Dry sinus/eustachian tubes? Cure.

[Erik]

One of the things that always bothered me while freediving was the dryness I would get from breathing through a snorkel. Nasal breathing retains moisture on the exhale to be used for the inhale, but obviously this is not possible for a diver using a snorkel.
My ears would get sore, my throat and sinuses would get dry, and this led to irritation of my ears for a day or so after the dives, plus it made me more subsceptible to colds (I believe).
I have discovered a cure! Now I'm not sure about how well this works in the ocean, because I haven't tried it yet as I dive fresh water, but I suspect it will work fine in the sea.
You need a snorkel that does not have drain valves.
When you exhale, tip your snorkel into the water and allow a small amount in that will sit in the bottom. It will slurp around as you breathe, so adjust the amount and use your tongue as a splash guard. I know that this is typically really annoying to snorkel-users, but after a while it becomes comfortable and even desireable, helping to relax in my case. The sensation of the water at my tongue is now a part of my diving.
I have been doing this since June 2005 and it works. I no longer get dried out tubes, throat or sinuses. I no longer get colds after my 3 hour sessions in cold water. I think it helps keep me hydrated also, as the lungs don't need to be hydrated from my plasma. I also notice that my equalizing is easier.
Peace,
Erik Y.

[Longfins]

Erik,

This year the water in northern california is a bit cooler than usual, and I find myself in a similar situation as yourself - dry, sensitive sinuses.

What I do is a little different. Instead premoistening the air coming in, I would slowly exhale through my nose, which would pass the heated, moist air from my lungs through my nasal cavities and keep the sinuses from drying out. I tilt my head a little so the air leaking out of the mask doesn't bubble too much. (I don't hunt so it doesn't matter to me.)

Cheers,

Peter S.

[cdavis]

Very interesting observation, Erik. I think my experiance supports your idea. When I started diving, I used to get the dry throat thing while using a relatively small diameter snorkel that would clear completely, no water retained. I haven't had that in a very long time, not since I switched to a Farrallon snorkel. It has a very large bore and tends to retain a little water. I didn't much like the water retention, but got used to it after a while. Never considered that a wet snorkel might have banished the dry throat. Also, in the last few months, I've been using a purge valve snorkel during pool workouts and getting a touch of dry throat, like right now. Will be switching back to the Farrallon to see if it matters.

Thanks for the tip.

Connor

[Erik]

Where'd you get a Farallon Connor? Sven was whining about one a few years ago and I remain intrigued as to why it's so special
Peace,
Erik Y.

[Alison]

Sven is still whining about one, if you want to sell him one, he's offering $100!

[cdavis]

I have two, both bought used, but only one with the custom mouth piece. Watch the used gear places like a hawk, trying to find another one. Maybe I'll share with Sven if I find a third. My first was bought new, it lasted almost 25 years before it got to the place that I could not repair it any longer.

Why are they special? I'm not sure exactly. Its just a pleasure to use. It is extremely adjustable, fits great, has a big bore so breathing is easy, curves around the head to reduce drag and most of them have custom bite plugs so you can customise it to your teeth. This makes it super comfortable. If I did not have one and somebody offered one for $100, buying it would be a no brainer. It does retain a little water and that makes some people crazy, but its not a problem for me.

Connor