Tell me about your Snorkel (POLL)

[Bob DBF]

One day I may leave it at home

If your luck is like mine, that's the day they do a physical check.


Bob

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have been diving a very long time, but most of my diving is shore diving in rivers. I almost always dive with a snorkel on my mask. I also enjoy diving vintage gear, sometimes double hose regulators. One dive a few years back was wit her my DX Overpressure Breathing regulator, and I decided not to take my snorkel along. Well, I tested the regulator, on my small doubles, and it breathed fine, so I ducked down off the rock I was sitting on into the current. Then I took my first breath, and all I got was water. I tried again, and again only water came into the mouthpiece. I was near the surface, so I stuck my head out of the water and grabbed a breath. I swung around in the current, grabbing breaths until I got to my entrance point again (circular current in the river), and exited. I grabbed a different regulator, then also put a snorkel back onto my mask, which I wish I had on just a bit earlier, and went down again to complete my dive. I don't think I've dives sans snorkel since that incident. By the way, the reason for getting only water was a loose clamp on the metal mouthpiece, which was tight enough for test breathing, but in the water there was enough negative pressure to bring in water. I use my snorkel on just about every dive too.

I have a collection of snorkels, and dive different ones. My favorite is the Scubapro Shotgun and the Aqualung Impulse (claimed by my wife). I sometimes use flexible snorkels on my helmet too. One Aqualung snorkel has an endpiece the excludes water, but also restricts air flow; I sometimes take that end piece off and use it without the restriction (see photos below).

I did not fill out the survey as I have used both the countour and flexible snorkels. The original contour snorkels are also hard to beat (and I have several).

SeaRat

 

[BoltSnap]

My favorite is the Scubapro Shotgun

Too bad they don't make it anymore, it was my favorite snorkel

 

[Jiminy]

Tie a grimloc clip to the mouth piece, clip to a d-ring and stick the other end under the waist strap. Or something. That's how I'd carry mine if I ever took it out of the bag when diving.

It's one of these, comes with fairly wide bore that won't try to suffocate you and splash guard that works -- up to a point of course.

Just looking at IST Silicone Soft Flex Tube Snorkel....How does the mask clip work does it hook in from the top or bottom?

 

[Snoweman]

My first snorkle was a great big honking dry snorkle of unknown manufacter with a ball swivel that held the mouthpiece in position wherever you put it, a large bore rigid tube, and a purge valve.

I have the exact same snorkel (if you're talking about the blue one). I think it's great during surface swims. I need to use it more often and not worry about what other divers think.

I don't know who makes it, either.

 

[Alan Browne]

I was on my 6th or 7th dive on my last trip (Roatan, 2018) before I realized I didn't have one. When I got home I looked all over and couldn't find it. Must have left it in the Dominican Republic in 2017 or something. Didn't use it there either.

Sometimes I think I should have it with me, but I get over it.

I've heard that some dive centres won't let you dive without one. Anything to that?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I use a simple straight J tube freediving snorkel only on shore dives when there is thick kelp to navigate through on long surface swims. It’s easiest for me to belly through kelp and push it aside or crawl over it. A snorkel is nice for this because you can keep your head down to see where you are going and not constantly turning your head sideways to try to breathe. Breathing off your reg just uses up precious air that you could be using underwater. Flipping over on your back and trying to navigate kelp with the tank valve and first stage hanging down and acting like a big kelp hook is also obviously not going to work. So the best solution we’ve found is a simple snorkel. I don’t wrap any hoses around my neck because I found hog looping to also be problematic on shore dives in thick kelp, so there is no interference with a snorkel.
Lately though there is no kelp to be found so no need for a snorkel.

 

[Alan Browne]

Lately though there is no kelp to be found so no need for a snorkel.

Where are you no longer seeing kelp? How bad/extensive is it?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Where are you no longer seeing kelp? How bad/extensive is it?

Northern California north of the Golden Gate bridge in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Nothing but urchin barrens now and a lot of starving or dead abalone. Once vast expanses if northern bull kelp and (false bottom) palm kelp, none to be found anywhere now it seems. The urchins eat everything as soon as it sprouts, nothing stands a chance.

 

[Snoweman]

Northern California north of the Golden Gate bridge in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Nothing but urchin barrens now and a lot of starving or dead abalone. Once vast expanses if northern bull kelp and (false bottom) palm kelp, none to be found anywhere now it seems. The urchins eat everything as soon as it sprouts, nothing stands a chance.

Is urchin diving not profitable ?