Do you dive with a snorkel?

[showboat]

very very rarely use my snorkel, but I always do have it in my dive bag. The last time I used it was after 3 or 4 dives after my certification. Then again I do have a new mask that does not have a place for my snorkel, plus it just gets in the way...

I mostly drift dive from a boat here in south Florida, but lately I have been doing beach dives..... well time to pack up for tonight and get those crazy Lobsters tonight for the midnight dive, unless of course they already did disappear to Bimini....

:boom: :wacko:

 

[Voltaire]

Pick-up a snorkel that collapses and folds; they fit comfortably in your BCD pocket. So, its there if you need it and you don't have to worry about it getting in the way since it will not be attached to your mask.

 

[scubabob123]

I always carry it (on the mask). Kind of gets in the way sometimes but has come in handy a few times. I was on a boat dive with a couple of divers that I trusted on knowing where the boat was (like on my 4th dive after my O.W.). When we surfaced for a boat check the boat was just a speck on the horizon. I had about 800 PSI. A nice long surface swim in pretty choppy seas. The snorkel was really a neccessity. Oh by the way...... I do the navigating now!!!

 

[crispos]

Let's say you are a new diver, and your Surface Consumption Rate is 1.0 ft3/min. You are on the surface, it is really wavey, and you are waiting for your buddy to get in the water. But the buddy forgets something and you have to wait 10 minutes. You don't have a snorkel. Keeping your head above water in waves is a laborious task. So you breathe 10 ft3 or 13% of your Al 80 with your reg, while waiting to start the dive.

Or let's say you have to do a shore swim out to where the dive begins. It is a 300 yard swim. You can swim on your back, but want to keep your face in the water so you can see the bottom topology and depth and keep a straight heading. Again, the snorkel saves you valuable air.

Current divers quite rightly don't want the added drag from a snorkel which can rip their masks off. Snorkels can get caught in weed or kelp.
The technical divers bring a big reserve of air so conservation on the surface is not an issue. And of course you want the reg in the mouth when reentering one of those smoke belching charter boats from the rear. But for your average recreational diver, a snorkel is a useful tool.

 

[jhelmuth]

I'd hope to be at least avg. and I am definately a rec diver. But I will never wear a snorkel unless it is mandated by the boat/DM. For my part, I think a snorkel in large waves is a disaster. I never use my tank on the surface unless we are in seas greater than 5' (I have no issue floating on my back with my head outta the water and BC partially inflated for comfort). If your buddy forgot something, either get a new buddy, or make sure you check everything out before you actually decide to stride on in (remeber that you are supposed to check your gear before your dive?)

 

[Knavey]

Gave mine up while I was diving those 23 dives last week...best move I made that trip!

 

[ElectricZombie]

Snorkels don't help in SCUBA...I can't stand them. They create drag, pull your mask off and pose an entanglement risk. I don't snorkel so, I stopped carrying one a long time ago.

 

[lakesdiver]

Have a fold-up that I periodically stick in the bc pocket. Other than that, no, I don't use one.

 

[Mojarra]

I used a snorkle for training and first few dives but now I just carry in in my gear bag. If someone really suggests it would be needed I have it nearby.

 

[crispos]

If I am proven wrong through open discussion, I am happy, because my diving can only get better. Maybe snorkels are like training wheels on a bike, to be dispensed with as soon as possible after a scuba diver gets proficient. So far the voting is over 75% for no or only seldom use of snorkels. We need a bigger statistical sample. Any other snorkel users want to come out of the closet?