counties .

At one of the early IQs John Resick,Jr, a member of the Orange County tribe and the author of the 1970s book SCUBA Safe and Simple gave a great presentation on snorkels. He emphatically stated “A good snorkel will allow the diver to place their finger down the barrel of a snorkel.”

Thus began the era of the commercially produced big bore snorkel
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I made one contribution to the commercial big bore snorkel. I heated the top of a US Diver Big Bore shoved a golf ball it down the barrel flaring the top of the snorkel.(ala the Hot Rod intakes)
It was placed on the market by US Divers and advertised as giving 30 % more air –and my tribe stated and 70 % more water…It was not a winner! One year in production.

And those were the days of our dives
Sam Miller,111

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Since you were/are from the OC may suggest that you read www.portagequarry.com Legends of diving "Orange county did you know ?"
sdm

 

[JamesBon92007]

• I heated a golf ball shoved it down the barrel flaring the top of the snorkel.

It was placed on the market by US Divers and advertised as giving 30 % more air –and my tribe stated and 70 % more water…It was not a winner! One year in production.

And those were the days of our dives
Sam Miller,111

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since you were/are from the OC may suggest that you read www.portagequarry.com Legends of diving "Orange county did you know ?"
sdm

Thanks Sam!

I think I've read some of "Orange County did you know" but I will certainly look at it again

70% more water! The extra water seemed to be an issue until everyone figured out to exhale a little bit into the snorkel before ascending.

I too have made snorkels out of 3/4" PVC however it was recently. I was having a hard time finding what I consider to be the ideal snorkel so I thought "I'll just make my own." The main difference was that I used a single-hose regulator mouthpiece.

I still tend to make things myself if it "costs over a dollar" but with inflation that has increased (for me) to about $4.

 

[george_austin]

Well, Sam - the answer to the 70% more water issue is clearly just to leave the golf ball in the tube. Surprised US Divers didn't think of that!

 

[lerpy]

I do not use one but I normally have a roll up one in my pocket just in case there is a need for one.

 

[Single]

Snorkel? Only if the boat captain insists we wear one.

 

[David Wilson]

I have found several national and international standards relating to snorkels. They do have plenty to say about the amount of allowable "dead space" inside of snorkels. Here is a table I compiled with their respective requirements for tube length/bore/volume:

Here are some conclusions from the data above on the evolution of national and international standards relating to snorkels with particular reference to dimensioning:

• Maximum bore (inner diameter) has increased (from 18 to 25 mm) over the years.
• Capacity (or inner volume) has replaced inner diameter when dimensioning snorkels over the years.
• Different snorkel dimensions have evolved for different users over the years (first adults/children; then heights >150 cm and <150 cm; then individual lung capacities).
• Mouthpiece parameters are specified in earliest standards but not in later ones. BS 4532 (1969 and 1977) both state that mouthpiece lugs must be a maximum of 60 mm apart.

 

[Sam Miller III]

I say David ! ole Chap ole boy....

It is 5:30 in the former new world colonies now called USA and specifically Kalifornia,

I made my cup of hot chocolate set down at the computer to review the over night activities of the SCUBA Board.

I came upon your post----Oh No Not David !!!!-- Hopefully David does not carry a folded Snorkel or uses it only if the boat captain requires its use-- There are enough poorly trained late model tube sucking bubble blowers to go around - the dive world apparently is over run by them and they increasing at a rapid rate. Surely Davis is no one of them!

And you are not one of them !

I always read and appreciate your post -especially this one on European standards for snorkels !

I some how would expect the Germans to have a standard they seem to be a very organized race - have rules and regulations for every thing until they migrate to the US.

The Brits? they have been contributing to diving long before JYC and his bubble machine appeared. Sir Robert Davis of Sebe Gorman and his monumental work Deep diving and Submarine Operations is an unequaled classic dive book that very few divers have in their libraries . --but should have a copy

I suspect Sir Roberts work along with his modern counter part Sir John Rawlings are some how in some way responsible for establishing British standards for Snorkels. And I and the world appreciate their efforts and concern

In the colonies ? We just hacked off a hunk of PVC and created a big bore snorkel -- no rules, regulations or standards

With Apologies to the movie Treasure of Serria Madre --
Standards? We Aint Got NO Stinken Standards !

David -Keep up the good work - It is appreciated by all

Sam

<< ps did you know that Sir Robert began his long association with S/G at age 12 as an office boy and died at his desk as the president of SG at age 94 or 96 ? He contributed so much to diving and now long forgotten >>>

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Okay, I have read through this discussion, and feel a need to comment.

First, on carrying a snorkel, I do it most every dive, either on my mask or my dive helmet (with my GoPro mounted on it). I usually use either a Scubapro Shotgun or an Aqualung Impulse snorkel (both very old, but tried and true snorkels). These snorkels handle water down the tube very well. By the way, it is not "swells" which give divers on a snorkel a problem, as the diver simply rises on the water and falls with the swell. It is "chop" which gives most divers on a snorkel a problem, as they don't have the skills to stop breathing when the chop water comes into the snorkel and give a sharp exhalation in response.

But I have a whole collection of snorkels, and two other favorites a Farallon snorkel with a curved tube, and a like Scubapro Jet snorkel. Both are "closed" snorkels, without non-return valves. All my snorkels are 3/4 inch inside diameter. A smaller diameter snorkel increases resistance, and there is not much advantage so far as volume of air for divers with a 3-6 liter tidal volume of the lungs (mine is six liters, as I did a lot of snorkel diving early in my diving career as a teenager). What a lot of people don't now know is that this type of snorkel can be used to give in-water mouth-to-snorkel resuscitation to an unconscious diver, as Albert Pierce described in has book, SCUBA LIFE SAVING (Leisure Press, Champaign, Ill, 1985, pages 125-128).

Concerning the making of snorkels using PVC pipe as described by Dr. Sam Miller above, the only thing I would add is to fill the pipe with dry sand first, as otherwise in the bending process a fold may appear in the material, restricting the air.

Now, about the "advise" not to carry a snorkel by many of today's divemasters; this appears to be a convenience to the divemasters so that everyone's head is sticking out of the water and can be easily seen. This has to do with their very highly supervised diving ops. Most of my diving is now solo, and I must depend upon my own skills and equipment for my safety; I feel a snorkel is vital to my diving. When I was an USAF Pararescueman, we would carry our snorkel under our dive knife straps on our leg to minimize entanglement problems (see the description of Bill Pitsenbarger in parascuba gear, below). But we always had them.

SeaRat

 

[KeithG]

A snorkel is a tool. Use it appropriately.

I dock and boat dive. I never use my snorkel for scuba. I would take it if doing a drift dive. Maybe. I prefer to breathe from my tank.

I use it every time I snorkel.