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Old 23-02-2009, 08:37   #31
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Yes the snorkel is bent. Straight as in the snorkel is made from a plain piece of tubing that has no attachments, holes, etc. straight tube that was bent at the bottom to reach your mouth.

If you want to get the last couple of drops out of a plain tube snorkel turn your head and look up at the sky just as you surface (a good idea anyway to avoid banging your head on the bottom of the dinghy or another boat if you surface at the wrong spot) and blow out just as you break water. Then as you finish blowing out turn your head back down to the water and the tube will be completely dry. Not tricky to master and is really much easier to do than to describe.
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Old 26-02-2009, 23:22   #32
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I have never had trouble clearing a standard snorkel. I have been snorkeling over 50 years. I have had so much frustration with those purge valves: leaks from a bit of grit or algae, blown out valves and ridiculous cost for a snorkel. I have blown out valves three times from borrowed snokels when I didn't have my own gear and now I refuse to dive with them as I hate having to pay for the replacement. A tiny bit of water in the bottom is nothing compared with a hole at the bottom of the snorkel. I went through the snorkels at the local dive shop and the only one I could find without the purge valve was a discontinued line. I might have to start making my own. Mates who play underwater hockey would never entertain the thought of a purge valve. Blowing one out could cost them the game. Imagine a km off shore in a bit of a chop and your snorkel blows out
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Old 27-02-2009, 03:44   #33
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Simple is best

A low volume mask and a plain 'quality' tube work best. Once you practice a little and get used to exhaling at hitting the surface, you'll wonder how those other gimmicks [purge valves, etc] ever came to be...you might check out Omer sub. Big free diver suppliers. The idea of keeping water out of the snorkel is definetely a psycological invention. Always clean a new mask w toothpaste. It removes the film that leads to perpetual fogging out. Use spit or mask defogger before you get the mask wet and always rinse it w fresh water after use. Keep your gear out of direct sunlight and it will last for years. Learn to equalize...before you go. Check out Spearboard Spearfishing Community or as suggested above Terry Maas. Good info!
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Old 22-05-2009, 03:56   #34
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I always found it hard to have enough breath to "blast clear" the snorkel after going below the surface. Is there are specific technique to this?
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Old 22-05-2009, 06:27   #35
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While surfacing face up and breath out as your head breaks the surface of the water then turn back face down after the snorkel clears the surface of the water.

This requires much less effort than blasting the water up and out plus is safer as you are also looking at where you will surface and can avoid hitting the bottom of your dinghy or your neighbors boat. May take just a little practice to get the timing right (don't inhale until your head is back down and the tip of the snorkel is up in the air) but will clear the tube easily and completely.
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Old 22-05-2009, 06:56   #36
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I like my booties too, stops fin chafe.
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Old 22-05-2009, 07:52   #37
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I do agree with most simpler is better but… the cheapest snorkel you can find makes a GREAT snorkel with an inverted pill bottle attached to the top of it. The “bubble” it holds on top of your snorkel will keep water out while you dive, keep waves from washing over the top, and makes clearing it not an issue.

I can supply pictures if anyone is interested.

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Old 22-05-2009, 08:26   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim&Blieu View Post
I do agree with most simpler is better but… the cheapest snorkel you can find makes a GREAT snorkel with an inverted pill bottle attached to the top of it. The “bubble” it holds on top of your snorkel will keep water out while you dive, keep waves from washing over the top, and makes clearing it not an issue.

I can supply pictures if anyone is interested.

Jim
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Old 22-05-2009, 08:39   #39
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Me too. Have to see how you do this. What I visualize would allow the pill bottle to drop down and block the tube on inhaling. Must be more to it than dropping a bottle over the end of the tube.

Regardless think I will stick to plain tubes. Never had a problem and every gadget I ever tried increased the work of breathing.


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Bwaa-Ha-Ha-Ha . . . are you serious? Yes, by all means, supply pictures (this I gotta see).

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Old 22-05-2009, 09:40   #40
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Maybe I wasn't totally clear. The bottle does need to be attached.

Jim

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Old 24-05-2009, 03:11   #41
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Still looks like too much work to handle the volume of air I go through when hauling a bag of mussels.
Also,
if you cough up a big goobie, I wouldn't want it collecting in the bottle. I much prefer the regular cleaning action of the tube filling with clean salt water. We sometimes find white tip and redback spiders in our snorkels. I would like to keep it easy to flush before use
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Old 24-05-2009, 07:31   #42
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Thanks for posting the shot of your "improved" snorkel, Jim. Your claim that the pill bottle will "keep water out while you dive, keep waves from washing over the top, and makes clearing it not an issue" is incorrect, in that:

- This is essentially a "cover" for the tip of the snorkel.
- It will help to keep some (most, perhaps, but not all) water out of the snorkel, but only as long as the diver never submerges.
- To the extent that it restricts entrance of water, it will also restrict easy passage of air to the user.
- Once the user dives below the surface, the snorkel will flood (only a complete blockage will prevent all water from entering - alas, it will also prevent any air from entering, thus defeating the purpose of the snorkel).
- Once water enters the snorkel, it will be impossible to clear by "blowing," as the water forced up the tube by a strongly-exhaled blast of air will hit the pill bottle and drop back into the tube.

So, the addition of the pill bottle will not keep water out when you dive, (which I take to mean completely submerge), will not keep waves from washing over the top (though it will keep much of the water out when waves do wash over), will not make clearing the snorkel unnecessary (just frustrating and impossible in the usual way one clears a snorkel).

Have you actually done any snorkeling with the pill bottle attached as pictured, Jim?

TaoJones


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Old 24-05-2009, 12:06   #43
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Originally Posted by TaoJones View Post
Thanks for posting the shot of your "improved" snorkel, Jim. Your claim that the pill bottle will "keep water out while you dive, keep waves from washing over the top, and makes clearing it not an issue" is incorrect, in that:

- This is essentially a "cover" for the tip of the snorkel.
- It will help to keep some (most, perhaps, but not all) water out of the snorkel, but only as long as the diver never submerges.
- To the extent that it restricts entrance of water, it will also restrict easy passage of air to the user.
- Once the user dives below the surface, the snorkel will flood (only a complete blockage will prevent all water from entering - alas, it will also prevent any air from entering, thus defeating the purpose of the snorkel).
- Once water enters the snorkel, it will be impossible to clear by "blowing," as the water forced up the tube by a strongly-exhaled blast of air will hit the pill bottle and drop back into the tube.

So, the addition of the pill bottle will not keep water out when you dive, (which I take to mean completely submerge), will not keep waves from washing over the top (though it will keep much of the water out when waves do wash over), will not make clearing the snorkel unnecessary (just frustrating and impossible in the usual way one clears a snorkel).

Have you actually done any snorkeling with the pill bottle attached as pictured, Jim?

TaoJones


TaoJones

I have indeed snorkeled with this set up for many years and can assure you it will work while diving.

The picture may not show it very well but there is plenty of space between the snorkel tube and bottle to not restrict the water OR air movement. The idea is not to cover the snorkel tube but to form an air lock at the top of it. Restriction does not keep water out of the snorkel. When you dive while snorkeling the bottle holds air around the top of the snorkel the air that is held prevents water from entering if regardless of depth of submersion. Imagine pushing an inverted drinking glass down into the water. If you do not tilt the glass it will never fill with water. Submarine moon pools use the same principles.

I do not know about water hitting the bottle and falling back into the tube as I have never had to blow water out of the snorkel.

Jim
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Old 24-05-2009, 12:31   #44
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Lots of folk have put their two cents in so I guess I'll add mine. I much prefer the ol' straight unobstructed tube snorkel and yes there are techniques to clear it without a lot of effort. For example, while ascending with head back so tube is pointing down, release a bit of air into the snorkel. Upon reaching the surface and allowing tube to come to vertical the air bubble in the snorkel will expel quite a bit of the water.

As to masks, I've tried a ton but my favorite is the Sea Vision Ultra. As per their advertising and the local dive shop they do seal EXTREMELY well despite my mustache. In the past I've needed copious quantities of vaseline to get a decent seal, not so with these. Just wear them as though there was no mustache and they are bone dry.

Finally, I would really recommend a lesson or two on technique either from a dive shop or some acquaintance with some diving experience. Even a dive shop shouldn't charge much for an hour of pool time.

Have fun,

http://www.seavisionusa.com/mask-det...p?productid=55

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Old 19-09-2010, 20:41   #45
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Howdy all, i know this is an old topic but just thought i'd update it with a bit of safety info.

Note: I am not an experienced freediver/snorkeller but i've been doing alot of reading up on it lately as i'm just getting into it all.

Seen a few people recommended purging the snorkel when you surface. Just thought i'd point out that this is only reccommended after taking breathes of air on the surface without the snorkel first.

SWB (shallow water blackout) is the cause of many snorkelling (and specifically freediving) deaths every year. I've read a post suggesting that purging a snorkel when surfacing increases risk of SWB. This is because purging the snorkel takes a bit of effort and clears lungs of air(including oxygen), it's not a huge effect but enough too increase the risk of a SWB. Reccommended practise upon surfacing is too take a few small breathes, ie half of lung capacity upon surfacing, then start breathing normally again. Afterwards you can then purge the snorkel. And yes SWB can happen with your head out of water, sometimes people come up from a deep swim and their head breaks out of water and then they sink back down.

You can probably do so and not have any adverse effects for years but it does increase the likelihood of drowning so just thought i'd write a quick post with some updated info.

ps:- not 100% sure on science of all this, maybe someone else with a bit more experience can say how it is, but afaik SWB is caused by lack of oxygen in blood, as a diver nears the surface the lungs start too expand this draws oxygen out of blood and into the lungs causing their already oxygen depleted blood to have less o2 and possibly leading to a shutdown of conciousness by the brain.
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