Where to attach a snorkel

[H2Andy]

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

oh yes, no doubt

the snorkel gets stowed in a pocket until i need it.

i just doubt i ever will. but you never know

 

[archman]

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

No. A BCD is not a PFD. The natural position for most BCD's on the market will be to roll the diver face down, especially BP and back inflate types. Altering the amount of air in the bladders may or may not counter this... somewhat.

I've practiced this extensively with both jacket and back inflate BCD's. It almost always takes at least a minimal amount of effort to maintain a face up position, even in glass seas.

The survival float does not permit active methods to signal for help; it relies on either:
A. Passive detection (boat spots your limp punk butt or rigged safety weiner)
B. Periodic signalling and scanning for help by diver

 

[H2Andy]

i have heard from others that floating on your back on a back-inflated BC or BP/wings is not difficult at all, you just lay on your back.

likewise with my BC (oceanic probe). i find that if i lay on my back, it is very stable in that position.

at any rate, if it came to chosing face down or face up, i'd keep my face out of the water.

 

[archman]

It's not that floating on your back is difficult Andy, it's the fact that a diver has too consciously exert some effort to maintain that position for extended periods. The face-down survival float (with snorkel) has been argued to work with even unconscious divers... it requires ZERO effort to maintain. Try it out for yourself, you can literally fall asleep using this technique. I've been accused doing so on numerous occasions; which of course I deny.

"No, I wasn't asleep. I was meditating!"

With the whole head in the water argument, try it out for yourself. Only your face should be in the water, and the mask covers a great deal of THAT. You will in fact have very little "excess" flesh in contact with the water. It is not considered a significant concern, unless you're in REALLY COLD water. In those cases, long term survival in the water is not an option, so you wouldn't try a survival float anyway.

When it comes right down to it, this is just about the silliest reason that a diver might have to keep a snorkel on their person. There are plenty of better reasons, but like any piece of equipment, they have their time and place. If you feel you're not gonna ever get anything out of a snorkel on your particular dive, don't bring it.

Excepting Laguna Beach of course, where snorkels are required scuba equipment. Must drive the DIR drivers absolutely nuts...

 

[String]

Been away diving for a few days, returned and still not seen one convincing argument for why i would desperately want to carry a snorkel.

Face up for an extended series of time is hardly likely to sun roast me through my thermals,drysuit, gloves and hood. Abroad i doubt id burn through my 5mm wetsuit.

My BC and most others ive tried fully inflated tend to support the head out of the water and not face down.

Long surface swims can be performed on the back without a snorkel. Probably not long but i had to swim near 100m on Saturday to get back to the boat due to rocks nearby. Thats the longest surface swim ive ever had to do or likely to do. In practice, swimming on your back is easy to maintain for a long time. If you did decide to swim face down, breathe through the reg, even at reserve pressures on surfacing, 50bar is going to last a very long time.

Rough seas again not really an issue, with a properly sized BC and/or drysuit you should be supported nicely clearly above the water. If the sea is rough enough to cause problems there then a snorkel isnt going to be effective either.

If im abroad in a nice warm clear sea with no dive equipment and i fancy a snorkel, i'll clip a snorkel to my mask, stick on my boots and fins and go snorkelling. If im diving i'll put on my dive kit - that doesnt include a snorkel.

 

[Wendy]

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.

May God bless you in your dangerous job, Wendy.

That's so sweet, you just made my Monday better.

 

[Spectre]

I kept a fold up snorkel in a pocket for a while. One day when I went searching for it; I finally located it in the pocket; and realized that since I lost it in there, I really didn't need it anymore.

I rarely find a situation where I hang out on the surface with a reg in my mouth; I've not found a situation where I've had a tank on my back and I would rather have a snorkel in my mouth then a reg.

Even when 'snorkeling' I tend to go sans snorkel; as I have this bad tendancy to think "something in my mouth; face in water; I can breathe" when I've dived down.

 

[Web Monkey]

You would be very happy to have a snorkle (especially a dry snorkle) on the surface in heavy seas, waiting to be picked up.

Terry

I cant see possibly how "not having a snorkel" would cause more panic ! Snorkels are not needed for surface swimming, are not needed underwater and not needed for scuba diving in my view.

Trying to fold or stuff one somewhere is taking up space other equipment could utilise and is about as useful as taking a cuddly toy underwater - ie no use at all.

 

[lairdb]

Hmmm. The only pro-snorkel position that seems to be getting any traction is hanging out or long swimming on a rough to very-rough surface.

Hanging out on calm surface: float head-up or on-back.
Long swimming on calm surface: float on back.

Does anyone have experiential or experimental data, in, let's say, >3 foot rolling seas or breakers of any height, with back-inflation or wings:

• long swimming: ability to maintain position on your back despite seas and breathe reasonably comfortably
• hanging out: ditto (back or upright)?

Variations: high-wind, driving rain.

Same question, experiential or experimental data (not guess-ology) WRT keeping a snorkel clear under same conditions?

Personally, I'm about 99% in the no-snorkel camp but I have this nagging little voice that suggests I might be real glad of a snorkel about the same time I'm glad I recorded the bearing toward land and wishing I'd brought a GPIRB.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Hmmm. The only pro-snorkel position that seems to be getting any traction is hanging out or long swimming on a rough to very-rough surface.

Hanging out on calm surface: float head-up or on-back.
Long swimming on calm surface: float on back.

Does anyone have experiential or experimental data, in, let's say, >3 foot rolling seas or breakers of any height, with back-inflation or wings:

• long swimming: ability to maintain position on your back despite seas and breathe reasonably comfortably
• hanging out: ditto (back or upright)?

I've been on the Great Lakes in 5 -7 foot seas and did just fine without a snorkel.

I never had a long swim but I've had to hang out waiting for some one else to get in the water or into the boat ahead of me.