Why dont many SCUBA divers use a snorkel?

[BishopSA]

I don't even use a snorkel while "snorkeling". Even in rough seas I find it easy enough to time your breaths between the crests and troughs of waves so you do not take in a mouthful of water. In fact in my experience I get get a nice mouthful of water MORE often when using a snorkel. When diving and especially when using a long hose, a snorkel is far more trouble than it is potentially worth. On the surface I am swimming on my back.

In the end it is a matter of personal preference and if you find a snorkel useful to you that's fine with me!

 

[OceanLover91]

You two are refering to the invention of the modern snorkel of course.

According to "Man Under Water" by Henry Billings, William Beebe (of Bathysphere fame) describes the actions of the Rat tail maggot which extends a breathing tube underwater up to the surface. The perfect insect prototype of the snorkel. Travellers of the past describe elephants crossing deep rivers totally submerged except for a few inches of trunk extending above the water and ancient drawings of swimmers using reeds to remain submerged exist.
In the beginning of the 16th century a drawing of a greased leather helmet/tube combination was made though there is some question as to whether such a device was ever practically used. In the 17th century Buonaiuto Lorini drew up plans for a large leather tube into which a man would stick his head; again it is doubtful it was ever actually used.
After that, efforts to remain underwater focussed on diving bells and surface supplied diving dress until the Germans introduced the "Schnorkel" during WWII.

Then Egbert Snorkopolous and Samuel Scubatate took over and stole all the glory.

Wow!! That's really interesting! TFS!

 

[Tortuga68]

heh Egbert Snorkopolous

 

[DennisS]

I don't even use a snorkel while "snorkeling". Even in rough seas I find it easy enough to time your breaths between the crests and troughs of waves so you do not take in a mouthful of water. In fact in my experience I get get a nice mouthful of water MORE often when using a snorkel. When diving and especially when using a long hose, a snorkel is far more trouble than it is potentially worth. On the surface I am swimming on my back.

In the end it is a matter of personal preference and if you find a snorkel useful to you that's fine with me!

And the winner is: "I don't even use a snorkel when I'm snorkeling"

 

[Zenyetti]

We do drift diving exclusively so need need to swim out from the shore. Boat stops, I get off, I come back up, Boat comes! As for the minute or so you may have to wait, I find that fully inflating the BC puts me far enough out of the water to not worry about swells and choppy seas. In the extreme cases where chop was a problem I simply put the regulator back in my mouth, this only works if you surface with sufficient air in reserve obviously, which I make a point of doing. That is my safety factor. The above aside, I feel that snorkels (personally) clutter up around my mask and hence dont like them.

 

[Stu S.]

If you schedule a Crystal River dive in Florida, consider bringing a snorkel. There are a series of springs, like small caves, that flow into the river. Each is like a "mini dive". To go between these requires enough surface swimming that most folks choose to snorkel rather than use up their tank.

 

[Nemrod]

Ok.. I'm prepared for the "bashing" that such an online forum can bring.. but seriously.. I'm really wondering why now a days.. I observe that many scuba divers decide to not wear a snorkel while SCUBA diving.

I'm curious to what the "logic" to this trend is.

You'd think that the dive shop instructors would "push" the idea of using a snorkel.. if all else to sell snorkels.

I'm from the old school and have made 1000's of dives in various locals.. and can understand the desire to not wear a snorkel when doing perhaps a wreck or cave penetration. That reason makes sense.

But for the "routine" normal open water dive, be it from a boat or beach.. I see much more potential and benefit of having a snorkel than going without.

Personally I dont believe that the snorkel contributes any significant amount of "drag"... if it does my guess is that it is miniscule when compared to my drysuit, wings, tanks, camera, etc.. and all the other garb that I wear. I have never had any issues with entanglement with kelp or fishing line while wearing a snorkel.

Some examples of why I wear a snorkel:

It allows me to much easier swim face down in the water, it allows the natural bouyancy of the water to support my head in the water instead of my trying to hold my head out of the water to breath.

It allows me to conserve air while swimming off a beach dive site to an offshore decent point. I can swim a bit of the traverse on the surface, get to deeper water then decend instead of decending immediately near the shore.

I use it when waiting for my buddy(s) after jumping in from a dive boat... I simply put the snorkel in the mouth.. and patiently wait.

For those rare times when diving from dive boats and at the end of the dive while waiting to get picked up by a "live boat"... when the seas are choppy.. I find its much easier and comfortable to keep water out of the mouth using a snorkel. When diving from an anchored boat, I've seen many many times when myself or other divers surface low on air, down current, and will have to snorkel back to the anchored boat against a current. This can be a lot of work. Often, the divers without snorkels attempt this swim face up on their back.. and many times will stray off course... I find it easier to keep an eye on the boat if I'm facing it and face down in the water.

Do they even teach snorkel use and skills any more in basic scuba courses?

I'm not trying to be a smarty pants here.. but looking for some well explained reasons for this trend. Thanks.

If you want to use a snorkel then use one, I don't and don't. It interferes with popping my mask up on my forehead and in general gets in my way for no good use.

Another, snorkels used to be simple, small, lightweight tubes, now they are gargantuan things with valves and double tubes and floaties and more valves and cost as much as trip to Coz. Not thanks.

I don't even use a snorkel when I free dive.

Your BC is dated.

N

 

[Goannaman]

Another, snorkels used to be simple, small, lightweight tubes, now they are gargantuan things with valves and double tubes and floaties and more valves...

And this is why I don't wear a snorkel. I always keep it in my dive bag, should I get the urge to snorkel. When diving, it flops around and annoys me. And, as others have said, I don't find it particularly helpful at the surface.

I know that PADI and NAUI still both teach the use of the snorkel, although my girlfriends instructor (NAUI) said "There's one reason why certification agencies want people to use snorkels. Dive shops sell snorkels". He said it jokingly, but I agree. If I felt like it would be helpful enough at the surface, I would track down an old j tube, and get rid of the gargantuan multi valved floppy tubed monster in my dive bag.

 

[diver 85]

Mike------forget it ----you're wasting your time.....(I've 'been der & dun dat' on this topic).....

 

[Buoyant1]

I have a roll up pocket snorkel if I need it...but I find that they are just a cumbersome thing to have hanging off of your mask, basically!

Most of my diving is in a quarry, and surface swims or surf entries aren't a normal part of our dive. I can see their uses in diving, but not where I dive.