Gone are the days when a snorkel could just be compared to a hollow reed to breathe through with your head in the water. With features like purge valves, flexible snorkels, dry, semi-dry snorkels and rotating mouth-pieces, whether you are just looking for a snorkel for when you dive or just for snorkeling there are a number of options in the market today. However, the most important qualities to look for in a snorkel is it’s comfort in your mouth, it’s length in case of a swell or wave and the ease of clearing water out of it.
Types of Snorkels
There are basically four popular types of snorkels both for divers and snorkelers. They are-
1. Those with straight tubes. They are the most inexpensive of all of the types.
2. Snorkels that are tubes with purge valves on the bottom
3. The kind that contain a flexible sections close to the mouthpiece. If the tube is not in use, it will drop away and that is a great feature for scuba divers.
4. The best types are the kind that have a tuba and mouthpiece that are simple to replace.
Choosing A Good Snorkel For Scuba Diving
There are differences between snorkels that are ideal for snorkeling and those that are best fit for scuba diving. The first myth is that snorkels are unnecessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you were to run out of air before reaching the dive boat, you will face a struggle swimming back to the boat. Snorkels also help conserve air in your tank while you are on the surface resulting in longer dive times!
When choosing a scuba snorkel just make sure it has only the features that you need for a successful diving venture. It should be comfortable and it should drop to the side of your face when not in use. In fact, you should not even be aware of it until you need it. You cannot go wrong with a scuba snorkel that is simple and lightweight with few “extras” included.
You will want to make sure that your snorkel gear is an appropriate fit before your dive, and your snorkel mask is certainly no exception to the rule. The tube should fit under the strap of your mask and should extend above the surface of water. It is designed so that you will breathe in air through your mouth comfortably and without any restrictions.
What’s a Dry Snorkel?
One of the most popular snorkels on the market is a dry snorkel. What this means is that water will not enter your snorkel if you are submerged in water or if a wave crashes over you. Because water cannot enter the snorkel, you never have to worry about expelling it in order to breathe.
With all the advantages of dry snorkels there are a few important things to remember when choosing one:
- Do not get one that is heavy. A bulky dry snorkel will cause you to drag in the water therefore the likelihood of water entering your mask increases. That would negate the entire purpose of the dry snorkel!
- The snorkel should attach firmly to the mask strap. It should be able to slide in all directions with ease so that your snorkel can be positioned comfortably in your mouth without tugging the strap.
- Be careful of snorkels that have a lot of added features such as dry tops, purge valves, and flexible tube mouthpieces. While these do offer some advantages, they tend to add bulk to your snorkel causing more hassles than they are worth.
