Why a snorkel?

[rstofer]

There was an interesting briefing on the dive boat this weekend: If there was a medical emergency beyond the capabilities of the boat personnel, they would abandon all the divers still in the water to make a run to a harbor..

The divers were briefed that there would be a buoy at the surface for them to grab. The turnaround was promised to be as short as possible but who knows how long the divers would have to survive in open water? Twenty divers holding onto a single buoy sounds like a lot of fun.

I want my snorkel.

Richard

 

[mkutyna]

In the effort to save a single diver, the boat potentially ends up losing 20 in the open ocean. Interesting decision.

 

[String]

Not to difficult to come up with scenarios where you would need one in an emergency.

Interesting. Despite years of trying ive failed to find 1 situation where it could be needed in an emergency. Not one.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I don't use a snorkel every dive. Many of my dives are easy shore entries with a short swim to the reef, at a somewhat sheltered site I know well here in Hilo (Leleiwi). I can actually submerge within about 30' of the entry point.

But, on dives where there is even a remote chance of a long surface swim, especially if forced to surface out in the ripping "wind line" and surface current in North Kohala, I have a snorkel with me. All it takes is one long swim against wind chop (I've had to do that once upon a time, and the snorkel was worth it's weight in gold)...

I can move faster and more efficiently on the surface in a prone postion versus supine, and I can see where I'm going. For most people, swimming on their back with their head raised to breath forces their feet down, resulting in a less streamlined swimming postion. No problem 99% of the time in relatively mild surface conditions, but you do not want to increase resistance when fighting against chop.

When in an upright position, the snorkel protects and effectively "raises" my airway several inches, which does make a difference in wind chop.

And if faced with REALLY long rough water swim (we are talking having ditched the scuba gear in order to have a chance to fight wind and wave to get back to shore) I really want that snorkel.

In the end it really depends on the type of diving you do, but shore diving here in Hawaii I've found a snorkel to be more help than hindrance.

Safe Diving.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

There was an interesting briefing on the dive boat this weekend: If there was a medical emergency beyond the capabilities of the boat personnel, they would abandon all the divers still in the water to make a run to a harbor..
The divers were briefed that there would be a buoy at the surface for them to grab. The turnaround was promised to be as short as possible but who knows how long the divers would have to survive in open water? Twenty divers holding onto a single buoy sounds like a lot of fun.

I want my snorkel.

Richard

I've never heard of that "emergency procedure" before. Normally, all in-water divers are recalled ASAP, then the dive boat proceeds to the harbor. You don't abandon the divers still in the water (unless you want to risk multiple casualties....).

Amazing.

 

[TSandM]

One of the things I don't like about a snorkel is the increased dead space. Particularly if you are trying to swim against chop or current, you're going to get breathless a whole lot faster if you're trying to deal with the CO2 rebreathing that goes with a snorkel -- or at least, I do.

First, if you have a back inflate or wing, you probably can not fully inflate it and remain vertical. At some point, the wing will tend to push you forward and face down. So, you don't fully inflate. And this leaves you less than a comfortable amount out of the water.

This has not been my experience with any combination of plate, wing and tank that I use. I like my head WELL out of the water on the surface, so I often inflate my wing until the OPV bubbles. I can lie on my back, lean a little back, sit vertical, or swim leaning slightly forward, or with my face in the water. I don't have any problem with any of those positions. They are all a bit easier in very cold water, where I have a ton of ballast around my waist, but I can manage them all in warm water with minimal weigh as well. I think the crotch strap makes a huge difference. If the flotation bladder rides up high onto your back, I could see ending up pushed forward.

In Puget Sound we have a lot of reasons not to like snorkels. We rarely have significant chop, and the water is too opaque most of the time to see anything while snorkeling on the surface. Our charters are mostly live boat, so you don't have long swims to return to the vessel.

The only time I might see a snorkel being useful is if I get separated from the boat in water conditions that are so rough that dropping my weights and inflating my BC can't get my head out of water, and I'm drifting longer than my remaining air supply (which is usually substantial) will support me. That's so many things going wrong on the same day, I think it's pretty unlikely to occur. I don't feel motivated to carry a snorkel with me on several thousand dives where I don't need it, in case I hit the one day where I do. It's my risk assessment; everybody does this differently.

 

[Coelacanth]

There was an interesting briefing on the dive boat this weekend: If there was a medical emergency beyond the capabilities of the boat personnel, they would abandon all the divers still in the water to make a run to a harbor..

Wow, how far would the boat be from shore at a given point? I can see how they feel the need to do everything they can for a potentially dying diver, but to also potentially endanger 20 others... tough call.

 

[String]

Sounds like a boat to avoid. What a great was to lose a large number of divers and potentially create a massive search and rescue operation. Plus if another diver surfaces with a problem there is no surface support. Its a completely idiotic and negligent policy.

Im sure the USA has a coastguard who listen on VHF. The way it works on the rest of the planet is a mayday or panpan call goes out, the coastguard answer and take control. They direct the boat crew, they alert helicopters and/or rescue boats. It doesn't matter if the incident is beyond the boat crews capabilities - they now do what the coastguard says.
Acting alone and abandoning divers is not the action a responsible boat would take - EVER. If the emergency is that serious helicopters are faster than boats. If its a short run to shore then either a rescue boat of sorts comes for a transfer OR another boat is organised to cover divers. You never EVER abandon divers.

(its also no justification what so ever for carrying a snorkel)

 

[Matt_canadensis]

I'm told its well worth keeping them. I'm told its the first step to learning to dive. Until everyone in my class could snorkel we didn't use air.

 

[J.R.]

There was an interesting briefing on the dive boat this weekend: If there was a medical emergency beyond the capabilities of the boat personnel, they would abandon all the divers still in the water to make a run to a harbor..

The divers were briefed that there would be a buoy at the surface for them to grab. The turnaround was promised to be as short as possible but who knows how long the divers would have to survive in open water? Twenty divers holding onto a single buoy sounds like a lot of fun.

I want my snorkel.

Richard

I want a different dive boat....