Mask and snorkel?

[DM_cappie]

lol ok then, I guess it was just my inference then that made it sound that way.....
anyways BellDive I think you got some good feedback so far and might want to think about trying both types out (iff possible) before making a purchase....

 

[g1138]

ahem....


Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[danvolker]

We have had many threads on SB about LIFE SAVING GEAR....Everything from Epirbs to Nautilus Lifelines, to inflatable dive rafts, and on and on.....
So imagine you were 3 to 10 miles off shore, and had the expectation that suddenly, you would be out here on your own for many hours, maybe even a 24 hour day till someone found you....I am not talking about planning for something like this, I mean, out of the blue, it just happened..the impossible....

Freedive skills and a Freedive snorkel are essential lifesaving equipment for this. No other special gear is needed, for you to survive for this kind of duration..just the skill to use them at a freediver level..on the surface.

You might even remove the bc and push it in front of you, and have the tank as something you have to push in front of any curious sharks, that just need a solid object to get a reaction from, over the many hours you are drifting in deep water. As long as you can remain awake, as long as your exposure protection ( choice of wetsuit or dry suit for day) is keeping you warm, and if you have some moderate fitness, you don't need anything else....
I would call this pretty damn cheap insurance...just having to learn freedive level snorkeling skills, and getting the less expensive simple J snorkel.

Another plus, would be if you had a compass ( you know you should) , then you could be slowly swimming in the direction of shore the whole time, breathing through the snorkel.
Or, the more likely scenario, you are just far from the boat, low on air, and you just swim toward the boat, with snorkel and compass, looking up for boat every couple of minutes. Facing away from the boat, kicking on your back, is not the best way to find the boat....and a poor way to swim to shore also, compared to the efficiency of a flat horizontal swimming position on top of the water, breathing through the snorkel....When the boat is coming to you, the swimming on the back is fine.....and the boat IS coming to you anyway, most of the time, right?

 

[Crewfish13]

Dan, what exactly is the correct way to breathe through a snorkel? My SSI info briefly covered "popping," and I've been practicing it in pool so that I can do it less consciously, but is there a better way?

OP, FWIW, I certified last fall, and did one "post-cert" dive. SSI required that we carry our snorkel through the cert dives, so I had it for my first 4. On the 5th, I decided to take it off because I thought it was getting in my way. When I completed the dive, I had a 200-yard or so surface swim back to the entry point, and really missed it. Swimming on my back and rolling over every so often to make sure I was still headed in the right direction got old pretty quickly. Whatever snorkel you get, spend some time to get comfortable with it.

I've got a flex-tube bottom-purge dry snorkel that my LDS recommended (about $25). Mine's black tipped, so I'd say orange isn't necessary. If you're worried about getting hit by boats, I'd think you'll want something more visible than a couple square inched of blaze orange anyway.

 

[danvolker]

If someone showed you this "popping" technique, then you know 90% of the learning issue....You need a sense of where the top of the tube is pointing, and how to fix it quickly if it gets out of position.
A little time snorkeling without tanks in decent size waves should help you learn the rhythm of waves and breathing...this is more experience than something you can read... If you actually do a little freediving also, then you will gain comfort and security underwater without breathing, and knowledge of how easy and controllable this is....it does help with scuba to know this kind of thing.

If you learn this with a good freediving, J shaped snorkel, then try a floppy $80 snorkel with a purge, you will hate it...it wont stay where you want it well in bigger waves, the purge does not work as well as the j snorkel used properly, and CO2 should load much more into the expensive nonsense rigs.

Also, the time you spend practicing some freedive snorkel technique, is also time to better perfect your kicking tewchnique, also better learned without tank and BC on for perfecting.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I'm all for the development of freediving snorkel techniques. Such skills can enhance one's comfort in the water.
I also agree with the recommendation for a simple J-shaped snorkel. The ones with purge valves or even those "dry" snorkels are pretty crappy.

However, I find that mounting a snorkel permanently to a mask (as many divers do) interferes with quick deployment of my primary in an air-sharing scenario.
If I feel that a snorkel is needed on a dive, I find a different way to attach it to my rig. When needed, I pull out the snorkel and tuck it under my mask strap.

 

[Griffo]

I snorkelled before I learnt to dive, and while I would never claim that I was a brilliant snorkeller, never had a problem with clearing a snorkell after diving down. The problem now I have is that I forget that i'm snorkelling and have often taken a "breath" underwater. Not fun. Must practice more often

 

[freewillie]

No, the tip does not have to be orange. It can be any color you like. My daughter and I have folding snorkels that roll up and fit in your BC. I also have a standard snorkel that attaches to your mask. I dive kelp and for me is just one more thing to catch so my preference is to put one in my pocket for the occasional time on a surface swim I might want one.

The biggest key in buying a mask is fit. Mares makes some nice masks but there are many on the market. I dive an black Atomic subframe. Even the smaller size same mask in Atomic was too big for my daughter, so she has Cressi Eyes clear with pink accents. Fits her well. It doesn't make a difference if it is a single pane or double window as long as it fits well and is in your price range.

 

[g1138]

I snorkelled before I learnt to dive, and while I would never claim that I was a brilliant snorkeller, never had a problem with clearing a snorkell after diving down. The problem now I have is that I forget that i'm snorkelling and have often taken a "breath" underwater. Not fun. Must practice more often

Take the snorkel out of your mouth when freediving; problem solved....hopefully. Reason for this is if you blackout then you mouth isn't open to the water.
When surfacing you can either replace the snorkel or breach high enough to get a breath.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
If you learn this with a good freediving, J shaped snorkel, then try a floppy $80 snorkel with a purge, you will hate it...it wont stay where you want it well in bigger waves, the purge does not work as well as the j snorkel used properly, and CO2 should load much more into the expensive nonsense rigs.
..snip..

I have to disagree. I snorkeled very regularly for over 35 years using various types of J shaped snorkel before changing to a floppy one with a purge some 6 years ago. No way am I ever going back. I've never had any problem whatsoever with the purge.