Where to attach a snorkel

[IndigoBlue]

I want to keep a snorkel for safety so it can be used when I go back to the surface.

Could someone explain me where and how it should be attached to the BC during the dive?

Thanks

Your snorkel belongs on your mask strap.

As long as you are diving with a 40 inch or shorter primary regulator hose, deploying your primary to your buddy in an OOA situation is not going to strip your mask off your face by the snorkel entanglement method. And if you are diving with a 5 ft or longer primary hose on a nontech dive, then you need to learn how to take a hose (hopefully 7 ft) off a 2nd stage and replace it with something smaller for nontech diving.

 

[IndigoBlue]

I hate snorkels, especially on my mask. I think they are really annoying. Sometimes in rough seas it is very hard to breath through your mouth with out any equiptment. If a diver is out of air for whatever reason, its doesnt matter, having a snorkel could mean a lot. Although I still wont dive with a snorkel ;-) Ill just watch my air!!!!

Gerard

Do you watch the weather reports too?

How about the boat D/M? If you end up being that unlucky next person on the East Coast or the West Coast (or Mexico where it happens more often even) that gets left behind by the boat D/M next time, you will probably wish you had your snorkel.

 

[IndigoBlue]

How is not having a snorkel at the surface going to cause more panic. It is in my understanding that a diver that is surfacing and that is paniced would more than likely not be using a snorkel at the surface anyway. I come to this conclusion because of divers in a panic pulling of their masks and pulling out their regs upon reaching the surface, last thing I owld do is stick a snorkel in my mouth. I'd inflate my wing and lay on my back and just float along at the surface.

Wendy, you are my most favorite police-person on this earth. I wish all police were as kind and considerate as you. I enjoy reading all of your posts. They are laced with good advice.

Please dont forget that the sun is hot, and if a diver floats on their back too long, they will get clinically roasted by the sun. In that case, there would be some protection to putting your face in the water and breathing through a snorkel while you wait for the Coast Guard or the Boy Scouts to find you floating along.

If that sounds lame, please forgive me. But there are 1000 reasons to always have a snorkel with you (for nontech diving).

May God bless you in your dangerous job, Wendy.

 

[roakey]

Since you are supposed to end up at the ascent line, at the boat, in tech diving, there is no conceivable time when you should need a snorkel on a tech dive.

For a non-tech dive, on the other hand, you should have your snorkel with you at all times however, because there are several ways you could end up needing it.

A perfect example of the sloppy thinking that surrounds recreational diving today. Why is it OK for recreational diver to NOT end up at the ascent line, or if they don't, to NOT have enough gas to breathe at the surface for the swim back?

We're not talking about double tanks, backup masks etc. here, we're talking about basic skills. The level of redundancy a tech diver has isn't required because the rec diver should be within the no-stop limits.

Sure the number of mistakes made by a newer rec diver will be more than a seasoned tech diver, but that weakness should be compensated for via *real* gas planning, another virtual unknown in the recreational industry.

The question is here in the DIR forum. I'm giving the DIR answer, and now of a more DIR explanation. The exact same topic exists in the Basic Scuba Discussion forum, feel free to answer it in any way you want to...over there.

Roak

 

[H2Andy]

In that case, there would be some protection to putting your face in the water and breathing through a snorkel while you wait for the Coast Guard or the Boy Scouts to find you floating along.

but...but... how are you gonna wave your plastic sausage
while floating face down?

and how are you going to spot that far-off boat so you can
shine your mirror at it?

and how are you going to see the sailboat just a few hundred
yards away so you can blow your whistle?

floating face down, that is?

 

[MASS-Diver]

I carry a fold up in my DS pocket on some dives. The only time I would need would be if I was blown way off shore and I need to ditch my dive gear and swim for it (to reach an island, etc) in that case I would want a snorkle. It's not easy to swim long distances on the surface with doubles, in an emergency I would ditch the twins and swim for it without them.

 

[archman]

The face down float is often referred to as the "survival float", as a person can do it comfortably for very long periods of time with minimal to no effort... assuming you're wearing your snorkel.

NAUI is supposed to train with it quite a bit, I don't know if anyone else does.

 

[H2Andy]

i can't recall, but is the face down float reccomended when you have ample air in your BC?

isn't it just as easy to float head up with your BC inflated?

i would in fact prefer it, as keeping my head out of the water will

(a) prevent heat loss through my head to the water (water being a much better conductor of heat than air; and

(b) keep my eyes on the horizon so i can assist anyone trying to locate me
with signals (signals i can't give if my head is in the water).

 

[IndigoBlue]

i can't recall, but is the face down float reccomended when you have ample air in your BC?

isn't it just as easy to float head up with your BC inflated?

i would in fact prefer it, as keeping my head out of the water will

(a) prevent heat loss through my head to the water (water being a much better conductor of heat than air; and

(b) keep my eyes on the horizon so i can assist anyone trying to locate me
with signals (signals i can't give if my head is in the water).

Andy if you have your snorkel with you then at least you have a choice. Without a snorkel, no choice.

 

[Bob3]

One of my favorite types of dives involves extended surface swims in water where you can see the bottom from the surface. It's a great way to spend a few hours looking for goodies or interesting bottom structure.
A couple slabs of bicycle innertube on the shoulder strap/webbing makes a handy place to stash the critter. Stuff it on the inside of the strap, between the strap & your body, keeps it out of the way & still handy for those 2 - 3 mile surface swims.
Needless to say it needs to be one of those plain "J" tubes, & avoid the large bore. They may offer less breathing resistance but hold more CO2
Nothing wrong with a folder/rollup model stashed in a pocket. Just keep the thing off your mask while you're underwater & you'll do fine.