Snorkel clearing

[Zept]

Okay, this is pathetic, but...

I don't wear a snorkel when I'm diving and I don't free dive when I'm snorkelling, so it doesn't matter that I'm useless at snorkel clearing. However, now that I'm a would-be divemaster, I need to work on the whole snorkel-clearing thing, because I'm supposed to be able to demonstrate it.

So... advice please! I just don't seem to have the power in my lungs to blast out the water reliably. Probably I am doing something wrong, but what? Please help!

Yours in incompetence,


Zept

 

[caliscuba]

Does your snorkel have a purge?

Do you blow long and hard...or soft and hard?

 

[scubatexastony]

try it in your snorkel.....werks purdy good!

tony

 

[Zept]

My snorkel has a purge. I could buy a plain one, but I don't want to do that until I am sure that it is the snorkel, not the snorkeller, that is at fault.

I guess I try to blow short and hard... not enough air in my lungs for long and hard.

I will try Tony's 'too' trick.


Zept

 

[devilfish]

You are paying your Instructor good money for the DM course, he/she should give you the time to teach you if you didn't learn it in the basic course.
It's kind of difficult to teach skills via internet, to describe the skill and say go out and practice, it's kind of a liability problem.
If you don't have enough lung capacity to blast clear, try duct taping the purge and try displacement method. This does not take much of lung capacity.
I hope this helps.

 

[Fetch]

One thing that had to be pointed out to me is to look left, thereby decreasing the vertical distance the water has to go to clear, and to give a short sharp burst of air.

I got decent at it, only to find out that diving with a snorkel attached pretty much stinks

 

[T-bolt Diver]

Whenever I reach the surface and need to go on snorkel, I reach into my wetsuit, pull out the snorkel, dump it out, and stick it through my mask strap and into my mouth.

 

[Braunbehrens]

Zept once bubbled...

So... advice please! I just don't seem to have the power in my lungs to blast out the water reliably.

Ok, first off, other have mentioned already, diving with a snorkel blows (get it, blows, haha). Anyway.

With that out of the way, there are two ways to clear a snorkel.

One is to say a very loud "ptah" or "PUH" once the snorkel has cleared the surface. This will not work realibly if the snorkel has a purge.* Keep in mind that you may not get all the water out on the first try. That's ok. Take a very eeaasy, slow, careful, breath...all the way until your lungs are full and...."PTAH" get the rest of that water out. Repeat if necessary.

The other way to clear a snorkel I have not mastered yet, but have been told about by a friend. It does not require ANY lung power! All you need to do, is tilt your head in the right manner and all the water will flow out. I wish I could be more specific, but like I said, I haven't successfully done this.

IMO there are only two decent kinds of snorkels. One is the straight shot, single tube, no nonsense snorkel. The other is the "OceanMaster" (I think) which will remain completely dry under most circumstances. The first one is great for people who are a little more serious about water sports, and comfortable in the water (as any diver should be!). The second is good if you want to show your grandma all the pretty fish on that shallow reef in Hawaii.

Snorkels with purges, water barriers, etc. etc. are all worthless contraptions that cause more problems than they solve. The only exception, IMO is the OceanMaster which actually works and stays dry.

So, since you are not a grandma, and are serious about this, I would say first thing get rid of that purge. If you want to try it, disable it with a piece of duct tape, but surely someone has a straight snorkel you can borrow.

I hope this helps you...good luck and let us know how it goes!

PS. The above are my opinions, and I don't wish to offend anyone who likes fancy snorkels. I just happen to think they are no good.


*(I think the reason is that the top of the snorkel and the bottom of the snorkel are at different hydrostatic pressures. The water will mostly go out through the top, but some water will remain trapped in the more convoluted lower part. In a straight snorkel, air from your mouth pushes all the water up and out).

 

[SubMariner]

Whenever I reach the surface and need to go on snorkel, I reach into my wetsuit, pull out the snorkel, dump it out, and stick it through my mask strap and into my mouth.

And all I have to do is just stick the snorkel in my mouth & purge it because it's already there.

There are two sides to every story.

Since I don't dive in overhead environments, I find it to be no problem keeping the snorkel in place on the mask strap. Others who do those types of dives obviously would not want a snorkel.

Basically, it's personal preference.

I don't wear a snorkel when I'm diving

As was previously stated, this, like most scuba skills, is best learned via demonstration. Have your Instructor show you how to do this & practice it. The biggest thing is to retain enough air in your lungs to purge the snorkel. First breath in is cautious, with the tongue acting as a splash guard. Then another good blast to clear the rest of the water out. Repeat as necessary until the snorkel is completely purged. Don't worrry about how many tries it takes to do it; no one is critiquing you on how long it takes, just that you are able to do it.

BTW, if you are doing a PADI DM course, the snorkel is a mandatory piece of equipment you must be wearing at all times when participating in open water dives.

~SubMariner~

 

[yak]

Zept,

I have found that my instructor's method works flawlessly.
When ascending, just before your head breaks the surface, tilt your head back (you should be looking up anyway), and exhale slowly and continuously. You should still be exhaling as you break the surface and bring your head forward and your face back in the water.

Viola, clear snorkel, no blasting air & water out.

Try it!