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I haven’t used a snorkel diving unless required in a class since OW. Hate them. The one class that required it was SDI night diving specialty. Standards required chem light to be taped to your snorkel, rather than some sort of marker light on your tank. Let’s say I was not happy. The other specialties for advanced just said have a snorkel. So I had a roll up one in my pocket.
My diving now - Great Lakes wreck and cave diving - doesn’t require them. Plus a snorkel gets in the way of a long hose.
The only time I use a snorkel now is when I’m snorkeling laps in the pool for exercise.
I know plenty of people who wear snorkels out of sheer habit when they don’t have to. I’ve sometimes gotten questioned on not having one by newbie divers at the local quarry. They were sorta shocked people deliberately went without them.
My diving now - Great Lakes wreck and cave diving - doesn’t require them. Plus a snorkel gets in the way of a long hose.
The only time I use a snorkel now is when I’m snorkeling laps in the pool for exercise.
I know plenty of people who wear snorkels out of sheer habit when they don’t have to. I’ve sometimes gotten questioned on not having one by newbie divers at the local quarry. They were sorta shocked people deliberately went without them.
When scuba diving I carry a folding snorkel in my BC pocket. A snorkel came in handy when a Jamaican friend and I surfaced low on air and found his boat with a sleeping kid had drifted about a quarter mile away from where we surfaced. I always bring a custom snorkel with me on trips to the tropics. I spend more time snorkeling than diving, since I can drift effortlessly over shallow coral gardens for hours and hours. I use a frankinsnorkel made up of a decades old long tube and a bottom section from something more recent. Absolutely no purge or ridiculous top sections. I take my snorkeling very seriously, been doing it since I was a small kid back when Eisenhower was president.
I’m biased in favour of having a snorkel. I solo dive offshore and could happily swim a few miles to the shore if I had to. Simple tube type with a comfortable mouth piece. Tube should be wide enough to breathe easy but narrow enough to empty completely with one exhale.
I used one extensively in the past because surface swims while looking for fish were common. I don't really do that anymore, and it interferes with hog looped primary donate (which I also now use).
When a certification class insisted, I take a relatively straight one with a flexible bottom third. I shove it under the mask strap next to my temple, do the drill, and then store it on my harness strap like a backup light.
If you want a folding one, the best price I've found is $10 at Piranha.
When a certification class insisted, I take a relatively straight one with a flexible bottom third. I shove it under the mask strap next to my temple, do the drill, and then store it on my harness strap like a backup light.
If you want a folding one, the best price I've found is $10 at Piranha.
I like this one, it is self stowing, does not need a clamshell to loose.
www.xsscuba.com
I mostly solo when I go on trips down through Florida. One operator was determined that I should not solo and he began going through the list of needed equipment figuring he could disqualify me. Everything thing he insisted I need I pulled from my bag and attached to my kit, snorkel, check, pony, check, spare mask, check and on and on. In frustration he threw his arms up, "kill yourself if you want to!" Of course, the shop he worked from was PADI and and on the board they were teaching self reliant class that week. Hmmmm. Kind of conflicted I guess. Teach the course but not allow it?
James
Cargo — XS Scuba - Everything For The Perfect Dive
For those that don’t like to wear a snorkel but think it may be a good idea to have one “just in case”, we offer the Cargo Snorkel. Just roll it up, secure the tip to the customized snorkel keeper, and stow it in your pocket. When it’s time to use it, simply unclip it, because it is 100% silicone, i
www.xsscuba.com
I mostly solo when I go on trips down through Florida. One operator was determined that I should not solo and he began going through the list of needed equipment figuring he could disqualify me. Everything thing he insisted I need I pulled from my bag and attached to my kit, snorkel, check, pony, check, spare mask, check and on and on. In frustration he threw his arms up, "kill yourself if you want to!" Of course, the shop he worked from was PADI and and on the board they were teaching self reliant class that week. Hmmmm. Kind of conflicted I guess. Teach the course but not allow it?
James
We offer two types of snorkels. A very basic, no frills type of freedive snorkel (in 3 colors) and more recently we added a purge snorkel.
I have always been in the "old school" camp of no frills on the snorkel, but was convinced by others that there is a demand for the purge option.
Several months ago, (after receiving great reviews from divers who tested the product for us before we actually bought stock), I decided to try the purge snorkel out on a very rough and windy day. There was a lot of wind chop and waves bouncing off the bridge supports ( at the Chesapeake bay bridge) where we sometimes like to hunt. I was honestly amazed at how well the purge snorkel allowed me to keep freediving in comfort, even though there were whitecaps etc. It was an eye opener for me.
makospearguns.com
I have always been in the "old school" camp of no frills on the snorkel, but was convinced by others that there is a demand for the purge option.
Several months ago, (after receiving great reviews from divers who tested the product for us before we actually bought stock), I decided to try the purge snorkel out on a very rough and windy day. There was a lot of wind chop and waves bouncing off the bridge supports ( at the Chesapeake bay bridge) where we sometimes like to hunt. I was honestly amazed at how well the purge snorkel allowed me to keep freediving in comfort, even though there were whitecaps etc. It was an eye opener for me.
Masks Fins Snorkels - Freedive Masks - MAKO Spearguns
MAKO Spearguns freedive masks are worn by top level freedive instructors and freedive competitors who demand the highest quality and durability found in all MAKO Spearguns gear
makospearguns.com
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