IME if you get to any sort of speed, a side-mounted snorkel will tug on your mask strap and flood the mask. Especially if you do a "good push" off the wall: I do it with the center-mounted snorkel and it tries to slide off to the side if I don't turn completely before the push; with a side-mounted snorkel I wouldn't even bother trying.
PADI Divemaster 800m snorkel
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Interesting point. I will admit I haven't tried this with a snorkel. I use goggles in a pool.
But we are discussing someone who is concerned with breaking 21 minutes in an 800m with fins. I don't think the push off will be that high speed. But it's definitely something the OP will need to try out. If the snorkel is pulling on the mask, since your arms will be out in front, maybe you could pin the snorket in place during the push off by tilting the side of your head with the snorkel towards your arm.
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Too bad they don't adjust the times depending on how many turns you must make.
I just looked at the short course (25m pool) versus long course (50m pool) distance swimming records and it appears the advantage is about .5 second per turn or 8 seconds faster over 800 meters for the shorter pools. Not really worth adjusting for IMO.
Although they probably should give you extra time for true open water swims, both for the approximately 16 second disadvantage for not being able to do push offs plus the difficulty of maintaining a straight line.
Relax and pace yourself so you don't burn out. Use a good pair of light snorkeling fins and don't use something like a jet fin that is heavy. I did mine 16+ years ago and my instructor would not allow me to touch and push off the wall of the pool.
You can clip the regular snorkel to the goggles, but you can't swim in that. Try it sometime and you'll know why we use center-mounted snorkels.
The regular mask with its wider strap and larger sealing area will work, especially if you over-tighten the strap, but only up to a point. My guess is 800 in 20 minutes won't push you past that point, but I've never tried so I don't really know.
When I did it many years ago, I got a much better time than he needs to get, and there was no problem whatsoever with snorkel drag.
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