Do you dive with or without your snorkel attached and why?

[NMarshall]

I find a snorkel rather a nuisance while I'm diving.

However, I really like it when / if I surface a long way from the boat and need to swim for awhile.

My husband doesn't like the snorkel and always swims on his back if he has to swim on the surface.

In the state of Queensland, Australia where I live, there's a law saying all divers should have a snorkel with them at all times!

..

I have undertaken a number of dives in Queensland and admire the general approach taken by Dive Boats, including mandatory dive computer use, linked to each individual. However, I don't recall a snorkel test before getting in.

I think that all of this debate proves only one thing - the prime reeason fo taking a snorkel with you on a dive is to give you a fall back position if you're left on the surface in a problem sea for a protracted period.

My view is that a snorkel does cause mask problems and can catch coral if you're a close diver. It is not needed in normal diving situations.

CONCLUSION: strap the damn thing to the side of your tank - it's there in the unlikely event that you really need it, but well out of the way and can not be confused for a hose.

Neil

 

[aquakiwi]

Had to get in on this one, as a PADI Instructor I'm required to set an example in when
I dive and a snorkel is mandatory while training. On a personal level I can think of quite
a few situations in the past where my snokel has been a life saver and well worth the
hassles it can cause The only time I might stow it is on Wreck penetrations, but I
never leave home without it.

 

[diver teddy]

Why not keep at least a fold up on you? Can come in handy
Ted.

 

[Mike Veitch]

What's a snorkel?

 

[nj_wreck_diver]

.....locally (NJ) since I had one close call where a fisherman actually snagged my snorkel and nearly ripped the mask off my face! My "buddy" didn't do anything to help me so that was the last time I ever wore a snorkel. Besides that one incident snorkels are a HUGE entanglement hazard when penetrating shipwrecks.

I use a snorkel when shore diving so that I don't waste precious gas swimming out to the dive spot.

I also use a snorkel when diving at WWW destinations.

 

[mikerault]

I was doing a night dive with an inexperienced divemaster. I signalled to him that I was at 1200 psi, he indicated we were close to the boat and not to worry about it. I came back to him at 750 and indicated I was returning to the boat. I snapped a couple of last pictures (in the gallery, my Octopus shots) and then headed back to the boat. Turns out he hadn't accounted for the current during the dive and we were a bit further from the boat than he thought. I did the last 50 yards on the surface with no snorkle. I wish I would have had one!

Anyway, I agree that a pocket or folding snorkle is probably the best option (you should try doing photography with a snorkle) but should you have one? Yes.

Mike

 

[sharky60]

My 2 pesos...
I've always used a snorkel, partly because of being "old school", but mostly because I use it both before and after decent. I use it during shore dives to snorkel out to the spot to drop down or in cases when we roll off the boat and have to wait for others to get into the water.
I use it after coming up while waiting for the boat to pick us up weather there is a chop or not, hey, why drink sea water if you don't have too?!
Like I said, I guess I'm just old school, it's the way I learned to dive and have never found a reason to be without it. I have a swivel mount for it so I can swing it upside down when I'm on my reg. It doesn't bother me that it's there, it very rarely gets in my way even when I'm doing photography so why not have it?

marc

 

[diveborg]

I never dive with a snorkel. It is just a PITA to have that thing hanging off the side of my mask. On a recent dive trip not one of the eleven people took a snorkel on a dive. I asked one diver where his snorkel was. "At home, a snorkel is for snorkeling and I'm going diving", was his response. I don't even bring it with me on cold water dive trips because I know I'm not going to go snorkeling. I do bring it on warm water trips just in case there are dolphins, but otherwise it stays in the gear bag.

 

[jtivat]

I do not use a snorkel and really hate using one. I have dove in many different situations include very heavy chop and never really needed one. If you are not over weight you should be able to get positive enough in any conditions to not have a problem. As far as needing to make I long swim most the time I do it on my back and if not I can swim and breath in rough water about the same as in a pool. If you practice it and do it right you will take in some water but you can learn to deal with it. Not saying this is for everyone but it works for me.

 

[scubadiver214]

As a public safety diver who dives in rivers that are strewn with debris and entanglement hazards, I never dive with a snorkel. It's just something else that can be an entanglement hazard and it could catch on something and rip your mask off. Seeing the snorkel more as an entanglement than a useful tool, I don't use one on recreational dives either.