Confused about the whole Snorkel thing...

[AlmightyApkallu]

Hello all. Me and my girlfriend are about to take part in the OWD course here in about two weeks. We already have our fins, boots, masks, gloves, hoods and a few various little things like mouthpieces for the regulators. I've been involved in very complicated hobbies before, so gear, equipment and technology doesn't really freak me out. We'll be renting our gear for awhile before gradually saving up and collecting what we need, yet one thing has me stumped and beyond puzzled...

Snorkels!

I've read so many varying opinions for so many different situations that my head is swimming (no pun intended). Me and my girlfriend are located in Phoenix, AZ. We'll most likely be diving Lake Pleasant and some other surrounding lakes, but we will be going to Southern California a lot to do shore diving. For boat diving, it seems like not having a snorkel is as big of a deal, but for shore diving from lakes OR beaches, well... I'm more than a bit confused.

I first thought a really good dry snorkel was the way to go, but began reading about how the cons tend to outweigh the pros. The drag and puling on your mask and overall bulkiness seem annoying (small things like that tend to bug me, a LOT) if it isn't absolutely required. If I understand right, laying on your back and swimming like that out to your dive point seems to be what most people do, but I wonder... Isn't it easier when you can see underwater just where you're going? Also, in emergency situations I can see why one might be desirable. A folding snorkel seems to be the way to go. There in case of emergencies, there in case some one or some place requires them, but out of the way. The only thing is... These really simple little folding snorkels seem like they would be awful at keeping water out in ANY chop whatsoever, making them basically useless. If I came up in choppy conditions trying hard to get back to shore I'd hate to be choking so much with every breath I took. Might be counter intuitive, no? So for ultimate safety and ease of swimming out is it worth it to just get used to a good dry snorkel? I want me and my girlfriend to be very safe in what we do, but I also don't want us to be annoyed underwater with needless drag on our masks.

Again, I searched and read many topics on this and got a lot of good information but was hoping for a bit more, perhaps specific to what I'm asking and my situation. Thank you kindly for any help!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Snorkels are great...for snorkeling. The two main reasons for swimming on your back are that there is plenty of air to breathe without having to suck it through a tube and when kicking on your back your fins tend to stay below the surface, making it easy to get anywhere.

 

[Aquavelvet]

Your OWD course will probably require hat you wear a snorkel for all your pool and open water sessions. It's nice to have a decent snorkel for that and for warm water destinations where it's sometimes fun to just go snorkeling in clear water. Don't bother with bulky 'dry' snorkels, they do cause more drag than they're worth. I like the Aqualung Impulse and Atomic SV2 semi-dry models, as they breath well and keep much of the usual wave splashes from going down the tube.
As you've seen mentioned, snorkels aren't especially useful if your spending most of your time below the surface instead of on the surface. I've also considered folding snorkels, but they tend to not unfold completely after being kept in a pocket for a long time.


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[AJ]

Your OWD course will probably require hat you wear a snorkel for all your pool and open water sessions.

Mine did'nt. I have yet to find a use for a snorkel while diving. I don't even have one on me. Not even while diving open water.

 

[Edward3c]

I'm very much in the minority in that I have a snorkel attached to my mask on all dives, and have done so for over 35 years.

It's not that I need it on every dive, but when a situation arises it's there.

I've surfaced were the weather deteriorated and had to wait over 30 minutes for the boat to get round to picking us up. Not lost, the boat was only a mile away having issues picking up other divers, and we were all drifting with the tide. There was a wind blowing, my buddy - without a snorkel, ended up swallowing salt blown on the wind, I didn't.

Only 2 weeks ago, surface swimming to the buoy-line, with the snorkel I was able to stay on course, see other divers in the way, and fin naturally. Because I was horizontal in the water I didn't create the drag like those swimming on their back, I was not out-of-breath. It was annoying to wait for my guide to get their breath back to start the dive - no tip.

The simpler the better, a J shape without any fancy drain valves IMHO is the best.

Welcome to this fabulous underwater world.

 

[Bob DBF]

Edward3c, you are not alone!

I've had a snorkel attached to my mask for over 50 years, and haven't had any issues with it and many times over the years it was worth it's weight in gold. I must admit I do long surface swims, dive in rough conditions, and contend with with kelp, which can turn kicking on your back into a nightmare.

Each to their own, but I'll keep my snorkel.


Bob

 

[Storker]

Each to their own, but I'll keep my snorkel.

Me, too. Except I run a long hose config, and a mask-mounted snorkel interferes with primary donate.

So I carry a roll-up snorkel in one of my pockets.


--
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Typos are a feature, not a bug

 

[Bigd2722]

I don't use a snorkel and have never needed one while on a dive. I do carry a fold up snorkel in my pocket. Earlier this year, I went on a test swim for a scuba magazine that tested several snorkels. Today's snorkels are not bulky cumbersome and do not add significant drag. It's not your daddy's snorkel. I still won't wear one. When we go scalloping (typically a snorkeling activity), a good dry snorkel is a nice to have.

 

[Hawkwood]

I'm very much in the minority in that I have a snorkel attached to my mask on all dives, and have done so for over 35 years...

I'm part of the same minority too (except wrecks, ice, and sea lions). The pic to the left is from a wreck trip.

 

[scoobydrew]

My old instructor tells a story of a dead diver that would have lived had he had a snorkel.

That's a bit extreme so my 2 cents will be this:

As far as this aspect of gear configuration goes, what you learn in will be what you recognize as normal. Snorkels have a use when required so why not make it normal to have one attached to your mask?