Do you Dive with a Snorkel

[JMD123]

Good story, and glad you had your snorkel, but I think there was a lot more wrong with that dive that had nothing to do with a snorkel, starting with diving off an untended boat in a ripping current with a camera.......... (that's not intended to be a rip on you, by the way, just reflecting the conditions of the dive).

Chris

Not taken as a rip at all. I fully agree with you. When I showed up at the boat I saw a captain and someone who I thought was a DM. Once on the way to the dive site I found out that the "DM" was the captains girlfriend and only had an AOW. At this point I was not real happy because I did not know anyone on the boat. I travel with a non diver. Once I was out there I was confident enough in my skills and brain power that I would be OK. I am not afraid to loose my camera and have already made a deal with myself (and the insurance company) that at an instant I will dump my camera if i feel I am in danger. Not a problem. But again you are 100% correct and now when I dive in resorts I ask how many staff go on a boat. A question I would have not thought to ask before. Live and Learn.

 

[JMD123]

Great story Glad to hear you and your buddy were ok.

Jonas

 

[ChrisM]

Not taken as a rip at all. I fully agree with you. When I showed up at the boat I saw a captain and someone who I thought was a DM. Once on the way to the dive site I found out that the "DM" was the captains girlfriend and only had an AOW. At this point I was not real happy because I did not know anyone on the boat. I travel with a non diver. Once I was out there I was confident enough in my skills and brain power that I would be OK. I am not afraid to loose my camera and have already made a deal with myself (and the insurance company) that at an instant I will dump my camera if i feel I am in danger. Not a problem. But again you are 100% correct and now when I dive in resorts I ask how many staff go on a boat. A question I would have not thought to ask before. Live and Learn.

Ahhh, the travails of international solo dive travel.. gotcha

 

[EricJ]

I've been diving for about three years, and I just now started diving without a snorkel. I recently needed to do a fairly long surface swim. At first I was wishing I had my snorkel, but I ended up kicking on my stomach and simply breathing to the side. It felt very easy and natural for me. As a result of the years of swimming I've done, I tend to put my body in a semi-sideways, streamline position during surface swims. Using a snorkel on surface swims, I've unconsciously reverted to a semi-sideways position and and nearly sucked in water and have had to clear my snorkel.

I think the best solution for most would be the folding snorkels. As for me, I may end up leaving my snorkel on the boat.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I started diving with a snorkel than I stopped, and now I wont dive with out one. In the Grand Bahamas I was diving with my new camera in 4 to 6 foot swells. The current was beyond swift. I mean it was really halling A--. I jumped in grabed my camera and began pulling myself up the line to the mooring line. At this time my reg was in my mouth. I got to the mouring line and began my desent. Everything was fine but the current was ripping, and my camera was acting like a huge sail. The plan was to get to the bottom and visit a wreck at about 80 feet. We were going to tour the whole thing. But by the time I got to the buttom I had already breathed 1000 PSI. SO now I only had 2000 left. When the DM got to the bottom I had about 1500 left. I told him I was going to look around for another 300 at the bottom and than head back up. At 1200 I went back up. I surfaced at the mooring line with about 300 left. I got to the back of the boat with about 175 left. HERE COMES THE BUMMER. There was no one on the boat for me to pass my camera to. So I thought about it. Mean while the reg is still in my mouth because the swells are now crashing on me. I am alone and have an expensive camera. I decide what the heck, my camera is insured and I am pretty good with knots so I tied it off to the drift line. Looked at my gauge now I am at around 75 PSI. NOT GOOD. I take off my fins and now its time to ride the ladder rodeo. I finally get back on the boat ALONE. get my stuff off and pull my camera back in. About this time everyone else was comming back. I thought to myself if this took a little longer I could have been out of air and had no snorkel with 4 to 6 foot swells landing on me. Sure maybe It would have been fine but would have been better with my snorkel.

Just a story.


J

I won't get into what Chris has already mentioned, but what good is a snorkel in rough seas? If you used a snorkel instead of a reg you would have sucked in more water than air. I also dive in less than ideal conditions, but sometimes you need to know when to say forget it.

 

[ID diver]

Where can I find these, and do they actually work well. I don't dive with a snorkel now, hate the thing banging me in the face, but could see the benefit for having one in a pinch.

I have started using the long hose so I am no longer using a snorkel but when I am teaching class I am required to have a snorkel. For those times I use one of the SNAP snorkels rolled up in my pocket

http://www.sea-quest.com/products/snap.html

 

[JMD123]

I won't get into what Chris has already mentioned, but what good is a snorkel in rough seas? If you used a snorkel instead of a reg you would have sucked in more water than air. I also dive in less than ideal conditions, but sometimes you need to know when to say forget it.

The snorkel I have is a dry snorkel... Once you clear it its really hard for water to get inside. Reg would have been no good if my tank ran out of air. But dry snorkel would have worked great.

 

[JDog]

After years of thinking I was supposed to wear a snorkle. I now decide if one is needed. If I am doing a boat dive, or a shore dive with no swim out, it stays in my gear bag. But if we are doing a 300 yard surface swim, I will take it with me.

 

[Boat]

I have an Apollo that folds nicely into a bcd pocket. I normally use or have available the snorkel for the swim, then stow it when we're ready to drop. Takes just a second to put away and is no trouble at all. I've been glad I had it several times. Some interesting critters to see on those surface swims.

 

[Scubagrunt]

Do you dive with a snorkel or not,,, just curious and why.....

NO.
I wish the training agencies would get with the times on this one. First you should always have enough nitrox / gas in your tanks for the dive and then some (rules of thirds or so). Second, new dives / students, always seem to grab snorkie vs. bc deflator, when going up, this delay has caused many uncontrolled ascents in the less experienced. Third it gets tangles and causes mask leaks.
So what is the point of snorkie? On the surface, swim on your back, it is easier. If there is waves, or you need to swim on your front, use your tank (that has enough gas for the dive) Not to mention if it is wavie, snorkie is getting flooded anyway, likely causing the inexperienced diver distress.