Snorkel Discussion

[FishFood]

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.

[jwdizney]

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....

[Tom A]

always have my snorkel

[Firefyter]

Originally Posted by FishFood

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.

[scubacat80]

Originally Posted by Firefyter

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.

[St.jimmy]

Originally Posted by FishFood

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?

[Athena2c]

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).

[FishFood]

Originally Posted by Firefyter

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.

[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.

[Splitlip]

Originally Posted by FishFood

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.