Snorkel a necessity on open water dives?

[cb5150]

Just spend two weeks diving where the operator required all to have snorkels. In the water customers were expected to have either the reg or snorkel in mouth. One customer complained - they were given their money back and told to find another operator to die with.

What?!
If this thread wasn't in "Basic Scuba Discussions" which has special rules about being polite, I'd call B.S.

 

[diver 85]

This is a very old debate...I've used one since dive #1 & am on something over 1500, who counts 'em after #50...What is the excuse for not wearing one----"ouch that pulled my hair...".......



What you gunna do if you miss the tag line--in fairly heavy seas ---or the boat has had to move due to current & you've deployed your SMB---with a 30+ minute wait in store till they pick you up.......This is what the captain warned us might happen as part of a predive briefing.......You think that 300+ lbs you surface with will last forever, or do you want to just keep bobbing that head in & out of the water catching breaths of air....Oh, btw, you & the boat are sitting 125 miles offshore......

 

[Jon_R]

My dives are south florida drift dives. Palm beach mostly. I dive with a pocket snorkel and so far never taken it out of my pocket. I am not surface swimming against 2 knots boat can come get me. In 3-5 foot waves I have been fine with no snorkel bobbing around. Just face into them and when they smack you in the face close your mouth.


When I dive blue heron bridge no snorkel at all. Never had rough sees there and when i surface swim I prefer to be on my back.


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[BroadSkyDiver]

A reg is safer than a snorkel on the surface, especially if you fall in the surf. A reg won't flood and leave you struggling for air while you try to get back up, which can be a struggle with more surf knocking you down, and a heavy unit weighing you down.

I highly recommend a regulator in your mouth for surf entries.

That makes sense T.C., a reg in, may be the better option going through the surf. I remember when I was freediving from the beach one time, I came back in to to the shoreline (tired) to take my fins off before I got out of the water in about 4 feet. While I was taking my fin off, I was hit by a nice wave followed by a couple more right behind it. I tumbled in the surf for some time with one fin in my hand and one on my foot. Needless to say, it was a sucky experience, and I didn't even have heavy gear on! My snorkel I had in didn't help me much. I've since bought fins with the spring style heel strap. Sooo much easier to get on and off!! Especially when you're floating up and down in rough water, holding onto the dive boat with one hand, while taking them off to get up the ladder. I'm never going back to rubber straps again.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Snorkels are for snorkeling; regs and DSVs are for diving. If you plan to go snorkeling on your way to or from your dive, I suppose you might want to carry one. Me, I prefer to surface swim on my back.

 

[BroadSkyDiver]

What you gunna do if you miss the tag line--in fairly heavy seas ---or the boat has had to move due to current & you've deployed your SMB---with a 30+ minute wait in store till they pick you up.......This is what the captain warned us might happen as part of a predive briefing.......You think that 300+ lbs you surface with will last forever, or do you want to just keep bobbing that head in & out of the water catching breaths of air....Oh, btw, you & the boat are sitting 125 miles offshore......

This is the main reason why I'm so undecided wearing one or not. As I see it, if I get into that situation, I just pull my snorkel out of my BCD's pocket and volia! Best of both worlds correct?

 

[Dr. Lecter]

What you gunna do if you miss the tag line--in fairly heavy seas ---or the boat has had to move due to current & you've deployed your SMB---with a 30+ minute wait in store till they pick you up.......This is what the captain warned us might happen as part of a predive briefing.......You think that 300+ lbs you surface with will last forever, or do you want to just keep bobbing that head in & out of the water catching breaths of air....Oh, btw, you & the boat are sitting 125 miles offshore......

In that scenario, the very last piece of gear I would care about was a snorkel. And the tank, reg, and weights are going bye-bye real fast.

 

[T.C.]

In that scenario, the very last piece of gear I would care about was a snorkel. And the tank, reg, and weights are going bye-bye real fast.

I would NEVER drop my tank. That's bouyancy when empty, and air for breathing in rough seas and inflating my BCD (you know, the thing keeping me alive?) otherwise. Reg is useful until the tank is empty, and may provide some aid in tying divers together otherwise.

I would be very interested in my snorkel. If/when the waves pick up; it's nice to be able to breath easier.

Weight? First thing overboard.

 

[Bob DBF]

I carry, and use, most every dive, and for the diving I do it makes perfect sense to me and is quite handy. I think that others should do what works best for them. I'm sure should conditions dictate, those with snorkels will break them out and use them and those without will whine. Those conditions can be avoided, and probably are, by snorkel-less divers.

Originally Posted by diver 85

What you gunna do if you miss the tag line--in fairly heavy seas ---or the boat has had to move due to current & you've deployed your SMB---with a 30+ minute wait in store till they pick you up.......This is what the captain warned us might happen as part of a predive briefing.......You think that 300+ lbs you surface with will last forever, or do you want to just keep bobbing that head in & out of the water catching breaths of air....Oh, btw, you & the boat are sitting 125 miles offshore...... you gunna do if you miss the tag line--in fairly heavy seas ---or the boat has had to move due to current & you've deployed your SMB---with a 30+ minute wait in store till they pick you up.......This is what the captain warned us might happen as part of a predive briefing.......You think that 300+ lbs you surface with will last forever, or do you want to just keep bobbing that head in & out of the water catching breaths of air....Oh, btw, you & the boat are sitting 125 miles offshore......

In that scenario, the very last piece of gear I would care about was a snorkel. And the tank, reg, and weights are going bye-bye real fast.

Now that's old school. "Don't ever dive with anything you won't s***can" was the safety mantra of an old guy I used to dive with in the late '60's. I've subscribed ever since.



Bob
-------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[FishLovingStudent]

Never used one past my OW classes. Over here even the instructors say "the only good thing a snorkel is for...*dips mask into water with snorkel*"

You won't be seeing the bottom and nothing interesting is to be seen except green murk so there really is no need for a snorkel.

do you want to just keep bobbing that head in & out of the water catching breaths of air....

Hm...fully inflated dry suit and BCD, floating on my back, back against the waves makes me feel like I am on one of those inflatable water mats (i.e. never had this problem before). Feels really relaxing even in 40 degree Fahrenheit waters