What do you do with your regulator when you're snorkeling?

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ssssnake529

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When you don't have your regulator in your mouth, what do you do with it?

Secure it to the shoulder strap of your BCD? If this is the solution, what are your favorite methods of securing it?
 
I have a bolt snap attached to the second stage swivel I use to attached the second stage to a d'ring on my right shoulder strap.
 
I have a bolt snap attached to the second stage swivel I use to attached the second stage to a d'ring on my right shoulder strap.

I have the exact same setup.
 
When I'm snorkeling my regulator is in my gear bag. When I'm using my regulator, my snorkel is in my gear bag.
Fair enough. But would you use your back gas on a 500 ft. shore dive swim in the surf to get to the reef? Different dives call for different gear.
 
most newer recreational divers do not have a way to secure their primary second stage and would either just let it drag behind them, keep it in their hand, or hope it stays on their right shoulder.

many advanced divers (as mentioned above) will tie a bolt snap to the second stage so it can be clipped to a dring. but these same divers typically use a different regulator set up than a new ow diver.

in the past, my wife and i used to put two octo holders on the bcd. one on the left and one on the right (yes we have our octo on the left). so whenever the primary second stage was not in use, it was secured to an octo holder. usually we used this on the boat when gearing up so it didn't fall and it was safe, neat, and right where we needed it.

this is a simple, cheap way to do it. so if you had a long swim while using your snorkel you could use it for that as well.
 
If you are covering a lot of distance, it is easiest to swim on the back.
 
Fair enough. But would you use your back gas on a 500 ft. shore dive swim in the surf to get to the reef? Different dives call for different gear.
I descend to swim out to the reef. But my experience with this is limited to Bonaire.
 
I descend to swim out to the reef. But my experience with this is limited to Bonaire.
Yeah, which is typically calm water.

My point was merely that some shore dive sites have a rough surf and in that case it makes sense to conserve your gas with the use of a snorkel. Even swimming on your back requires fairly good surf conditions, add a lateral current and you could end up off course.

Too many variables around the world to give blanket advice, which is common on social media despite us all being taught to research the environment we're going to be diving in before going.
 
Just get one of these, below, and clip it to one of the D-rings. Then push snap the hose end of your 2nd-stage regulator to one of the 2 clips. When you are ready to use the regulator, just pull it off the clip.

I use 2 of these, clip each of them to the left & right BCD waist pocket D-rings. The left side is for my yellow hose Octo (yes I put my Octo to the left side of me because it’ll be easier to donate it face to face with my buddy, as the hose would form a nice half circle, instead of an “S” shape). The right side is for clipping my primary (2nd stage regulator) while gearing up, so I don’t need to look for it when I’m ready to use it. So, left side for octo, right side for primary. No things is dangling while diving.

10A90A6A-CEFB-4FAE-963E-5A063CF885CC.jpeg
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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