What's the use in doing that?

[Charlie99]

Wait till the first time a wave breaks over you floating just off a reef. Blow out hard to clear your snorkle, then the sneaky bugger that is the sea hits you with another swell that fill your snorkel again, no air to blow out but pretty handy regulator thingy to stick in your whatsit. Works i found

My PADI OW instructor had me swap back and forth between reg and snorkel till it was totally automatic.

On my first post-cert dive however, the surge was pretty bad at the breakwater which was our exit point. Twice the swell + backwash swept over me, submerged my snorkel, causing me to choke, sputter, then go back to the reg for a clean breath of air. After the 2nd time, my buddy, who by this time had managed to get a foothold and climb out put things into perspective: "Ya know, you already paid for that air, you might as well use it".

That friendly advice has always stuck with me and never again did I try to do either a shore or boat exit with a snorkel in my mouth.

 

[Charlie99]

What is that all about? Also, the instructor wanted everyone to keep their masks and snorkel or regulator on/in at all times...Why? I don't know anyone that sits at the surface with their mask on...it fogs up!

You could have asked him. Easiest, most effective way to learn.

He might have even taught you how to defog your mask so you can keep it safely in place until you are ashore or on the boat.

 

[dandrian]

While it might not seem as important while you are practicing in a calm quarry somewhere, the ability to manipulate your equipment rather automatically and without much thought is important. I hadn't done a reg/snorkel transfer in a couple of years until this summer when I got caught in some pretty good swells. In fact I ended up choking on some water more because I couldn't make the transition smoothly. I also think keeping your gear in place until you are out of the water just keeps you prepared for the unforseeable.

Someone talking or teaching through a snorkel is just bad teaching practice and is equally stupid regardless of what is being taught.

 

[BrianS]

Well without knowing how long he actually talked for or what he said/was saying, it could have just been a joke.

 

[spectrum]

OK, I am taking a Divecon class, and have now seen NAUI, SSI, and PADI classes. I was certified SSI, and took, NAUI AOW. I just recently helped with my first PADI OW class, and was kind of shocked by some of the things that took place. First off, there was this snorkel to regulator to snorkel to regulator exchange thing? What is that all about? Also, the instructor wanted everyone to keep their masks and snorkel or regulator on/in at all times...Why? I don't know anyone that sits at the surface with their mask on...it fogs up! Also, the instructor actually talked through his snorkel! :rofl: I could barely keep a straight face! Is this really the way PADI is taught, or was it just this instructor?

snorkel to regulator to snorkel to regulator exchange: In agaitated seas you can't always count on a safe surface moment to make the exchange and I think it speaks to the underlying watermanship level. If I'm making a surface swim out to deep water I usually make the exchange face down prior to descent, why bust up that good karma.

their masks and snorkel or regulator on/in at all times...Why? So when mother nature tries to knock you on your butt you will still have an air source and be able to see. It makes lot's of sense in less than placid ocean diving.

I don't know anyone that sits at the surface with their mask on...it fogs up! If you have a hood with a face seal and the dive isn't over it's no fun getting it all reset with 5mm gloves on. It's a lot easier to dip your face a few times to rinse the fog until the chill leaves the lenses.

Pete

 

[TSandM]

I believe it was the second pool session of my OW class where they made us practice snorkel-regulator exchanges for quite some time at the beginning.

Later in the class, I tried to submerge while still breathing through my snorkel. Luckily, I recognized the problem and made the exchange without difficulty, because I had been practicing it earlier. Turns out I am not the only person to have made that mistake. Seems as though it was a reasonable skill for them to teach, at least to me!

 

[spectrum]

Turns out I am not the only person to have made that mistake.

I can vouch for that.

Pete

 

[kent_1848]

Question for you... "Dive Control Specialist" (DiveCon) is a uniquely SSI concept. Is that whom you're doing this with? Why are you dealing with NAUI and PADI classes, unless you're just auditing with them? Now understand I'm not heading in the instructor direction, but I would have assumed they would have explained how the skills are taught through their respective agencies, and what flexibility the instructor has... I also would have asked the instructor, if something looked weird to me...

--Marek

I was Dive Mastering for the class, I have also done so with SSI and NAUI. Like I said it was my first PADI experience, and was hoping that people here would be able to explain the concepts (remember, I have never seen anything PADI before this). I didn't want it to turn into a PADI bashing or any kind of bashing, however, I can see there are several people on here who have that "My agency can beat up your agency" attitude as well as a strong dose of something up their "rear". As far as asking the instructor, the one time I asked him anything, he got really defensive, so I left it alone. I wasn't going to question his teaching in front of his students, it is just bad form. I didn't want his students questioning if they were learning the right things. They all learned the basics, and did quite well, I was just wondering about those oddities (again, odd and foreign to me) that I had never seen from another agency. Now, if you wish to bash PADI, another agency, or another diver, please keep your comments to yourself, they aren't wanted or needed. Thank you, to those of you who were able to reply without bashing and sounding like a moron in the process.

 

[spectrum]

I don't think agency has anything to do with it. they are obvious skills and practices with real value. That dosen't mean you need them for every dive but you should have those skills and practices to be prepared for any dive. I think I addressed this in post#15.

Pete

 

[OliveBone]

One reason for asking students to keeper either their reg or snorkel in their mouth at the surface is to keep them from talking, that why the instructor can teach the class without alot of chatter from the group. In regards to the talking through his snorkel, maybe he was just trying to be funny?