why do i need a snorkel?

[franksrq]

i dont like using a snorkel, but is it a safety issue i should be aware of? i see other people have them all the time but never use them. i just want to make sure that i'm not going to be dry docked on my next trip because i dont have one.

[ScubaJenn81]

I always have it in my dive bag, but only have them on if I go on a charter that makes me have one. It has not happened yet, but you never know. Unless you are in a class or a training of some kind, I do not think they can MAKE you wear one, right?

[Charlotte Smith]

You don't have to HAVE a snorkel but it is a very good idea if you want to save some air or have a long surface swim to your dive boat or dive location.....I don't use one much in the lakes but I take it to the ocean.....that's just me....anyone else have anything to say? I think there may already be a similar thread somewhere...check this category....

[loudgonzo]

I don't like to use one either, it gets in front of my mask all the time. But this past weekend it came in handy while I was doing my AOW. I was doing the first class of search and recovery and you need to show you can tie certain knots underwater. My instructor had me do them right underneath the water while he watched from a ledge a few feet away. I'm not very good at tying knots and you have to do them with gloves on, so it made it a little harder and more time consuming for me. Needless to say, having a snorkel kept me from using my air, which in turn saved me the cost of another air fill before the next dive.

As for the AOW class I took, I was disappointed in it, expecting a lot more, but that's for another thread on another topic.

[BobArnold8265]

Most divers are taught to wear a snorkel at all times. Experienced divers tend to think they just get in the way and are a hassle. They can be useful if you're on a drift dive or if you are shore diving and need to save air while getting to the actual dive site. I personally don't think they add much in the way of safety though.

[finflippers]

I don't like a snorkel and don't use them unless I am on a charter boat in the ocean. A good compromise would be this snorkel.
http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detai...=PocketSnorkel

[Capt Hook]

The only time you need a snorkel is when you snorkel!

[ccarter]

I keep a fold up snorkel in one of my pockets just in case there's a long surface swim or something..

[Splitlip]

For snorkeling?

For SCUBA, no. IMO.
They are inconvenient and can be a hazard.
Can break the mask seal in currents.
Potential entanglement.
Get in the way of the inflator
Are often mistaken for the regulator

for a start.

[greyzen]

I like using my snorkel when I'm on the surface but it is somewhat annoying sitting on your mask.

I've noticed shore divers tend to use the snorkel a lot more than boat divers... shore diving usually involves a lot more surface time getting to a point where it's worth breathing off your reg.