A snorkel allows a swimmer to float on the surface with their head underwater and breathe at the same time.

Connecting A Snorkel To The Face Mask

The snorkel should be connected to the strap of the face mask with a special toggle.

The snorkel should not be held in place by placing it under the mask strap as this can break the seal of the mask onto the face and let in water.

When snorkelling, the snorkel should be positioned on the left hand side of the face. This is because when scuba diving the scuba regulator comes over the right shoulder. This is an international standard, so if a snorkeller graduates to scuba diving, they will be used to having the snorkel on the left hand side.

Why Can´t A Long Snorkel Be Used For Deep Diving

A common question that some beginner snorkellers ask is “why can´t a long snorkel be used to dive deep?”

This sounds like a logical question. Get a 30 foot hollow pipe, put one end in the mouth, keep the other in the air and swim down to 30 feet.

However, the problem is related to the change in pressure that impacts on the body as a snorkeler or scuba diver descends below the surface.

The principle is that for every feet below the surface, the pressure increases. Therefore, the lungs must work harder to drag the air from the surface into the lungs. The deeper the snorkeller goes, the harder it will be to breathe. So this is why snorkels are so short and only used on the surface.

Using A Snorkel Scuba Diving

A snorkel is a useful item when scuba diving. It should be used when on the surface at the beginning and the end of a scuba dive, instead of using up precious air from the tank.

However, occasionally it can be better to ditch the snorkel and use the regulator to take air from the tank. This is mainly when there is rough chop on the surface either at the beginning of the dive waiting for the dive buddy to enter the water. Or at the end of the dive waiting to get back on the dive boat.

Breathing off the tank with the face mask on and buoyancy compensator full can reduce any anxiety of having waves smashing into face and filling the snorkel.

Positioning The Snorkel While Scuba Diving

The snorkel is redundant when underwater on scuba. This has led to a practice where some divers take their snorkel off their face mask strap and position it somewhere else. They might shove it behind their weight belt, or inside their buoyancy compensator. Another common place is to strap it to the leg with their scuba knife.

This practice is up to the individual, and depends on their ability and the type of diving. If it is rough on the surface, it might be wise to have the snorkel strapped to the mask so it is readily available.

If performing Divemaster duties, it is recommended that the snorkel be left connected to the mask strap as it could be easily accessible if needing to provide assistance to other divers when on the surface.

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La Mexicana… asked:


Hello! First of all sorry for putting this in the wrong section. The thing is that there really isn’t a section for scuba diving or underwater sports. anyway…

I’m planning on learning how to scuba dive. Everytime I go to aquariums I think that if THEY are magnificent than diving must be even better. But i would like to hear the opinions of divers.

Where did you learn how to dive? What creatures have you seen? tell me of your experiences

Thanks for any answers

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Some more very useful information from Mike Walker:

There are a number of important facts about scuba diving that you need to know. The first one is that you need to have a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. These high pressure tanks that are strapped to the back of the diver, provide air to the diver that is regulated through a breathing device. This lets the diver go very deep in the water without worrying about coming up for oxygen.

Next of the facts about scuba diving is that you need specific diving apparel to protect your body and allow you to swim easily. Such apparel includes wetsuits, gloves, hoods, computer watch, etc. The next fact about scuba diving is that nearly anyone can be certified for scuba diving. More than one million people get certified for scuba diving each year. As long as you can put on a heavy tank filled with compressed and dive down deep, you can become certified. The thing that scares most people away from scuba diving is that breathing through the rubber tube connected to the air tank is the only way to stay alive that deep in the water. People have a fear that something will go wrong, but it is rare that something does.

The next of the facts about scuba diving is that the diver must make a decision on what type of underwater adventure would be preferred. You could dive in warm or cold water, or explore locations of shipwrecks. If you are on a cruise or in other specific instances, you may not have to get certified before going scuba diving. In cruises to the Caribbean, Acapulco, and the Florida Keys, you can get a one day crash course on scuba diving before you go exploring.

If you want to become a serious diver, you will need to know the mental and physical facts about scuba diving before pursuing the sport. Physically, you will need to look at your swimming, breathing, and equalizing abilities. You need to be able to swim well, not only for exploring, but also in case of an emergency where you need to be rescued.

Breathing-wise, you need to be able to breath solely through your mouth. This is one of the most important facts about scuba diving, because otherwise you won’t be able to stay under water. When it comes to equalizing, you need to know how to “pop” your ears. When you go deep in the water, there is a lot of pressure that builds up in the ears, and so you must “pop” your ears in order to equalize the pressure. To do this correctly, you will need to consult your scuba instructor or a doctor.

The last of the facts about scuba diving is knowing whether you have any physical conditions that might limit your ability to scuba dive. Such conditions include being overweight, fatigued, having diabetes, heart conditions, or any other ailments, and prone to drowning. It is always a good idea to get a physical done by a doctor before scuba diving.

For information on purchasing scuba diving apparel and equipment or finding scuba diving lessons, start searching online. You are sure to find everything you need.

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Trendon Cato would like you to know why snorkelling vests might be more necessary than most people think:

A snorkeling vest is another piece of the snorkeling gear package but unlike the fins and goggles/mask, which are usually required, the vest is usually optional. However in the defense of the vest it is a common dispute nowadays among snorkelers and fans that a snorkeling vest use in the water can help someone to stay afloat in the water while snorkeling, though however as the case might be it is usually dependent on the person themselves to stay close to surface in the first place considered that most people when snorkeling like to dive down deeper for better view of the ocean floor. The thing is however is that most seasoned snorkelers in the sport find the a snorkeling vest to be an unneeded piece of clothing that they can do without, but for does who plan to stay for longer periods it could prove a benefit by allowing them to rest and stay afloat for periods of time.

The majority of vests now come with a small tube that is attached to the side of the vest to grant the person the ability to inflate the snorkeling vest at will when a little buoyancy is needed in the water and also to release some the air when they to sometime they want a closer look at and they need to descend below the water. Particularly to mention is that most vest do need a large quantity of air inside to it to allow a person to stay afloat and be away from any hazardous situations that are present below the water. A perfect example is Coral, yes Coral, it might seem just a harmless feature, a beautiful embodiment of the aqua world but however as the say roses have thorns will coral has sharp edges so if you are the type of person who as they say sinks a rock, then a vest in that situation might turn out to be your best friend and keep afloat above the danger zone.

Something that is worth mentioning also that is along the line of snorkeling vest which are thought to obsolete are diving gloves, but you may want to think twice about your assumption if diving between the coral and run or swim into something that you really should not touching with you, you can use them in this case to clear the obstacle and avoid a dangerous or unwanted situation.

A thermal wrap

Yes a thermal wrap, it will be all well if you go out snorkeling and you remain near the surface all day where the water is cool and warm but if you decide to head deeper into the water below the surface you might be alarmed to find out the difference in temperature can be vast. So basically while up on the surface is warm and cool, diving below you experience a cold chill like no other. This is where the snorkeling vest comes in, in that it can provide the snorkeler with some extra heat that the person without will be more than glad to use.

Also to something to mention is that in the case of those professional or expert snorkelers who believe that they are so strong as swimmers that they don’t need a vest, must always remember that they are also human and like all humans they get tired. A vest can help to stay afloat for longer periods without much effort from themselves so they can have more time in the water. To add to that if you come across something that catches your eye you can stay afloat in one place just enjoying the sites with just the aid of the vest.

It is also a common argument that you float better in salt water than in fresh water and basically refuse the notion of actually using a vest at all in the water but imagine this you come just a bit too close to some corals, so close that the your skin makes contact, what do you think would happen. In this case a snorkeling vest can protect your skin from the event of that accidental contact. When you read this you might end up back with the same notion you started that a snorkeling vest is not needed but when you think of it would you rather the coral have their way with you than you with it, be victim to the rapid changes in temperature in the water or if you are a sinker, do I need to mention.

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Chris Chew and experiences on a liveaboard expedition in the Indonesian Archipelago of Bali:
Contrary to what many scuba divers may think, a liveaboard scuba diving in Bali may not necessarily be more expensive relative to conventional scuba diving vacations. As a matter of fact, liveaboard scuba diving, if well planned may even save you money and hassles.

Firstly, you will save a lot of transportation time and costs, such as traveling to your dive operator’s boat and then after your dive, returning to your hotel or resort, lugging your cumbersome scuba diving gear to and fro, then repeating this same process for the next couple of days during your scuba diving vacation in Bali.

Next, you save money from hotel or resort accommodation because since you are living on the liveaboard dive boat, there will be no need for hotel or resort bookings. On top of that, you do not need to hunt for expensive meals in your hotel or resort since all liveaboard scuba diving packages will include meals. This will also mean that you will be probably having very fresh and succulent sea food caught by the crew while you are enjoying your scuba diving.

The highlight of your liveaboard Bali scuba diving vacation is that you can dive in many exotic dive spots instead of the ones near where you stay. This is because you need not return to your resort hotel to retire for the day, the liveaboard dive boat will cruise to far flung scuba diving locations while you are sleeping, again saving you time and best of all, you get to save more money by diving in more dive locations for the same price.

Below is a typical liveaboard Bali scuba diving package offered by quite a few Bali dive operators.

Day One-Visit one of Bali’s most interesting street on the way to Pemuteran & Menjangan North West Bali which will also include a stopover in View Point Restaurant Sanda. Dive Sites: Pemuteran House Reef & Reef Project or Secret Bay in Gilimanuk.

Day Two-After breakfast, you will hop onboard for a dive boat trip to Menjangan Island. Dive Sites: Menjangan – National Park, Walls, Anker Wreck, Coral Garden, lunch and surface rest on a white sandy beach.

Day Three-Dive Sites: Amed or Tulamben or Secret Spot, Drop Off, Liberty Wreck Dive and Wall Dive.

Day Four-After breakfast drive to East – Bali and stop over to view Bali Islands famous terraced rice fields. Dive Sites: Blue Lagoon & White Beach including a night dive in Blue Lagoo.

Day Five-Dive Sites: Gili Mimpang & Gili Tepekong or Gili Biaha.

Day Six-Dive Sites: Gili Biaha or Nusa Penida or Nusa Lembongan 2 Speedboat Dives.

Day Seven-Dive Sites: Blue Lagoon – White Beach – Chanel So if you want to save time, money and hassle during your Bali scuba diving vacation, why not try liveaboard scuba diving?

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• To Snorkell or Snorkel – Depends in Which Part of The World You Are!
• Important Facts About Scuba Diving
• Snorkelling Vests – Yes or No?
• Bali Liveaboard Scuba Diving Vacation
• An Amazing Scuba Diving Vacation Package Here’s How
• Scuba Diving – The depths the limit – is it for you?
• Buy Used Scuba Equipment – Sure!