I'm trying to decide whether to recommend someone purchase a snorkeling vest and so far have been unable to find any data on how much buoyancy they provide. ANy assistance in knowing their buoyancy characteristic would be helpful.
Snorkeling vest buoyancy
- Thread starter Halthron
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Damselfish
Contributor
of course, with a wetsuit you can't let the air out if you want to dive...
SCUBAMedicBill
Guest
A snorkeling vest will give you plenty of bouyancy to stay comfortably afloat. They are very similar to the horsecollars of the 70's and come with a crotch strap to keep them from riding up. You can also use a life vest, which also works well for snorkeling, but most of them don't have crotch straps (this is what my wife uses and I installed a crotch strap to make it more comfortable). The real question is who will use it. A non-swimmer may feel more comfortable in a vest, a swimmer who may want to skin dive will want to use a snokeling vest since it can be deflated. A wetsuit can be used, especially if the water is colder, though I wouldn't suggest this for the non-swimmer alone. All work well and is a really a personal preference, one that may be dictated by the activities.
Bill
Bill
I have yet to see a snorkeling vest up close and personal, just seen them advertised on web sites. In fact, I have just recently learned of their existence.
I enjoy snorkeling but am a lousy swimmer, so (almost) always wear a life vest. I´m going to be doing some backpack-type traveling to remote places and am debating whether to take a life vest (bulky as hell (though I´ve seen some thinner ones) but light in weight) vs. a snorkeling vest (could be heavier to carry though more compact, and then there is the issue of dealing with punctures).
Would appreciate recommendations.
I enjoy snorkeling but am a lousy swimmer, so (almost) always wear a life vest. I´m going to be doing some backpack-type traveling to remote places and am debating whether to take a life vest (bulky as hell (though I´ve seen some thinner ones) but light in weight) vs. a snorkeling vest (could be heavier to carry though more compact, and then there is the issue of dealing with punctures).
Would appreciate recommendations.
BMETdiver
Registered
I have a snorkelling vest for my wife and it is pretty basic and when deflated folds very small.
pescador775
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It used to be common practice for spearfishermen to wear "snorkeling" vests. Generally, these are CO2 inflatable and have a buoyancy of about 20 pounds. My preference has always been the UDT swimmers vest. These may be found on the surplus market. At one time, the UDT and seals used them for SCUBA and came with dual inflators and a relief valve. More recently, they are produced with a single inflator and no relief. These are intended for use as life jackets but may be used for buoyancy compensation if partially inflated. They are uncomfortable when fully inflated since there is no crotch strap. However, many commercial vests were produced with these features. Generally, the commercial version has a relief valve is incorporated into the inflator hose. USD made small vests with crotch straps as did STEBCO.
ProfessorAronnax
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I've used those yellow snorkeling vests you've probably seen in dive shops, and they seem OK-not certain on bouyancy.
We carry two very heavy duty "tactical swimmers vests" which carry 25 and 60 lbs of lift.
We carry two very heavy duty "tactical swimmers vests" which carry 25 and 60 lbs of lift.
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