dry snorkel advise please

[34TigerLily]

We have had snorkel equipment for years, but we are considering purchasing new snorkels so that we can try dry snorkels. Any advise on which is a good one. I have heard that Ocean Master is a good one, but that it is unusually heavy causing it to tip. Does anyone have advise on a good brand?

[seabreeze0389]

I purchased a set from Dick's Sporting Goods, it is by US Divers. I bought the set, mask and dry snorkel for $39 for my husband ,and I bought the junior set for myself for $29. They work great!

[tunseeker1]

I use a dry snorkel that has a floaty thingy (the actual technical name of it) on the top of the snorkel that closes off the snorkel when it hits water. Not top heavy at all and very comfortable to use.When I get home ill post a link to it!

 

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/UDRSIDF.html

 

Aqualung impulse Dry snorkel. Price here is like 27 bux! I'm sure you could get in a package for a decent price also

[sassmofi]

Check with a local dive shop to see what they have in stock. You can get a feel for it and discuss the benefits of different models with the staff. They will usually have a range of prices. I just bought all my gear for SCUBA. The model of snorkel I got was Oceanic. It depends on your price range and what you plan to do with it.

[GigiK]

In no kinda way pros and do not SCUBA!! But here are some observations from someone who hasn't been doing this very long...

 

My DH and I have the Body Glove Dry Snorkel sets we got from Sam's a few years ago (they were still selling them this year too). They sell them on Amazon as well but for a lot more. We plainly just got lucky because we had no idea what we were doing but they work great. My DD has the Oceanic Ultra-Dry Snorkel that we got to replace her child-sized Body Glove snorkel because the BG constantly leaked from the top when she was under water.

 

The adults' and childrens' Body Glove Dry Snorkels have different types of mechanisms at the top where it closes off the tube when you go under. The child's version had a little buoy that floated up and closed off the tube--except it didn't work and a trickle of water was constantly flowing into the tube. The adult models and the Oceanic Ultra Dry snorkels work on a pivot and mine has never leaked, nor has the Oceanic. Some people might like the buoy, but I would never get one again. However, the purists don't like dry snorkels, anyway, but I wouldn't do without it!

 

However, the Oceanic as purchased has a straight tube rather than curved connecting to the mouthpiece which made my jaw ache clenching to keep it in when I tried it out for my DD. It constantly feels like it's pulling out of your mouth. We replaced the straight silicone piece with a curved silicone piece and it stays in place and feels comfortable. Now, my understanding is that people who do SCUBA like the straight snorkel better because it stays out of the way until they want to use it, but I don't need for it to do that. The dive shops sell replacement parts.

 

You've been snorkeling longer than we have from your post, but for others with similar experience to ours possibly reading, it's just as important getting your mask to fit your face or it will absolutely leak around your temple or nose and drive you nuts at the least. Mine does not fit my DH's and his does not fit me. The poster who said find some to try on is right. You could buy the snorkels okay, but really need to either already know what mask you need from experience or try some on.

 

Several companies make both types, the buoy and the pivot, but be careful that you take a look at the mechanism. Some snorkels say "dry" but really only have a splash guard at the top or a little extra curve at the top, which will not keep water out when you go under, only protect from waves a little bit.

 

If you Google, Body Glove Dry Snorkel or Oceanic Ultra-Dry Snorkel, you can take a look at the types we have. Just 2 cents worth of our recent experiences and what worked for us.

 

Gigi K