Home Page Dry Snorkel Vs Regular Snorkel Updated on: 22nd November 2010
Dry Snorkel - Which Snorkel to go for? Dry or Traditional Snorkel?
There are many different types and styles of snorkels from which to choose from.
However you may have recently heard of the term dry snorkel. So what is the difference between a dry and a regular snorkel?
With more traditional snorkels, the top end of the snorkel barrel is open of the shaft is open to allow the snorkeler to breath in air. Once submerged underwater, the snorkeler will have to blast out the water that has filled in the snorkel tube.
The down side to this design is that once you ascend regardless of how much air left you have in your lungs you will either need to blast out the water or remove the snorkel from your mouth to breath. If you want to learn more about traditional snorkels check out our guide on features of the regular snorkel.
On the other hand, a dry snorkel contains a float valve which effectively prevents water from entering the snorkel barrel once the snorkeler submerges below the water’s surface and will open on surfacing. The great thing about the dry snorkel is that on surfacing, the snorkeler will be able to take a full breath of air without having to blast out any water. This feature will undoubtedly enable the snorkeler to conserve more energy.
Another advantage for the this type of snorkel is that if you are snorkeling when the water surface gets quite rough, you do not need to worry about any splash water getting into the snorkel.
However if some small amount of water should enter the snorkel, this snorkel also contain a small purge valve at the bottom which will remove any water once you exhale.
There are however a few disadvantages with the dry dive snorkel which I must point out. Unlike the traditional snorkel, these types of snorkels tend to be more buoyant due to the air left within the snorkel barrel. Especially in the case for scuba diving, when diving below the surface, a dry-snorkel will constantly float around and may cause you certain distractions.
Some buddies of mine have also complained that, on certain occasions whilst snorkeling on the surface, the valve closed off when they where attempting to breath. Having visited some forums on the subject, it seems that certain dry scuba snorkel models have this type of fault.
Dry or regular snorkel?
If you are considering in buying a snorkel that will be primarily used for scuba diving, then go for a semi-dry or even a regular snorkel but not a dry one. In my opinion dry snorkels are not good for scuba as they trap air in the snorkel when you go down.
I would also stay away from dry-snorkels for free diving. Instead opt for a regular J-style of snorkel as these are more practical. If on the other hand, you are considering using it for surface snorkeling with limited diving below, then a dry-snorkel might be a wise choice.
My take on this is that if you are like me and prefer getting some water in your mouth rather than only the feeling of inhaling on a closed pipe, you may end up not liking the valve feature of the dry-snorkel which closes off your air supply, but that’s me.
Hope you enjoyed this article on dry snorkels, for more on snorkeling gear check out our guides for additional tips on:
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Recommended Dry-Snorkels |
Buying a Snorkeling Mask / Mask Care and Maintenance tips / Buying a snorkel
Mask and Snorkel Set up guide / Snorkel Fins / Snorkeling vest - Do you really need one?
