I've used mine ever since, in Burma, I had about 3 seconds during a SI to put on mask and jump in the water in my clothes to snorkel within 3 feet of a whale shark who was checking out the boat. He swam away after just little bit, but it was a really wonderful experience. Nobody else got in the water in time to enjoy it before it took off. I felt slow and clumsy enough as it was getting the mask on without my hair tied back - having to retrieve the snorkel and put it on might or might not have been fast enough. I was just happy it was already on in that circumstance.
Similar thing happened in Cocos - panga spotted a school of hammerheads on the surface on the way back to the boat - screeeeeech, we're stopped, splash I'm in the water. No time to futz around. I was glad the snorkel was in place that time too.
For local boat diving, I just leave it on. It doesn't tend to tangle. It's on there, I know where it is, don't have to think about it, and always have it. Use it alot in chop, surface swims etc, and I'm the type of person who will forget to bring it the day I need it if it's not usually attached.
And, FWIW, I don't really give a flying flip if people think I'm an idiot because I happen to wear a bright yellow snorkel. Their problem for being judgemental, not mine.
People can wear 'em, or not wear 'em, or stash 'em in a pocket, or not, depending on their preferences and their diving conditions. Like CompuDude said.
Similar thing happened in Cocos - panga spotted a school of hammerheads on the surface on the way back to the boat - screeeeeech, we're stopped, splash I'm in the water. No time to futz around. I was glad the snorkel was in place that time too.
For local boat diving, I just leave it on. It doesn't tend to tangle. It's on there, I know where it is, don't have to think about it, and always have it. Use it alot in chop, surface swims etc, and I'm the type of person who will forget to bring it the day I need it if it's not usually attached.
And, FWIW, I don't really give a flying flip if people think I'm an idiot because I happen to wear a bright yellow snorkel. Their problem for being judgemental, not mine.
People can wear 'em, or not wear 'em, or stash 'em in a pocket, or not, depending on their preferences and their diving conditions. Like CompuDude said.