A&I Split - Snorkel vs. Reg at the surface

[redacted]

I was taught to switch to snorkle upon surfacing to conserve air. Wrong!! No need to conserve at the end. Bopping up and down on the surface often ends up with my head under water. I keep my reg in my mouth where it belongs until my BC is handed off with me firmly affixed to the ladder or I am in the boat.

Sure, nothing wrong with using the reg if it is more comfortable. But if you are dependent on the reg on the surface, you may need to adjust your gas plan. And still you need to plan for an LOA or OOA event. I suggest you develop the skills necessary to survive on the surface without the aide
of scuba. A snorkel may be a nice convenience but if you find it a necessity, there could still be a problem. Simple solution is to learn to inhale only when your head is out of the water. Usually easiest if you float on your back, If you air up the BC to help you float, it is usually quite pleasant.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

I spent much time bobbing on the surface waiting for the boat to pick me up in Cozumel lately. I inflated my BCD and my SMB and wrapped part of the SMB around my legs so that I had a nice laid back, relaxing position. I kept my mask on and my reg at the corner of my mouth but I wasn't breathing from it. I always keep my reg in my mouth when boarding the boat and don't take it out until I sit down in case I slip and fall down face first on the boat.

 

[DandyDon]

Sure, nothing wrong with using the reg if it is more comfortable. But if you are dependent on the reg on the surface, you may need to adjust your gas plan. And still you need to plan for an LOA or OOA event. I suggest you develop the skills necessary to survive on the surface without the aide
of scuba. A snorkel may be a nice convenience but if you find it a necessity, there could still be a problem. Simple solution is to learn to inhale only when your head is out of the water. Usually easiest if you float on your back, If you air up the BC to help you float, it is usually quite pleasant.

While a true enough statement, I do think it safer to stay on the reg and avoid risk of gasping & choking - and switching to a snorkel in some situations can aid in this. This is more important with the less experienced, often overweighted divers - learning as fast as they can perhaps, but you can't learn everything in OW and a few boat dives. Waves and wakes happen.

For my LOA screw up a few years ago, I'd already drilled on ditching weights as I do that first dive of any trip, and I surfaced with enough to inflate and blow my inline whistle - but I switched to my pocked snorkel and grabbed a weight pocket just in case. Screwing up was bad; wanted to avoid additional problems. There's even a case for removing one weight pocket and holding it on ascent in a CESA, but I don't want to drift that far off of subject here.

 

[flots am]

Maybe after your skills improve keeping your haed above water won't be such a challenge.

Sometimes the water doesn't cooperate.

flots.

 

[markmantei]

Sure, nothing wrong with using the reg if it is more comfortable. But if you are dependent on the reg on the surface, you may need to adjust your gas plan. And still you need to plan for an LOA or OOA event. I suggest you develop the skills necessary to survive on the surface without the aide
of scuba. A snorkel may be a nice convenience but if you find it a necessity, there could still be a problem. Simple solution is to learn to inhale only when your head is out of the water. Usually easiest if you float on your back, If you air up the BC to help you float, it is usually quite pleasant.

Couldn't agree more. Even (especially???) in a back inflate. There is no tipping you over, you just float on a pillow of air and sea, and you can monitor the other divers egress from the water and be ready to lend assistance if required, and be ready to climb up the ladder when its your turn. The seas would need to be pretty rough to be chocking on water in this position. Snorkels are only good for surface swims out on shore dives, IMHO.

 

[Splitlip]

Sure, nothing wrong with using the reg if it is more comfortable. But if you are dependent on the reg on the surface, you may need to adjust your gas plan. And still you need to plan for an LOA or OOA event. I suggest you develop the skills necessary to survive on the surface without the aide
of scuba. A snorkel may be a nice convenience but if you find it a necessity, there could still be a problem. Simple solution is to learn to inhale only when your head is out of the water. Usually easiest if you float on your back, If you air up the BC to help you float, it is usually quite pleasant.

Exactly. I do not wear or carry a snorkel. Lots negatives if worn on the mask and not enough positives for me, but that's for another thread. (although if my old Scubapro shotgun tube were to show up, I might give it a try again.)
In any event, When I surface I usually do so under a very large DSMB. I use a back inflate so as soon a get sorted out at the surface, I kick back with my marker upright held by one hand at my waist. Then, wait for it, I spit my reg from mouth. Because I wear a long hose behind my head, the second stage goes the same place every time. I can find it in an instant. And if **** really went tits up, my alternate is on necklace under my chin.
When the boat approaches reg goes back in mouth. Not just for safety boarding, but so as not to breath engine exhaust.
I've drifted as described above for like 40 minutes while the boat dealt with an emergency. I know folks who have done it considerably longer in less than ideal conditions.

 

[AfterDark]

Sometimes the water doesn't cooperate.

flots.

Gee, turning your back to the waves might help.