Guide to Purchasing the Right Snorkel for Your Needs
What do you need a snorkel for? The answer to this question determines what type of snorkel to buy. The truth is that snorkels are designed with that question in mind. If a snorkel is designed for scuba diving, then it is not the best one for snorkeling, and vice versa.
If you are interested in a snorkel for snorkeling, you need to find a good one. What most people purchase today are dry snorkels. This means that water does not enter the snorkel. The snorkel will remain free of water even if you dive or if a big wave goes over you with a dry snorkel. Since water does not enter, you can still breathe freely without having to get our water from your snorkel. If you are going to buy a snorkel for snorkeling choose one that is not big and bulky. The ideal snorkel is low profile which means that it is not big and bulky. A big and bulky snorkel will be heavy and will cause drag in the water that can pull on the mask strap and make the mask leak. When you mask fits perfectly and then you find it leaking, it will definitely cause frustration in you. By taking the snorkel off the mark, your mask will no longer leak. A leaking mask means that your snorkel is big and bulky.
You should find a snorkel that attaches to the mask strap with a good system. The snorkel should be able to slide up and down and side to side on the mask strap. You can then position your snorkel in your mouth comfortably without pulling on the mask strap.
There are snorkels with many special features and you should take special care when you purchase such. There are snorkel features such as a dry top, 2 purges, and a flex tube mouthpiece that may be beneficial, but these are designed for heavy bulky snorkels. If your snorkel is low profile, then it cannot have these features. If you know the benefits and drawbacks of special features on a snorkel, then you can buy one with many features.
Scuba divers should also have a snorkel. Divers with no snorkels sometimes struggle on the water surface after scuba diving. You can run out of air while still a long way from the dive boat. It is easy to swim back to the boat if you have a snorkel. A snorkel will also help preserve air in your tank while on the surface. If you save air in your tank this means more time for diving under water.
For scuba diving, a low profile snorkel is ideal. The snorkel should be small and drops comfortably to the side of your face when not in use since snorkels are used less while scuba diving.