Snorkel tube in scuba diving

[tbone1004]

The correct way to attach a snorkel
The Sad and Sordid History of the “Dorkel”

my opinions are shared by Harry. I use one only when required, or when appropriate. Which is exceedingly rare... I navigate to my destination whenever possible as opposed to surface swims which I find exhausting and annoying.

 

[hammet]

You're just completing another awesome dive. You're finishing your safety stop thinking about that cold one in the cooler. As you breach the surface with 500 psi in your tank you do sort of a pirouette and nothing, no boat. Seas kicked up a little bit so you try and time your search for the boat on the crest of the waves, still nothing. Sharks begin to investigate what this thing is making all of this racket on the surface, finally your tank is empty and now you need to tread water and keep your mouth above the surface. How long can you keep this up before you aspirate water?

Happened to me in April of this year. The one thing I wished I had was my snorkel. After twenty minutes I was found and if I had my snorkel I would have been much better off. Fortunately I had two DSMB's and could use one as a extra horizontal flotation device that I hung onto under my arms to help keep me above the waves and make it easier to keep the other one upright. Twenty minutes isn't very long, but it could have turned into hours or longer.

We had another diver in our area report on another board this year of an incident where he did a 4 hour float. The one thing he was thankful for was his snorkel. Despite his jaw being sore, IIRC, he said he didn't know if he could have survived without it. Despite having it he still managed to drink/aspirate a ton of sea water.

So, you really have to ask yourself, is there a possibility that you could find yourself in that position after a dive? If so, at a minimum you should carry a pocket snorkel. If you dive in caves, spring, caverns or tourist cattle boats in large groups then it's probably not needed, especially the former. But this is a question that has to be answered, because many will say they are useless, but they could be doing dives that have a remote chance of being separated from the boat, whereas your dives may have a higher possibility and you just took the advice from someone on the internet who dives in quarries.

For me, once you start wearing a good low profile snorkel in the proper position (toward the back of your ear and not by your cheek) you never even notice it is there.

Hope this helps.

As someone who just made the conscious decision not to use my snorkel this year, I'm curious of how you were actually using it in your situation? Why is not keeping your BC inflated enough to keep your head above the water? I've been in the water in heavy seas (sailing related) and get the whole spray thing that makes it hard to breathe, but why would you keep your head in the water when you want to keep a lookout for your boat? I'm just confused as to the whole point.

 

[CuzzA]

As someone who just made the conscious decision not to use my snorkel this year, I'm curious of how you were actually using it in your situation? Why is not keeping your BC inflated enough to keep your head above the water? I've been in the water in heavy seas (sailing related) and get the whole spray thing that makes it hard to breathe, but why would you keep your head in the water when you want to keep a lookout for your boat? I'm just confused as to the whole point.

I'll preface this by saying I'm not looking to change what divers do. Just share my experiences. To this date, the one piece of bad diving advice I got from ScubaBoard was ditching the snorkel. I should have considered my diving and not the consensus of divers from around the world.

I imagine even in an area like South Florida you could get away without the snorkel for a long surface float with decent conditions because the swells over there are generally spread far apart. However in the Gulf of Mexico that is usually not the case. In fact we commonly refer to it as the "Gulf Chop". Wave intervals are typically very short. By the time you hit the trough another wave is right on top of you. Add any wind or a typical near by "out of the blue" Florida summer storm and those waves are now white capping over you and often are just sloppy. 3 foot waves turn into a washing machine.

Being on a boat high and maybe dry is one thing. But being in the water, with your mask on and your BC floating your head and maybe the tops of your shoulders above the surface leaves your mouth nearly at the constantly changing water line. The snorkel does what it does, extends your airway up and above your head and the water for the most part.

I think a better question to ask yourself is this. If you were going to be dropped in the middle of the ocean with a BC for an undetermined amount of time and had the choice of being given a snorkel or not, what would you choose?

 

[tbone1004]

couple ways to combat that. One is the pocket snorkel, which I am a fan of as long as it stays in the pocket until it is actually necessary. The other is to remove your BC and "straddle" the tank which keeps your head farther above water and somewhat less subjective to the chop because the BC isn't floating with surface of the water.

Either way, ditch the snorkel on your mask, it is a legitimate safety concern if you are wearing a long hose, and a nuisance otherwise, and stick one in a pocket for the off chance that you may actually need one.

 

[KeithG]

Use it if you think you need it. We take ours on every dive trip. We even take them on day boat trips. They were useful on the last trip since we snorkeled with some dolphins during the surface interval.

For diving we only wear them if we are doing a drift dive. Otherwise they remain in the gear bag.

 

[chrisch]

... in the Gulf of Mexico that is usually not the case. In fact we commonly refer to it as the "Gulf Chop". Wave intervals are typically very short. By the time you hit the trough another wave is right on top of you. Add any wind or a typical near by "out of the blue" Florida summer storm and those waves are now white capping over you and often are just sloppy. 3 foot waves turn into a washing machine....

As I have never been in the Gulf of Mexico I am obliged to assume you are correct and there you need a snorkel.

I have never needed one anywhere else. I will remember to take one if I visit. I have experienced many different types of waves and swell over the years. When the waves break over your head I find they also overtop the snorkel. This requires you to blow out the water, either through the top or through the valve if one is fitted. After a short time the salt in the sea water becomes the main issue. I would suggest that in the majority of cases it is therefore much much better to keep the regulator in your mouth and use the available gas.

Surfacing to a missing boat and being nearly out of gas such that you cannot breath at 1ATM for 5 minutes is a combination of two bads. Of course we can experience two bads at once and carrying a snorkel is not a big deal for open water diving. I find the widespread idea of keeping it attached to your mask quite ridiculous though. BC pockets are made to carry back up equipment.

 

[DiverDownD3]

I couldn't tell you were mine is, but I recently bought wetsuit shorts with pockets. So now that I have somewhere to store it, I would consider taking it for certain conditions (rough seas/strong current).

 

[KeithG]

I couldn't tell you were mine is, but I recently bought wetsuit shorts with pockets. So now that I have somewhere to store it, I would consider taking it for certain conditions (rough seas/strong current).

strap it on your leg along with your bfk.

I actually am not kidding. I saw this once. Just once...

 

[Bob DBF]

strap it on your leg along with your bfk.

I normally wear it on my mask, but this is my second choice.


Bob

 

[KeithG]

I normally wear it on my mask, but this is my second choice.


Bob

Same leg as your bfk?