Posted by Curt Billings on August 11, 2000 at 17:59:26:
In Reply to: DIVE ENTRIES: reg vs. snorkel? (long) posted by HAL on August 11, 2000 at 14:26:28:
If you jump into a kelp bed and the wind blows, causing the boat to swing and mow you over, entangling you in the kelp, pinning you to the prop shaft, you are going to need to have that reg. in your mouth real fast. Unfortunately this situation has already occurred before and the individual in that case drowned. He did a snorkel entry and probably lost his grip on his reg. If the reg. is in your mouth and you are holding on to it that would be less likely. Just remember to exhale if you come to the surface, breath on decent as Chris does and Don wrote. For me I do not revisit the surface, I try to get down as fast as possible or else its tails for Chris and antenna for me.
I find a snorkel a crutch and a nuisance. Jumping in with a snorkel then switching to a reg. a waste of my time.
I have strapped a snorkel to my backpack on occasion but most time I do not even take one. I do beach entries and boat dives sans the BC and snorkel. But it takes a while, (emphasis needed) to get comfortable with that. Don't listen to me I am just a bad example of a NAUI and LACC diver having a hell of a good time doing it my way. The best thing I learned and it probably was not from scuba instruction, is to be self reliant and responsible for oneself. Do what works for you and it is always good to question what others tell you to do before you try it on.