to snorkel or not to snorkel
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teknitroxdiver
Contributor
I never wear one. It pulls my mask off, gets tangled up, messes with my hoses, and I never use it anyway. If I have to breathe above water in spray or heavy waves, I either use some of the 500+ PSI I surfaced with, or hold my hand over my mouth to block spray.
Always wear one or have one on me when diving.
Saw a couple of people in FL have their lives saved because of those little tubes.
Paul.
Saw a couple of people in FL have their lives saved because of those little tubes.
Paul.
I don't even own one. I lost it on a dive trip and never replaced it. I generally try not to surface swim. If I'm diving from a boat and the waves are choppy, I would rather breathe from my reg than a snorkel.
teknitroxdiver
Contributor
That reminds me of another point:
If you're breathing through your mouth, you close it when a wave breaks on you. If you're breating through a reg, you don't care if a wave breaks on you. But if you're breathing through a 'non-nuclear-cooling-tower' snorkel (i.e. not a dry snorkel), you will find the snorkel full of water after the wave passes.
If you're breathing through your mouth, you close it when a wave breaks on you. If you're breating through a reg, you don't care if a wave breaks on you. But if you're breathing through a 'non-nuclear-cooling-tower' snorkel (i.e. not a dry snorkel), you will find the snorkel full of water after the wave passes.
don't use one diving.
last time it got used was 2 years ago with the manatees.
last time it got used was 2 years ago with the manatees.
Carry a fold up one in my pocket. Best of both worlds 
Have it if I desperately need it and it's not in the way of the long hose.
Have it if I desperately need it and it's not in the way of the long hose.
keelhaul123
Contributor
I use one. Since most of my diving is shore diving, and since that often involves a surface swim out to deeper water---maybe 100 ards on average--I would rather the snorkel than a mouth full of water or sucking off my reg.
I use one in cold water. When I first splash, I switch to my snorkel until the initial shock of the cold water wears off. When my breathing becomes more consistent, I switch to my reg and descend.
scubapro50
Contributor
I have always use one. Back in the late 60's they were a must on every diver. A simple J snorkel could save your life if you have equipment trouble. I'm surprised when divers say they would never think about diving without an oct but complain about the other safety device ( the snorkel) getting in the way of their hair. If your 1st stage screws up or you run out of air and have a long swim back to shore or to the boat in choppy seas you wish you had that $10 piece of plastic to breath through. Not having a snorkel may interfere with your breathing. Look what happened to the two divers in "Open Water". They didn't have snorkels and had to swim around backwards to get anyplace .... they got eaten by sharks ... remember ?
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