Do you carry a snorkel on every dive?

[divin'dog]

I learned to dive with a snorkel and when I did a lot of shore diving, it came in handy esp when the surface was choppy. We would swim out about 1/4-1/2 mile to save air then do our dive back to shore. The snorkel made it easy to breathe when it was rough. I could hang lower and flatter in the water on the swim out. I still dive with it and don't even give it a second thought.

 

[fdog]

Since this is in the Advanced Scuba Discussions section:

I am from the old school, and yet, rarely carry a snorkel with me on every dive. I have found that pulling the trigger on a scooter makes long swims much easier.

This is not the way I did it in the 70's and 80's, but this is now 2010.



All the best, James


PS: If this had been in the Snorkeling / Freediving section, I would have answered exactly the opposite - I always use a snorkel when freediving.

 

[knotical]

I started snorkeling because it was cheaper than scuba. When I started scuba it was natural to keep the snorkel. Now I use it before and after most dives to survey what's below. Only once had a minor problem, in high current. And if I hadn't tried so hard to fight the current, it wouldn't have bobbled around so much. With a snorkel on my mask, it's instantly available if I want or need it.

 

[Peter_C]

I use a long hose for scuba diving so no snorkel on my person when scuba diving. On warm water vacations I bring one with me, and only use it for snorkeling. Cold water diving it stays at home. I do not freedive anymore.

 

[Mike Boswell]

My wife and I have them because they were required for the PADI courses we took. I really don't like mine because the purge valve flap malfunctions a lot, I still get water in through the top and choke on it even though it has a diverter, and it pulls sideways on my mask strap causing my mask to leak. So, we only use them for classes or for snorkeling.

I have looked in local dive shops for the old style, just a plain simple J-shaped tube with a mouthpiece, but nobody seems to carry them.

 

[Peter Guy]

I've come to believe the "snorkel vs. no-snorkel" is more often than not a "warm water vs. cold water" discussion and I hope people will chime in here.

Me, I don't have a snorkel on me UNLESS I'm teaching and then only because it is a requirement (why I don't know, but it is for us). When I dive here (Puget Sound), I'm in a drysuit with lots of weight/insulation and a big tank (normally HP 130). I was taught very early on in my "modern era" to swim on my back since that put the tank and bladder UW which meant the tank weight was primarily supported by the water and the air in the bladder actually supported me. (Note, air in the BC bladder that is not in the water does nothing to keep you out of the water.) Since I swim on my back, the snorkel is useless and there is no reason to bring a device along that is useless.

But if I was wearing just a 3mm wetsuit and using an AL80 in the tropics where I can actually SEE the bottom and critters, I suppose I'd be very tempted to swim face down and thus using a snorkel would be a benefit.

BTW, I was also taught "old school" to use a snorkel, but at that time I also used a double hose reg which was trapped underneath me to keep it from free-flowing. If I used the same gear today, I'd still use a snorkel -- but with the gear changes (and improvement), the techniques have also changed.

So, is the issue really more about water temp and visibility than the snorkel itself?

-- Added -- James is right -- IF there is going to be a significant surface swim, that's why one has an X.

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

used when there is a surface swim or considerable chop, but in the gear bag for sentimental reasons

 

[Allen Herron]

Whats a snorkel?

 

[noreastDIVER84]

My wife and I have them because they were required for the PADI courses we took. I really don't like mine because the purge valve flap malfunctions a lot, I still get water in through the top and choke on it even though it has a diverter, and it pulls sideways on my mask strap causing my mask to leak. So, we only use them for classes or for snorkeling.

I have looked in local dive shops for the old style, just a plain simple J-shaped tube with a mouthpiece, but nobody seems to carry them.

I have one of the basic ones, that is basically a J-tube with a mouthpiece, it is functional, but not comfortable to use or have hanging off the mask. I have since scored one of the new ones that has a purge valve, a flexible end for the mouthpiece, and a float in the top so water doesn't get in. I tried it the day I picked it up off the bottom, and that was it. I only will use it for snorkeling and that is it.

 

[Chris12day]

I carry and use on every dive at the surface waiting and assisting buddies.