Snorkel for wavy conditions

[GreenOllie]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My instructor had us snorkelling out to the dive site on our first few dives. It was a real pain because conditions were pretty choppy. I'm not sure if i'll do shore dives from the beach in future, I'm a shorty so I get thrown around in the waves quite a bit upon entry, it's a bit unnerving, it was even a mission trying to get my fins on and off, and I ended up getting thrashed around on the beach when we were exiting. Waist deep for the other guys was about chest deep for me.

My air usage is also pretty high at the moment, I'm a heavy breather when I get anxious. I'm fine to dive with the anxiety, I just have to take my time, once I'm down I'm pretty ok.

I'm planning to go snorkelling for crabs in a fortnight, so I'll see how the purge valve on the Ultradry performs then. Hopefully it was a case of the valve sticking. It drains ok when it's out of the water, it's just useless while my face is in the water. I do have a basic J snorkel I got ages ago from those mask/fin/snorkel bundles from the sports store, but I struggled to clear it. I never seemed to have enough breath to get all the water out and I panic a little when swallowing sea water, I blame an old incident when I was a kid and almost drowned at the local waterpark. Last time I trusted my oldest sister to look out for my safety, she was floating right next to me!

 

[spectrum]

GreenOllie,

This whole thing is like learning to dance. In time you will learn how to select sites and time dives to avoid harsh conditions. Getting fins on is a bit of a skill & gear issue. There's no shame in putting a hand on a buddy's shoulder or other wise bracing each other. Shore diving for many affords a wealth of cheap accessible fun.

The difficulty in clearing the snorkel is something you really want to work on. It's a bit of timing and technique. This of a sudden blast like using a pea shooter, not a bubbling exhale. It need not even come close to lung exhausting. Your descriptions of struggle an panic in surface conditions underline the need for time with a instructor or trusted mentor.

Air usage will fall in line with experience and diving with a spirit of continuous improvement.

Pete

 

[Bob DBF]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My instructor had us snorkelling out to the dive site on our first few dives. It was a real pain because conditions were pretty choppy. I'm not sure if i'll do shore dives from the beach in future, I'm a shorty so I get thrown around in the waves quite a bit upon entry, it's a bit unnerving, it was even a mission trying to get my fins on and off, and I ended up getting thrashed around on the beach when we were exiting. Waist deep for the other guys was about chest deep for me.

I do have a basic J snorkel I got ages ago from those mask/fin/snorkel bundles from the sports store, but I struggled to clear it. I never seemed to have enough breath to get all the water out and I panic a little when swallowing sea water, I blame an old incident when I was a kid and almost drowned at the local waterpark.

It's all about technique and practice. If it looks like I have to be in the break to don or doff the fins I put them on on the beach, and crawl up the beach to take them off. It's not pretty, but it works. Also if you can get past the break then put the fins on without touching the bottom, however it is hard for me because of a 7mm farmer John and I'm old and can't bend like I used to. And the obvious, tell your buddy about the problem and have him help.

In the case of the J snorkel, sometimes you don't get all the water out, but you can breathe around some water if you don't inhale too fast. The J snorkel has one failure mode which usually involves dropping a tank on it, my latest is almost 40 and worn on almost every dive. And yes, from my experience, chop is the biggest PITA when snorkeling.

As long as you "panic a little when swallowing sea water" my advice is to stay shallow, as far away from NDL as possible, keep the emergency ascent procedures in the front of your mind (a good idea for anyone anyway) until you know where your tipping point into panic happens or when swallowing a bit of sea water is an inconvenience.

Good Luck, and let us know how it goes.



Bob
----------------------------------------------------
I honestly feel I'm a better diver now. I learned to respect the ocean the hard way. One swallow at a time. Mark Derail

 

[Divetech99]

Is a "large bore" snorkel more effective in providing fresh air and expelling stale (CO2) air than a regular sized tube diameter? I'm curious if a large bore snorkel is better for long surface swims 1km.

 

[danvolker]

Is a "large bore" snorkel more effective in providing fresh air and expelling stale (CO2) air than a regular sized tube diameter? I'm curious if a large bore snorkel is better for long surface swims 1km.

Less CO2 build up in the large bore freediving snorkel....Here is a great example of a top notch snorkel used by many top freedivers... Cressi America Snorkel : Florida Freedivers

The whole "better" issue gets to be more important, as workload increases, and breathing rate goes up. you want to move as much CO2 out of the snorkel as you can with each breath, and narrow bore snorkels end up with more dead space--at least that is how it feels to me, and I am pretty sure some research will have been done to document this.

Also....the way to make the snorkeling out to the dive site many hundred yards out...to be easy...is NOT to do this on scuba first, but to do some dedicated snorkel/freedive days so you can really get maximum biofeedback....You are so encumbered with heavy and bulky scuba gear, that it is much harder to learn snorkeling when fully kitted up.

---------- Post added January 25th, 2015 at 02:40 PM ----------

Is a "large bore" snorkel more effective in providing fresh air and expelling stale (CO2) air than a regular sized tube diameter? I'm curious if a large bore snorkel is better for long surface swims 1km.

Less CO2 build up in the large bore freediving snorkel....Here is a great example of a top notch snorkel used by many top freedivers... Cressi America Snorkel : Florida Freedivers

The whole "better" issue gets to be more important, as workload increases, and breathing rate goes up. you want to move as much CO2 out of the snorkel as you can with each breath, and narrow bore snorkels end up with more dead space--at least that is how it feels to me, and I am pretty sure some research will have been done to document this.

Also....the way to make the snorkeling out to the dive site many hundred yards out...to be easy...is NOT to do this on scuba first, but to do some dedicated snorkel/freedive days so you can really get maximum biofeedback....You are so encumbered with heavy and bulky scuba gear, that it is much harder to learn snorkeling when fully kitted up.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

The smaller the bore of the snorkel, the LESS dead air space it is going to provide. Also a smaller bore snorkel is easier to clear. A larger bore snorkel is going to be easier to breath through. I'm not sure that the bore of the snorkel makes a huge difference, when you are comparing decent quality snorkels.

I prefer a purge valve on my snorkel, but I can't have any slots, caps, vents, vanes, or other appurtenances on the top end of a snorkel. I like to be able to put my thumb over the top of the snorkel and blast to completely remove all the water from the snorkel via the purge.

I think it is somewhat ironic that a simple silicone flapper valve works fine on a scuba regulator to depths of 4-500 ft, but they are a hazard when used on a snorkel that is used at a depth of 4-5 inches...

A large majority of freedivers will select a simple j snorkel - so I am in the minority with my preference. I use the same snorkel (and mask) for scuba and snorkeling. Serious scuba divers make fun of me for wearing a snorkel on my mask strap when scuba diving and serious freedivers make fun of me for using a purge snorkel and.. my kids make fun of me (for being fat).

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I think a snorkel should have three things: a flex hose, a diameter equal to your finger, and a purge valve. These features are present in most snorkels that cost about $25.00. There should be no issue with a purge valve working- it is a simple little one way valve that usually consists of a thin flap or rubber. It sounds to me like the op has a faulty piece of equipment. As far as the performance of the splash guard, I am not big on those or on float valves either, because they can stick. If conditions are so rough that water down the snorkel tube is an issue, then I agree with those above who say go to your regulator.
DivemasterDennis

 

[danvolker]

I think a snorkel should have three things: a flex hose, a diameter equal to your finger, and a purge valve. These features are present in most snorkels that cost about $25.00. There should be no issue with a purge valve working- it is a simple little one way valve that usually consists of a thin flap or rubber. It sounds to me like the op has a faulty piece of equipment. As far as the performance of the splash guard, I am not big on those or on float valves either, because they can stick. If conditions are so rough that water down the snorkel tube is an issue, then I agree with those above who say go to your regulator.
DivemasterDennis

Everytime I have used a flex hose snorkel in rough water, it has been hard to prevent it from flopping into bad positions that will allow it to tip into the water and have me sucking water in....however, with the freedive snorkels, like the pone I posted a link to, I can snorkel in virtually any wave height , from 2 foot to 10 feet or more, and it won't let water in....I have even snorkeled like this in surf zones, when surfers are out in big waves--and the solid j types are still good...

I think the flex hose snorkel is an invention of scuba dive companies, and they are a mistake for scuba divers or freedvers....but...this is just my opinion.
Only way to be sure, is to use EACH type long enough to get really good at it, in a wide range of conditions.

 

[stuartv]

I use an Atomic SV2 Semi-dry snorkel. Flexible. Louvers at the top to help keep water out. Purge valve at the bottom.

Atomic SV2 Semi-Dry Snorkel

I have used it in some ocean swims with 2 - 3 foot swells, and for snorkeling off the beach. I haven't ever had any trouble with accidentally getting water in the top, nor with purging it when I surface, nor with pulling water in through the purge valve. When I'm scuba diving, every now and then it will get twisted around and I'll have to reach up and straighten it out. But, that has really only happened when I first get in the water. I am a new diver, so I can't claim a LOT of experience with any of it, though, so take all this FWIW.

It was on the expensive side for a snorkel, but I don't expect to buy another snorkel any time in the remotely near future, so I don't mind.

 

[scjoe]

I currently have the Cressi model that Dan is recommending. It works just fine. I used to have an Omer Zoom until someone made off with it. The Zoom is smaller and more flexible. I liked it a bit more than the Cressi, but it is about twice the price.

So little time is spent snorkeling in scuba classes these days that divers just don't get adept at using a snorkel. They then default to the regulator. Given the size of modern tanks, I suppose that is okay, but I prefer breathing off of a snorkel than getting the cold, dry air from a tank.