Rescue Diver and the Case of the Missing Snorkel

[pwl]

There is one crucial difference - a snorkel is not emergency equipment and you will never need it on a dive in any circumstance. May as well carry a wheelbarrow with you - its just as useful(/less)

i use my snorkel whilst waiting (often interminably) in fair-sized swell for students to get off the beach or off the boat. i'd rather not be spitting out salt water or using up air from my tank the whole time, and lying on my back doesn't lend well to observing what's going on (or keeping out of the way of the boat).

i can see why instructors don't care about snorkels - it's because they're talking all the time they're above water anyway, but us DM's have to do a lot of hanging around...