Posted by TDI_2 on July 03, 2002 at 10:17:48:
In Reply to: Snorkels posted by Jeff Shaw on July 02, 2002 at 21:56:25:
ScubaPro makes a snorkel that is split and therefore folds in half, so you can keep it in your drysuit pocket or else in a B/C pocket when you dont need it. That keeps it out of the way and off your face.
If youre diving off a boat, and on your return, you dont find the anchor line and you end up with a long surface swim, and there is kelp between you and the boat, then a snorkel is really nice to have. If theres no kelp, then you can swim back to the boat on your back and you dont need a snorkel. If there is kelp, and you swim on your back, you will get hung up in the kelp, a lot.
If youre tech diving, and youre using the DIR/GUE long hose & necklace hose configuration, then a snorkel on your mask would get in the way of an air sharing drill, where you donate your long hose 2nd stage to your OOA buddy. So most tech divers that I have seen do not wear or even have snorkels with them. Since they normally reel out from the anchor at depth, there is little or no chance they would ever lose the anchor line. Since they normally expect the boat to come get them after a freehanging deco on a lift bag, there is little need for them to have a snorkel. Some tech divers carry the ScubaPro folding snorkel in their pockets, however, even so. A snorkel allows a tech diver to more easily put on his gear [don] in the water when diving off a small boat.
If you are diving off a beach, I would think a snorkel is critical to have, either on your mask or folded in a pocket. Kelp is the main reason here in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, etc.
If you are diving on a rough-surf beach, and you manage to lose all of your air, either from gear failure [been there done that] or else you werent paying attention to your SPG [evolution has a way of weeding these kind of divers out from the gene pool], then you will probably need your snorkel to snorkel back to the beach through the rough surf and make a crash landing crawling exit [been there done that too].
I suggest always carrying a snorkel with you, either on your mask, or folded in a pocket. For a beginning diver with less than a year of diving behind him/her, on your mask. For an experienced diver, folded in a pocket.
Since you are a certified diver, you are licensed to do whatever you see fit. Evolution has a way of weeding out divers from the gene pool who make bad choices.
Rottner is a PADI instructor, and he might have some unique views on this too.
Tribes is a NAUI instructor, and DIR/GUE, so he probably has some unique opposite views.
It would be great to hear from both of them on this question.
I gave you my 50 cents worth.