Take a snorkel for the ride?

[froop]

When I originally got certed, we were told that a snorkel was part of every SCUBA diver's safety equipment.

Coming from a spearfishing background, I've never had a second thought about carrying a snorkel. And it's even come in handy a number of times on shore dives, as I find it a lot easier riding the surf in with a snorkel over a regulator. And on those pier 15fsw dives, for the swim back after sucking the tank dry at the end of pier.

More recently (especially on boat dives) I've noticed an increasing number of divers who wouldn't ever consider taking a snorkel along for the ride.

I can see that for some types of diving a snorkel would not add any value, but do you consider it worthwhile for say, an ocean dive where there is a (hopefully remote) risk that you could be left floating in potentially rough seas waiting for a rescue?

[MNScuba]

I suppose you could attach one or put one in the pocket of your BC (something like that anyway). That way it's there 'just in case' but not dangling all over during your dive. Mine just seems to get twisted and turned around anyway, I find it more annoying than useful and therefore it stays in my gear bag... on shore.

[notabob]

I keep one in the gear bag, but don't like using one. It kept getting in the way and just generally was very annoying. Not to mention completely useless in anything but the calmest seas. It took more effort to breath through the snorkel, and it kept flooding. It's even less useful to me since I do my surface swims on my back usually. On the rare occasion when the visibility is good enough to see anything on the bottom from the surface I'll stick the reg in my mouth and breath off the tank. The small amount of air used in such an instance to me is well worth the aggravation of dealing with the snorkel.

I would imagine, however, that in warmer and clearer waters a snorkel might get more use. You may consider getting a folding snorkel and stow it in your BC pocket when not in use.

-Roman.

[cyklon_300]

for snorkeling...when diving, it's in my gear bag.

I can't tell you how much I enjoy it being there instead of dangling from the side of my mask.

[jiveturkey]

I don't even own a snorkel but you can get kind that fold up so you can put them in your bc. I'm considering buying one but I have no idea if they're any good or not. Maybe someone on the board has one.

[ElectricZombie]

I agree with Cyklon - Snorkel for Snorkeling...Not Diving.

Some try to argue that a snorkel is a piece of safety equiptment in case you run out of air on the surface. My solution is just to not run out of air in the first place.

Plus, the snorkel is an entalglement hazard and creates a lot of drag. When I see people try to take their BC off underwater, the snorkel usually gets caught on something. I have also seen divers who use an AirII grab the snorkel instead...not good.

[bobandcompany]

I use a fold up deal from Avid. I have a separate OM dry snorkel for snorkeling. During dives in the poscket it goes and I ahve never had to use it.

[reefraff]

When diving, snorkels:

Cause masks to leak.
Cause masks to get pulled/knocked off heads.
Work only in a face down position in calm water.
Get in the way of inflator hoses.
Look dorkey.;)

Can't beat them when free diving, however. Keep one in your dive bag, just in case.

Steven

[danw2002]

well i guess i am sure in the minority, but i keep mine with me right on my mask, and i seem to be able to use it about every dive. this is in the Puget Sound area. i just switched to the new 2002 oceanmaster dry flex. would never go back, looks like someone fianally got it right, after 20years of diving, i am glad someone did. before this, i still used mine, but had to be much more carful in my use and breathing pattern(puff hard, inhale, puff hard, inhale, etc...) i like being at the surface waiting for others to be ready or the first ones starting there decent, and leaving my head in the water looking down on them while they get to the midpoint, then when i know all is ok, i come down with them. there are many other times when, while it is not a must have, and i could do something else, it has been nice to have and not have to do a work around, or waist air...but as allways, that is me. Drag!!! with all the other crap i have to carry up here, it is not enough to even matter for me. :bonk: :bonk: ....ok ok i'm awake, quit hitting me.....

[MikeFerrara]

I bring a snorkel when there is a chance I will want to snorkel. They are good for snorkeling. The fold up snorkels I've tried are junk.

[MikeFerrara]

ElectricZombie once bubbled...
I agree with Cyklon - Snorkel for Snorkeling...Not Diving.

Some try to argue that a snorkel is a piece of safety equiptment in case you run out of air on the surface. My solution is just to not run out of air in the first place.

Plus, the snorkel is an entalglement hazard and creates a lot of drag. When I see people try to take their BC off underwater, the snorkel usually gets caught on something. I have also seen divers who use an AirII grab the snorkel instead...not good.

If the snorkel and the air2 interfere the correct action is to get rid of the air2.

[aquababe]

Totally agree with Cyklon. It's ok to have one in my dive bag, but I use it only for snorkeling.

[Big-t-2538]

A snorkel is for snorkeling, and I take one when we go on trips somewhere's that I might want to be snorkeling. Other than that it stays with the rest of the extraneous gear in my dive trunk at home.

[pescador775]

I don't like most snorkels. The type that I use is the 70's era DACOR hard rubber tube with corrugated flexible 'J'. Straight tube, no gadgets. This snorkel, mounted on the left side can be used with double hose and single hose regulators. The snorkel provides a great advantage when swimming back to the boat or when treading water, waiting for one's partner to enter. However, the choice of wearing one attached to the mask or otherwise, depends on the type of dive. I've noticed that there are more 'up and down' divers who follow strings wherever they go. Also, there are a lot of back swimmers. In fact, the evolution of the BC and this swimming style has made snorkels seemingly redundant. What I don't understand is this; if divers don't trust their BC's on the bottom, and thereby by some extension of logic, consistently opine that negative buoyancy tanks are somehow dangerous, how can they trust these same BC's on the surface? It looks like these people would be the first to advocate the snorkel for safety, redundancy reasons. Not having a snorkel should make these people a little nervous, if only subconsciously.

The only time in my life that I've ever entangled a snorkel was freediving in the Med, retrieving a Spanish fisherman's gill net. Briefly, the snorkel caught a piece of the net. No big deal if you make the right moves after. Rarely have I found the flexible tube snorkel to be a problem although slightly distracting sometimes. If you want to look like Mike Nelson sans snorkel, find one of the old J types completely made from hard rubber. Make a bungee loop on your belt and wear the snorkel on your belt like a knife. Oh, I forgot, you don't like knives either.