Snorkel Anyone ?

[ZzzKing]

Im so tempted to reply to the arman68 moronic statements above but not sure i have time to waste. Suffice to say every single point on there is incorrect.

I don't know, I can think of a scenario in which it might save your life:

You're at 80', surrounded by hungry tiger sharks. They have already consumed your buddy. You've used up your spear from your spear gun. A well placed shot that took out two small ones. Your BFK is sticking out of the head of a 12' one that is now spinning slowly into the depths trailing blood. Several more sharks follow him. Your small blunt tip knife was knocked out of your hand during the last rush. There are only three tigers left. You whip out the snorkel and do a Bruce Lee on them. Simple. Now to retrieve that buddy's gear...

 

[friscuba]

Im so tempted to reply to the arman68 moronic statements above but not sure i have time to waste. Suffice to say every single point on there is incorrect.

It seems as though you tend to see things as black and white when it comes to snorkels, rather than situational. Saving your life may be pushing it, as the situation where that might happen are extremely limitied, but many of his points are valid at least on occasion.

Your solution for surface swims seems to be to turn on your back. That is my preferred surface swim method, but it does not apply in all situations. You've apparently never done a surface swim on a shallow reef wherre you constantly need to pick and choose your direction... unless you care nothing about bashing coral heads with your tank. Snorkel to mouth recussitation is an accepted method of in water recussitation by pretty much all agencies.

Pretty much every one of his points has a valid situational use. His points may be invalid for the type of diving you do, but to say they are all incorrect is a stretch.

aloha,

 

[Guba]

Okay, I'll open a can of bait...(can't reisist)

What is the DIR stance on snorkels?

(How's THAT for mixing the pot? Two controversies at the same time!)

 

[String]

Your solution for surface swims seems to be to turn on your back. That is my preferred surface swim method, but it does not apply in all situations. You've apparently never done a surface swim on a shallow reef wherre you constantly need to pick and choose your direction...

So use the regulator with its negligable amount of air usage.

Snorkel to mouth recussitation is an accepted method of in water recussitation by pretty much all agencies.

I can think of 3 where it isnt. Use a pocket mask, cheaper, far more effective.

Pretty much every one of his points has a valid situational use. His points may be invalid for the type of diving you do, but to say they are all incorrect is a stretch.

 

[scarefaceDM]

GUBA...worms are spewing...

DIR answer is simple.
No snorkle.

DIR diver, tech diver, cave diver, use the long hose. Long hose being 5 to 7 foot primary hose. Which is wrapped around the neck. If an OOA situation happens it becomes an entanglement issue if the reg is deployed to the OOA diver.

It is not part of a clean streamline configuration thus is best left on shore.

If you have a long surface swimS, plan accordingly. A boat may be used, or a scooter If properly trained on and the TEAM is using the same configuration.

That is the short answer I can give you.

SAFE DIVES
Stephen

Okay, I'll open a can of bait...(can't reisist)

What is the DIR stance on snorkels?

(How's THAT for mixing the pot? Two controversies at the same time!)

 

[lazyturtle]

I never wear my snorkel on my mask. I carry a collapsable snorkel in my bcd pocket (along with all of the other odds and ends I might want on a dive like knives, lights, saftey sausage, etc) for teaching (see look I have the required snorkel!!) and put it on my mask as the situation demands. Personally I can't stand wearing a snorkel as I have long hair and the snorkel always gets caught in my hair. In the last 15 years of diving I've only been on 1 dive where I didn't have a snorkel and wanted one (it was Cane Bay in St. Croixl; what a long swim!). Snorkels are only useful in calm water as rough seas tend to put more water down the snorkel than swiming on your back might do. Personally I tell students that once the class is over they are a completly optional piece of equipment, and the descision to wear one should be based on the local diving conditions.

 

[Guba]

Still stirring the pot...

Here's the situation: A lengthy surface swim is required to get to the other side of a small lake where the group will descend. No boat (no entry point for one). Driving or carrying gear to the site isn't possible since it's on posted private land. The whole team has one scooter between them.
Now, I'm told to "plan accordingly". Isn't bringing a snorkel doing just that?
(As you can plainly see, I'm very evidently not DIR trained.)

Okay, before I get toasted, please understand that I'm just being facetious. I don't have a problem with using a snorkle. I'm more comfortable with its use than I would be kicking on my back (I have a tendency to travel in circles when I do that, and my back inflation BCD isn't conducive to that position either). I've never had a significant problem with it getting in the way or becoming entangled. It's simply not a problem for me.
Do I wear it on every dive? Nope. Do I think every diver "should" or "must" wear one? Of course not. That's their decision and preference. But I also don't think someone should berate a person who chooses to carry one, essentially implying that a diver is either a newbie or some sort of "agency clone" for his choice. One might as well try to tell a diver what color his wetsuit "should" be.

 

[scarefaceDM]

Here is the GUE answer in short;
http://www.gue.com/Equipment/Config/index.html

..Snorkels are useful only while divers are at the surface; during a dive they are typically in the way and pose an entanglement threat. If snorkeling, divers should choose a snorkel with a good size tube that mounts comfortably and does not offer breathing resistance. Rather than choosing from the array of gimmicky snorkels common to the dive industry, divers should learn proper skin diving techniques....


This said...Snorkels are best served in the pocket or in a bag on shore /boat when not in use.

It is to each his own.

 

[friscuba]

So use the regulator with its negligable amount of air usage.

Where I've been working this last 8 years, we rarely have serious rescues to deal with, but I can think of maybe 3 near semi-serious rescues where a person was panicking and on the verge going under that were a direct result of them (they really had only themselves to blame) breathing off their regulator on the surface at the end of a dive and runnning out of air. In all cases, a snorkel would have avoided the panic situation. Inflating their BCs (lots of divers are guilty of not inflating their BCs at the end of a dive) would have gone a long way to doing the same, but not a guarantee in the case of a couple of them.

Negligible amount of air usage does not equal unending air availability.

 

[erparamedic]

Yes, I wear a snorkel. Yes, I've used my snorkel. Yes, I hate my snorkel. LOL I'd rather not wear it. I'd like to get a pocket snorkel... but right now I'm saving for things better than a snorkel. As others have mentioned... I've grabbed the mouthpiece of my snorkel instead of my inflator hose a few times. Thus, I now wear my snorkel on my right side of the mask. A local instructor asked me why I have it on the "wrong" side. My response.... "because I like it better on that side." LOL His reply... "ok". LOL