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You obviously have a complete lack of ability in realising how these things work. You try to prove a theory not a negative. You are claiming snorkels actually have a use. Prove it.
You dont ask someone to disprove everything else on the planet to suit your argument.
So far its looking pretty bleak. You've posted 3 articles which are completely unrelated to any of your claims, have made "claims" off them anyway which have proven to be invalid and not supplied 1 single situation where what you claim is useful actually is useful.
Given the complete lack of any documentation to back you up and the complete lack of any useful suggestions i can only assume you're just brainwashed with no real experience of the real world usage of anything.
... so... attempting to play mediator here (... as opposed to a moderator)... what if we stopped calling a snerkel a snerkel and started calling it an:
"Alternate surface breathing apparatus to facilitate biosystem oxygenation during surface transit in a face-down position optomized for sea-state variance"... ???
Prove to me its useful. Otherwise you can use the same argument for anything. Prove why a kitchen sink is useless on a dive. Prove why taking a stuffed animal is useless on a dive and so on. There is no situation ever on a dive where a snorkel can come in handy. There are situations where snorkels are dangerous, can and have caused minor or more serious incidents.
You ask for just one situation where a snorkel is useful, how about for rescue breathing? It takes the place of a pocket mask and you can actually transport the victim as quickly as you could while not providing rescue breathing. As far as "dangerous" is concerned, we asked for examples and all the "incidents" you cited earlier were diver training and skill problems rather than difficulties inherent in the use of a snorkel.
Would appear your ability to understand basic text is limited. None of the articles state that. The first one mentioned NOTHING about snorkels and diving. It just says learn to snorkel. The other 2 are about using a snorkel for in-water AV. Nowhere do they recommend this over other courses of action. If you are worried about having to perform in-water AV and squeamish about direct contact then take a pocket mask which has been proven to be far more effective.
A pocket mask has not been proven to be far more effective (at least in the water), Al Pierce showed that it was quite the opposite.
So in summary, a snorkel is worthless on a dive, its potentially dangerous and if the only thing you can find that suggests you might want one by way of articles is AV that argument is shot immediately by just taking a pocket mask.[/quote]
Drat... ok... but in "rough seas" you probably wouldn't be surface swimming anyway, eh? (... assuming, of course that you're even diving in rough seas...)
So... let's try again:
"Alternate surface breathing apparatus to facilitate biosystem oxygenation during surface transit in a face-down position... within a calm to "not-quite-rough-seas" sea-state variance"... ??? "
Actually snorkels work in rough seas, look at the coast guard rescue swimmers, that is all they use as an air source, when they jump into the water in raging sea's. So people should stop saying they do not work.
But seriously folks... what IS a snerkel good for? Let me count some ways...
I can use it to squirt water at people in boats!!!
I can use it to snerkel over the surface looking for the thingie I dropped and not suck all the air outta' my tank...
Mine is brilliant yellow... let's my wife spot me in a crowd... which keeps her happy...
I like to use it when towing a tired diver... I personally prefer the face down tow...
If I'm loitering around on the surface waiting for the dive boat to show up (in slightly less than rough sea states) it's handy to huff air through...
You can use it to point out neat fish...
You can use it like a kazoo
If you MUST poke something into a hole underwater... it beats fingers (poking for retrieving a dropped object in... ummm... say a field of urchins... not, of course, simply to annoy the wildlife)...
Using it DOES help keep PADI happy... and, as I am a PADI Divemaster... that's kinda' important to me...
You can use it to prop doors open (easier on the regs)...
... and... if you miss the dive boat and you're down to pressure in your tank and you're drifing on the the gulf stream from Key Largo on your way to Miami and anticipate this being an event that lasts longer than a half an hour... it can be a nice psychological and practical comfort to know that you can conduct your float in a more relaxed horizontal postion and save energy by being able to breath through it... (it's happened... not to me... but it's happened.)
Snerkels are one of those little things that are totally useless... right up until you reach the point where you say... "Wow... I wish I had a snerkel..."... then they are priceless...
(... and, my dear String... as you yer'self pointed out... they could make a nifty lobster hook... and as lobster is tasty... that ain't a bad function... thanks for contributing!!!)
... so... attempting to play mediator here (... as opposed to a moderator)... what if we stopped calling a snerkel a snerkel and started calling it an:
"Alternate surface breathing apparatus to facilitate biosystem oxygenation during surface transit in a face-down position optomized for sea-state variance"... ???
There is no legit use for a snorkel.
No one would ever need them unless you're a noob non-diver responding to a plane crash in the Hudson River.
That would be the only time.
Really.
I mean it.
The only time.
... hummm... a MAJOR CONCERN I'm sure... that's probably why snerkler's use em'...
... oh and I forgot another GREAT purpose... and one constantly proven on a regularly scheduled basis here on ScubaBoard - "THEY'RE A MARVELOUS CONVERSATION PIECE!!!"
So, ya' see, a snerkel is a marvelous multi-purpose dive tool with functions that range all the way from an emergency device to a dive convenience to amusing diversion. It has style... it makes a statement... it fulfills the requirements of some agencies... it can be a security device, a teaching aid and a handy little device for piddling around in the shallow end of the pool if you happen to be outta' air and the compressor's broke.
... yup... and if you feel like a sissy wearing one... buy one of them snerkels that fold and then stick it in a pocket...
... as far as where to buy one... LDS... of course...
... and you just haven't HAD a technical conversatoin until you've had 5 divers sitting around your LDS discussing the merits of the various snerkels you've had on your wall... they ARE different... personally I'm enamoured with the TUSA Hyperdry Evolution II... easiest breathing snerkel I've ever had... (the latest one is in blue so it makes it harder for my wife to find me in a crowd... but that's divin' for ya'...)
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So people should stop saying they do not work.
