Sucking in water tbrough my snorkel

[Zane]

Curious — do OW classes still teach the use of snorkels? Mine did but thankfully my instructor explained how silly it is right away.

Yes they do.

 

[Waterwulf]

If you don't want to use a snorkel, don't but why rag on somebody who does like their snorkel? Mine has honestly saved my life on at least one occasion. Why fight two battles with Nature? First, swimming on your back isn't normal and you can't see where you're going. Second, modern buoyancy control systems naturally try to get on top and face plant you so let it.

 

[Still Kicking]

Two reasons for snorkels:

If the vis is good I will swim out and back to a dive site with my face down. It lets me extend my dive. I have seen dolphins go underneath me that I would have missed otherwise.

If surface conditions are rough
It far easier make progress swimming on the surface with your face down.

I keep mine stowed in my pocket but when I need it, I am glad I have it.

 

[mcohen1021]

Second, modern buoyancy control systems naturally try to get on top and face plant you so let it.

I didn't say it.

But I will say this is why I went back to a jacket style BC

 

[boqurant]

If you’re getting faceplanted by a BPW your crotch strap is too loose, waist strap too loose, or you have zero core strength

 

[The Chairman]

If you’re getting faceplanted by a BPW your crotch strap is too loose, waist strap too loose, or you have zero core strength

Or you don't have enough buoyancy in your wing and you have to overfill it. I've swum many a mile on my back. A quarter of that is from towing tired divers back to the boat.

 

[Waterwulf]

If you’re getting faceplanted by a BPW your crotch strap is too loose, waist strap too loose, or you have zero core strength

Yeah yeah yeah. Try this simple experiment the next time you go diving and then get back to me about the results. Submerge and put a little air in your BC. Then just go totally limp as if you were unconscious. Your wing BC will flip you over and face plant you. It's simple physics. Air floats on water. That's why most ships roll over when they're sinking and that's why your wing or jacket BC comes with a warning that it's not a life saving device. If you have to work at it to keep your face up even if it's a tiny amount, it'll kill you in an emergency.

Here's a thought for you to ponder: Of all of those divers who have been found drowned on the surface, how many were killed by their wings or jacket BC when they got exhausted and were down to "zero core strength"? Hmmmm! If you have to continuously adjust to keep your face up even if it's just a tiny amount, It will face plant you if you go limp. If you get separated from your dive boat and are drifting, you're better off taking that thing off and climbing on top of it. Ok back to snorkels.

 

[Badger7]

Curious — do OW classes still teach the use of snorkels? Mine did but thankfully my instructor explained how silly it is right away.

I was at the local pool a couple weeks ago helping a friend dial in his trim. There was an instructor and couple DMs in the shallow end working with about a dozen new OW students. As I walked by, I heard "okay, and now for the next skill we are going to practice putting our head in the water and switching back and forth between our snorkel and regulator. Take a breath out of one, and then switch to the other, back and forth" This went on for a comically long time, actually longer than my interest lasted.

 

[bobfmdc]

Four possible problems-and-solutions that I can think of:
1) Your snorkel is attached too far back toward your ears. Scoot the clip forward toward the mask's frame.
2) You're looking forward or sideways instead of down. Tilt your chin down and look at the rocks/fishies.
3) The snorkel's tube is twisted. Put yourself in snorkeling position and if (and only if) the tube pivots where it attaches to the mouthpiece, twist the tube gently until the end is pointing skyward.
4) You're using a snorkel at all. Put it in your gearbag unless you need to do a loooong surface swim.

I recommend solution #4.

I always did #4 until a few years ago, our boat did not show to pick us up on a dive in Cozumel up north at Eagle Ray Wall. No other boats in sight either, so after 10 minutes, we had to swim in. Doing a half mile swim on my back probably added 25% to the time it took to get in as my path wandered around. And yes, I know to pick out a cloud and swim away from it.

PS: I am adding this using edit because I reread my entry and realize that I forgot my main point--I would rather have had a snorkel along so I didn't have to swim in on my back. Until, that is, I had to tow my exhausted wife the last few hundred yards. Long lesson here, but it is off subject.

 

[bobfmdc]

When I swim on the surface and breate through my snorkel, I suck in water.

I guess it's because the snorkel isn't pointing straight up. I don't want to have to hold it constantly to point it upward.

It's as if the snorkel is pointing at 0 degrees instead of 90 degrees. Does anybody else have this issue? How do you fix this?

I'm thinking this has something to do with how the snorkel is attached to my mask.

Any help would be appreciated.

If your snorkel is old, you should get a new one. At a "certain age," snorkels begin to have problems staying erect. Blowing harder through them does not work. There are many temporary ways to treat the problem (snorkel salves, blow up snorkel supporters, even snorkel erector pills you can use--prescription only, of course). At some point, you will just become frustrated with the results and trouble and just decide to get a new one. My advice is to consult with a experienced snorkologist who can recommend the correct one to obtain and help you make contact with a good snorkosurgeon for installation.

I also recommend that you do not waste time and energy just using your hand for support.