Scuba Forum - Scuba Diving Forums and Discussion Board   Visit our ScubaToys.com Site!
Or Search ScubaToys.com for Gear!
 
Use the Search in the Navbar to search the forum.

Forum Photo Gallery Get Your Scuba Gear Here Scuba Classes & Diver Training Store Cam Scuba Videos
Go Back   Scuba Forum - Scuba Diving Forums and Discussion Board > Community > Scuba Stories, Comments & Questions that don't fit elsewhere!
Register FAQLive Chat Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Scuba Stories, Comments & Questions that don't fit elsewhere! Looking around the forum and don't know where to post? This is the place!

Welcome to the Scuba Forum - Scuba Diving Forums and Discussion Board.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

Snorkel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-08-2008, 10:48 PM   #1 (permalink)
FishFood
Barracuda
Founding Member
 
FishFood's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 07/13/2007
Posts: 1,292

Profile Info
 
Location:
SE Alabama
Dives Logged: 51-100
Snorkel Discussion

Bashing snorkels seem to be a theme around here. Ive read comments ranging from "drop the snorkel after OW" to "snorkels are for noobs"...

This has been bothering me for a while so I decided to make a thread about it. A snorkel is a safety item! Ive seen divers carry an air horn, smb, and signaling mirror, but not have a snorkel. A snorkel is not a noobish item or an item that should simply be discarded after OW class. It is a safety item. Pure and simple.

Sure, it's not always needed. Ill leave mine on shore when Im diving the springs or quarries. However, anytime I do a beach/boat dive, Ive got my snorkel. I feel all these snorkel bashing threads are going to give the many new divers here the impression that "professional divers" do not use snorkels, and that's just not the case. Smart divers do not make fun of being safe.

Oh, and before someone chimes in saying something like "Well, DIR says...", I don't care what DIR says.

Last edited by FishFood : 03-08-2008 at 11:08 PM.
FishFood is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2008, 10:55 PM   #2 (permalink)
jwdizney
Grouper
 
jwdizney's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 08/20/2007
Posts: 621

Profile Info
 
Location:
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Age: 51
Dives Logged: 25-50
My Photos: 4 Images
Well said, FishFood. i have to agree. we have redundant everything else, how much more trouble to carry a snorkel? I don't have a folding snorkel, but that looks like a good alternative for those who don't want to mess with one dangling from their mask strap. could stick it in a pocket, or tie it off on BCD. besides, snorkeling can be a fun way to swim out/in on shore dives and conserve air....

anxious to see how this thread develops....
__________________
i will play for gumbo.
jwdizney is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2008, 10:56 PM   #3 (permalink)
Tom A
Grouper

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 10/05/2007
Posts: 336

Profile Info
 
Location:
Cheney Kansas
Dives Logged: 500-1000
Send a message via ICQ to Tom A Send a message via Yahoo to Tom A
always have my snorkel
Tom A is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 01:00 AM   #4 (permalink)
Firefyter
TadPole
 
Firefyter's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 11/06/2007
Posts: 32

Profile Info
 
Location:
Paris, Texas
Age: 47
Dives Logged: 101-500
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishFood View Post
A snorkel is a safety item! <snip>It is a safety item. Pure and simple.
No it's not. It's a convenience item. Pure and simple. I don't care whether you wear one or not, but don't act like it's life and death.
__________________
Thomas
Firefyter is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 01:15 AM   #5 (permalink)
scubacat80
Guppy

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 02/26/2008
Posts: 60

Profile Info
 
Location:
New York, United States
Dives Logged: 25-50
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firefyter View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishFood View Post
A snorkel is a safety item! <snip>It is a safety item. Pure and simple.
No it's not. It's a convenience item. Pure and simple. I don't care whether you wear one or not, but don't act like it's life and death.
FireFyter - Why do you feel this way? While I am used to it by now, probably because of the way I was taught, I am interested to hear the opposing view point.
scubacat80 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 01:18 AM   #6 (permalink)
St.jimmy
Guppy
 
St.jimmy's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 01/02/2008
Posts: 105

Profile Info
 
Location:
United States
Age: 17
Dives Logged: 0-24
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishFood View Post
A snorkel is a safety item! <snip>It is a safety item. Pure and simple.
Um, how so? my snorkel has only impeded me as of yet, it snags on my long hose, pulls on my mask when I hit the water, and tangles during ditch and don.
now, I see how it can be useful and almost necessary on shore dives, but in the ocean?
St.jimmy is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 12:21 PM   #7 (permalink)
Athena2c
Grouper
 
Athena2c's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 07/31/2007
Posts: 259

Profile Info
 
Location:
California
Dives Logged: 51-100
I almost never wear mine for boat dives, it just gets in the way. I do believe they can be helpful for shore diving, but even then, when the seas are too rough, they are useless (yes, even the dry snorkels).
Athena2c is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 12:50 PM   #8 (permalink)
FishFood
Barracuda
Founding Member
 
FishFood's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 07/13/2007
Posts: 1,292

Profile Info
 
Location:
SE Alabama
Dives Logged: 51-100
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firefyter View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishFood View Post
A snorkel is a safety item! <snip>It is a safety item. Pure and simple.
No it's not. It's a convenience item. Pure and simple. I don't care whether you wear one or not, but don't act like it's life and death.
Odd coming from someone who has devoted their life to public safety. Come back after you find yourself in trouble on the surface and can barley keep your head above the water. Come back then and tell me "it's not a safety item". No one ever wants to deal with the small inconvenience of a snorkel untill they find out first hand WHY they need one.

Here are some examples:

I was on a boat dive in the gulf. Seas where border line "Small Craft Advisory". My dive buddy had become extreme sea sick after getting in the water. I jumped in to help him get to the guide line. He was very disoriented and we did a bit of struggling in the rough seas. We were both breahting heavily. He was sucking down his air, but I was using my snorkel.

Sure, you can say "You could have used your air". Yes, however what if this had happened on the way back to the boat? My dive buddy is struggling and I run out of air because I didnt plan on getting into trouble ON THE SURFACE.


Here's another example, my dive buddy does a crappy job watching his air and we end up buddy breathing back to the surface. We are both out of air by the time we get to the boat. Seas are 5 feet and we are trying to get on the ladder. The snorkel not only made is much easier to get back on the boat, but made it much easier to keep calm on the surface.

I could go on and on.

Sure, if sea are flat, leave it on the boat. But if they're no, it's needed.

Personally, I dont care wether you where one or not either, as you have a good amount of diving experience and you can make your own choices. However, for the large quantity of new divers on this board reading all these snorkel bashing posts, their needs to be anothter side to the story. A new diver is more likely panic in rough conditions on the surface. A snorkel will help, period.

Last edited by FishFood : 03-09-2008 at 01:52 PM.
FishFood is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 05:10 PM   #9 (permalink)
NoTime58
Guppy
 
NoTime58's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 02/18/2008
Posts: 146

Profile Info
 
Location:
West Central Georgia
Age: 50
Dives Logged: 51-100
My Photos: 9 Images
Send a message via Yahoo to NoTime58
Never been on a dive without mine. Some dive operations require a snorkel as part of your gear, (SubTropic, Key West FL. RedSail Sports, Grand Cayman, Pattaya Dive Centre, Pattaya Thailand). I use mine after I enter the water waiting for everyone else in the group......saves my air. Diving in Key West a couple of weeks ago we had to wait on the surface so a diver could change out his BC (air bladder would not deflate). Took @ten minutes to climb back onboard and change out. My wife was using here reg. to breath and sucked @ 500 psi before we descended.
__________________
"NoTime58"
NoTime58 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2008, 06:01 PM   #10 (permalink)
Splitlip
Grand Master Spammer
Founding Member
 
Splitlip's Avatar

Forum Stats
 
Join Date: 07/09/2007
Posts: 5,471

Profile Info
 
Location:
Jupiter
Dives Logged: 500-1000
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishFood View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firefyter View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by FishFood View Post
A snorkel is a safety item! <snip>It is a safety item. Pure and simple.
No it's not. It's a convenience item. Pure and simple. I don't care whether you wear one or not, but don't act like it's life and death.
Odd coming from someone who has devoted their life to public safety. Come back after you find yourself in trouble on the surface and can barley keep your head above the water. Come back then and tell me "it's not a safety item". No one ever wants to deal with the small inconvenience of a snorkel untill they find out first hand WHY they need one.

Here are some examples:

I was on a boat dive in the gulf. Seas where border line "Small Craft Advisory". My dive buddy had become extreme sea sick after getting in the water. I jumped in to help him get to the guide line. He was very disoriented and we did a bit of struggling in the rough seas. We were both breahting heavily. He was sucking down his air, but I was using my snorkel.

Sure, you can say "You could have used your air". Yes, however what if this had happened on the way back to the boat? My dive buddy is struggling and I run out of air because I didnt plan on getting into trouble ON THE SURFACE.


Here's another example, my dive buddy does a crappy job watching his air and we end up buddy breathing back to the surface. We are both out of air by the time we get to the boat. Seas are 5 feet and we are trying to get on the ladder. The snorkel not only made is much easier to get back on the boat, but made it much easier to keep calm on the surface.

I could go on and on.

Sure, if sea are flat, leave it on the boat. But if they're no, it's needed.

Personally, I dont care wether you where one or not either, as you have a good amount of diving experience and you can make your own choices. However, for the large quantity of new divers on this board reading all these snorkel bashing posts, their needs to be anothter side to the story. A new diver is more likely panic in rough conditions on the surface. A snorkel will help, period.
Boy somebody's panty hose are in a bunch today .
99% of my diving is drift diving off boats. I see no need for a snorkel and IMO believe it is detrimental in those applications.
It get's tangled on float and granny lines. The current or entry can dislodge the mask seal. In a heightened state of anxiety the mouth piece is often mistaken for a 2nd stage or confused with a BC inflator.
Not to be too critical, but in the scenarios above, you see a need for a snorkel. I don't.
My BC keeps my head above water. I usually swim on my back at the surface. Snorkels have no place around lines. In my experience snorkels are ineffective in rouigh seas.
Just my opinion as I say.
__________________
Tim
Diving sucks. Don't try it.
Splitlip is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!
Reply With Quote

Go Back   Scuba Forum - Scuba Diving Forums and Discussion Board > Community > Scuba Stories, Comments & Questions that don't fit elsewhere!

Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
why do i need a snorkel? franksrq Mask / Snorkels / Fins 42 08-19-2009 05:45 PM
Qatar--Diving and Gulf Area Discussion namabiru European Dive Locations 0 11-16-2007 02:25 AM
Discussion about Political Issues scuba Widow Surface Interval 13 09-02-2007 04:25 PM
Minimum Wage "Discussion " Harshal Surface Interval 124 08-21-2007 11:44 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin 3.6.72009 Copyright 2000-2007 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
Copyright ©2000-2008, ScubaToys Enterprises LLC
Site Maintained and Secured by Clan Solutions®, LLC.

Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.0.0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172