BCD for Snorkeling?

[kzyang]

This might sound a little weird, but would it be a good idea to use my BCD for snorkeling?

 

[tbone1004]

This might sound a little weird, but would it be a good idea to use my BCD for snorkeling?

not in my experience. There are a lot of places that require the use of snorkel vests which I find thoroughly obnoxious.
your BCD is not a personal flotation device and has the potential for making your skin diving experience quite miserable and inefficient

 

[mattia_v]

What on earth for? It would place you in a sub-optimal position for snorkeling (vest push you up a little, and back inflate make it more difficult for you to move around. I also duck dive a lot when snorkeling (and not doing scuba). If you want a little bit of extra bouyancy for whatever, use a wetsuit, and trim out with a weight belt if you want to dive down. Although frankly, if you can't float belly down in regular swimwear while snorkeling, the issue that needs attention is basic swimming skills.

I've never been anywhere that requires use of a snorkel vest, but then again, I rarely ever snorkel 'under supervision'.

 

[TMHeimer]

I snorkeled for 40 years before getting OW certified and never heard of a BCD. You snorkel on the surface in your bathing suit, take a big breath, head down & fins up, grab that shell on the bottom and go back up. If it's too cold for just bathing suit, don't bother--not many decent shells in those waters anyway.

 

[2airishuman]

Most commercial snorkeling tours require an inflatable vest, which is essentially the same as an old horse collar bcd. Depending on your skills, distance to shore, sea conditions, etc. they are sometimes actually a good idea. I would not use a modern jacket type or bpw bc for this purpose though as they are to bulky.

 

[Patoux01]

I'll happily admit having used my Stealth BC when I was snorkeling by myself in Australia... Knowing there's stuff in there that could be pretty painful, that I may not know for how long I'll stay in the water (waves > 3m crashing down on the beach and potential currents as it was a place where there's a few divers every year getting heli'd out...)...

Yeah, sometimes they're a good idea to have imo. It is much smaller and less cumbersome than a standard BCD however.