simple vs. fancy snorkels?

[Lil Dragonfly]

Everyone tells me that the best snorkel for freediving is a simple "J" tube, with no purge valves, water-blocking contraptions, balls in a cage, etc.

But, I have an idea.

I once saw a snorkel that consisted of 2 tubes instead of 1. One for inhaling, and 1 for exhaling (so there is no dead air space).

Wouldn't this be better for freediving? I'm guessing that without rebreathing the exhaled air one would get a longer breathhold.

(I already asked a freediving instructor, but he didn't quite understand what I was asking. Lol)

 

[strangelove]

I used to think that too but two years ago I've switched to the GULL Super Bullet Snorkel , I am never returning to a simple J.

 

[demasoni]

I tried the Kapitol Reef snorkel which has two separate airways for inhale and exhale.

Kapitol Reef Snorkel

It was the biggest P.O.S. I've ever used...:rcard Complete ripoff and marketing B.S. The thing would get waterlogged, mold, and made a really loud gurgling noise while breathing no matter how hard you tried to clear it. The enormous size of the thing didn't matter as I ditched it at the surface.

Strangelove, are you referring to this one?

Westside Dive & Tackle Products Page

What about it makes it better than a J tube? The purges and the ability to clear easier?

I use a Sporasub Samurai which is a large bore J tube and love it.

The idea of isolating inhales and exhales with each breath sounds great, but anyone use a snorkel that does such a thing without any issues?

 

[strangelove]

Yes that is the one. I think it is better then the regular simple J since is a little dryer, I recall with a simple J drinking lots of water while grabing my last breath. With the gull that only happen if the seas are really choppy.

I am happy with it, but could be a personal think.

I bought my from hawaii skin diver around the same price, perhaps some of the hawaiin divers can give more feed back about the gull.

 

[alexrom1207]

I went through a whole mess of snorkels, several of which went into the trash after the first use. The simple J would be a good snorkel if they made one with a high quality mouthpiece, but usually the mouthpieces for the simple J snorkels are very cheap and minimalistic. A larger more comfortable mouthpiece is common on an expensive snorkel, but those all seem to have purge valves and all this other crap I don't want or need.

Finally I settled on a snorkel that had a single purge valve at the bottom of the mouthpiece (rather than the impulse snorkel which had....look it up....it's a joke). Anyway, the valve lasted about a year before it started doing exactly what all the other purge valve snorkels I've had do, the valve separates from the seal and you get a gurgling which brings in small amounts of water every time you try to take a deep breath, which makes you hesitant to take deep breaths, stresses you out, ruins your bottom time, etc...

So this stupid cheap and simple link in the chain of all the complex expensive dive gear you've bought, ruins your dives. Therefore, spend the money on a quality snorkel. I'm most likely going to silicone over the purge valve in my current snorkel, so it will be essentially a "simple J" but with a high quality mouthpiece.

In all my searching, I've yet to find a snorkel that I love.

 

[Fondueset]

I used the original Dacor Big-Barrel Wrap-around snork when I was a kid. I was pretty stuck on 'no-valve' low profile snorkage. Then I found the USD Impulse II - which is an awesome dry snorkel with great airflow - but if you use a monofin it's a drag chute - you end up holding it in your hand - which is really irritating. I picked up a Riffe Stable just for grins and this thing is awesome - very low drag - good in chop etc. etc. The Impulse III - by the way - with its alleged hydrdynamicism - oscillates next to your head at speed. The thing was actually knocking my vision out of alignment.

I had the riffe out today - swimming out against 2 foot chop - it is not quite as good as the impulse II - but worth it for the low drag. (I sometimes think the silicone in the purge valves stiffens up in cold water (7c).

 

[cdavis]

Somebody in California is making a clone of the famous Farallon snorkel of 30 years ago. Its supposed to be nearly as good, except no custom molded mouthpiece. If mine ever dies, that's where I will go. If its done right, it has a very large barrel, no ridiculous valves, great mouthpiece and is shaped so that it has minimal drag and no vibration even when towing at 2 or 3 knots. The only down side is the water retaining tendency of the large barrel.

Connor

 

[Fondueset]

Dacor made it first - those farallon sluts stole the idea.

 

[vali]

i vote for simple snorkels

 

[salibandy]

i vote for simple snorkels

I concur. Simple snorkels.

 

[hteas]

I went back to a simple snorkel (Cressi Malta) from a Cressi delta with purge. Simpler, and no chance of the purge valve giving out while on a trip. A J tube is more effort to clear if you wait and clear it at the surface. If I start clearing just below the surface I can't tell any difference.

 

[ReefTroll]

I recently put some of our sylgard silicon from work to good use by sealing up my purge valve. Simple every time for me.

 

[cdavis]

Maybe they stole the idea, but the practical result was far better. That is, unless you actually like to dive in ice slush with your legs lashed to a big plank. Then your mouth is too frozen to appreciate the mouthpiece anyway. Then again, maybe you're just jealous.

Connor

 

[Fondueset]

Luddite....

 

[Jon]

I have a couple of those Dacor snorkels, and a Farallon:inlove, but use a Cressi Comanche snorkel most of the time. The Farallon is nicer than the Dacor, because of the bite tabs, but the Cressi is just a smaller, more flexible, easier to clear snorkel. It's similar to my Omer Zoom and Sporasub Samurai, but with a much nicer mouth piece- that actually fits an adult. I, actually, took my old Zoom and Samurai snorkels and cut them down so that my kids could use them since they fit their mouths better than mine.

I also own one of those Kapitol Reef snorkels and agree on them being a complete joke. Besides all of the issues previously mentioned, I also find that I get cotton mouth while using them- just like when breathing off a regulator while scuba diving.

 

[demasoni]

I have a couple of those Dacor snorkels, and a Farallon:inlove, but use a Cressi Comanche snorkel most of the time. The Farallon is nicer than the Dacor, because of the bite tabs, but the Cressi is just a smaller, more flexible, easier to clear snorkel. It's similar to my Omer Zoom and Sporasub Samurai, but with a much nicer mouth piece- that actually fits an adult. I, actually, took my old Zoom and Samurai snorkels and cut them down so that my kids could use them since they fit their mouths better than mine.

I also own one of those Kapitol Reef snorkels and agree on them being a complete joke. Besides all of the issues previously mentioned, I also find that I get cotton mouth while using them- just like when breathing off a regulator while scuba diving.

Jon,

I tried to find the Comanche via Google and the Cressi USA website and could only find the Comanche speargun. Do you have a link or maybe they are they no longer made?

BTW, how about the Scubapro Shotgun 2? Is that a true 2 tube design with a separate inhale and exhale tube?

http://www.scubapro.com/americas/en...norkels/snorkels/twin-valve-shotgun-2-snorkel

 

[Jon]

Sorry, it's called the Corisca, not the comanche.

I also have a Scubapro Shotgun. It's a decent snorkel and I used to use it for underwater hockey, but the Dacor and Farallon have more pivot points to mold the snorkel closer to your head. It's not a true double tubed snorkel, but just the bottom part has a dual section to get the water to drain down it.

Jon

 

[IronLung]

I have a preference for the Sherwood Edge snorkel. I have three of them. I bought one in blue and one in black. The third found me at the beach one day. I was playing in the waves when it was thrown against my leg by a wave. I picked it up, looked out to see if any snorkelers were looking for a lost snorkel, asked around, no one claimed it so I took it and gave it a good home with the rest of my gear.

 

[salibandy]

I agree with Jon about the Corsica. I use it all the time, for freediving and underwater hockey. It's so comfy, I think it'll be a while before I would want to try another brand. Meanwhile, I'll stockpile these!!:inlove

 

[Badger]

Beuchat Tubair for me, simple, quality and well thought out.