Snorkel: Left or right?

[Greg L]

@Basking Ridge - I am one of those pre BC (Buoyancy Compensator, not Before Christ) divers. In a lot of the early James Bond films (Thunderball comes to mind) they weren't wearing BC's either. The internet wasn't around then, but if it had been I am sure there would have been many heated discussions along the lines of "Who needs those stupid new fangled things! Just something more to go wrong and be in the way...."

 

[CT-Rich]

BTW - for some of us those ads are not that old... and we learned to dive without a BC and we are still here to talk about it...

We were given an oral inflate horse collar to practice with the last of twelve pool sessions. Rented them, but they were mostly for on the surface.

 

[Bob DBF]

We were given an oral inflate horse collar to practice with the last of twelve pool sessions. Rented them, but they were mostly for on the surface.

Now was that the oral infiltrator that has a mouthpiece like the new inflators, or like the one I had on my Mae West that was a modified tire valve like those on a cheap SMB?


Bob
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Not just a name, sometimes an action.

 

[REVAN]

Try both sides!

I use one of these clever DIY loop snorkels and it sits like a necklace when you are not using it. It's very comfortable and also a secondary restraint that you cannot actually lose your mask if it is knocked loose. It is a really nice alternative to the floppy standard snorkel and cheap to make.

 

[CT-Rich]

Now was that the oral infiltrator that has a mouthpiece like the new infiltrators, or like the one I had on my Mae West that was a modified tire valve like those on a cheap SMB?


Bob
----------------------------------------
Not just a name, sometimes an action.

They actually were a more modern style inflater. This was 1980, but the instructor treated the BC as an afterthought.

 

[Nemrod]

The orally inflated "Mae West" type safety vests were for surface floatation only, more like a snorkel vest today but more sturdy, they were not intended for use to control adjust buoyancy and had no dump valve. Most were equipped with a CO2 inflator. Later they evolved into the horsecollar BC which at first had a larger mouthpiece for oral inflation, no power inflator and a secondary dump valve and then finally a power inflator was added. Most still retained the CO2 cartridge for surface activation. I still use the Seatec Seahorse horsecollar BC but I have the CO2 inflator plugged.

I know you know all this but not everyone does.

N

 

[CT-Rich]

My Seatec BCD jacket still had the CO2 cartridge and all the flotation in the shoulders.. lifted you by the armpits.