snorkles - quote from sport diver magazine....

[JamesK]

They have the right to their opinion as I do mine, but:

My legs were always waxed before I switched to laser. Then I never had to worry about it again. And yes, my toe nails are always painted and always will be painted whether I'm diving or not. I'm not the least embarrassed about it. And yes, I even wear some makeup if we go out for breakfast or lunch beforehand. Horrors.

My snorkel is in my pocket in case I need it. I've never needed it.

Ditto. What's wrong with painted nails hmmm people ? I have one in my pocket in case I need it or anyone else needs one/wants one. Am I going to use it anytime soon? Probably not.

What's wrong with waxed legs or painted toenails?

My nails will ALWAYS be painted but I haven't had my snorkel on since my OW cert.

I regret not taking it on our last dive trip though because I had a few nasal polyps burst and couldn't dive because I ran out of my nasal steroid. I had to buy a snorkel so I could go snorkeling!!! So I'll ensure I bring it on dive trips from now on so I don't have to use it.

I think they would make an exception to shaved/waxed/lasered legs and painted toe nails for y'all. If not they have more issues to work through then legs, toes and snorkels.


I shave my legs at times. However that was just to get a new tattoo.

As for snorkels, in then years of diving I have never owned one. I got down here and they require every diver to have one. You can imagine my shock when I saw how much those damn things cost now a days!!!! Good thing they had a roll up XS cargo pocket snorkel. Sits in my thigh pocket now in case some of the Scuba Police, which we really do have down here, show up.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

A snorkel can come in handy if you're shore diving, have a long surface swim, and are using one of those oversize beer cans they call scuba tanks in popular vacation dive spots.

Otherwise, I prefer a decent-sized tank and breathing off the regulator ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mahjong]

Here in MoCal, where the surface is often kelp covered esp if you are shore diving and doing long surface swims, I never enter the water without my snorkel. Some might think that the snorkel might tangle in kelp. For me, however, I am quite comfortable surface swimming through kelp only face down and breathing my snorkel. I can see the kelp, choose my spots, move the kelp, paddle over the kelp--most often no problem at all. Most people pass on the snorkel and do their surface swim on their back. These people also spend most of their time untangling themselves, esp their first stage, from the kelp that they invariably swim straight into. They do, I will admit, look better without their snorkel in the underwater photos, though. Need to look into one of those snorkels you can pop on and off and roll up and store in your hip pocket.

thought this was funny...


great for snorkling and skin diving....nothing else.

It's moderately less embarrassing to turn up on a scuba trip with waxed legs and painted toe-nails.
Snorkles bang around on the side of your head,intefere with reg deployment,break mask straps,tangle up long hair and have roughly the same work of breathing as sucking Polyfilla through an empty biro.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

What's wrong with waxed legs or painted toenails?

Depends on the legs. We need pictures to form a proper opinion.

 

[JamesK]

Snorkels have their place. It's just not on my head underwater.

Seriously though, just like almost any other piece of dive equipment, they have their time and their place. I just never dive in an area where one is very handy. My surface swims never go over 1000 meters, and are usually under 500 meters. I can do just fine cruising on my back bitching to my buddy about how much I hate surface swimming. Now, if I was in the position of mahjong, I can really understand the need for one.

 

[freewillie]

I wonder if I need to put Nair and nail polish next to my snorkel in my save a dive kit now?

 

[Steve50]

do training agencies get a kickback from snorkel manufacturers...

 

[DaleC]

I want to watch someone do a 1 kilometer surface swim.

 

[JamesK]

I want to watch someone do a 1 kilometer surface swim.

I assume you are referring to me. I did one just yesterday that was 800 meters. It sucked extremely bad. Took what seemed like forever to get out there. I absolutely hate doing them, but sometimes you have to. I would kick until I got tired and then just lay on my back lazily drifting until I could kick again. Like I said above, they are usually under 500 meters 90% of the time being around 300 meters.