Which snorkel should you get?
A good snorkel disappears in your mouth. Here’s what separates one you’ll forget about from one you’ll fight.
Four kinds
- Classic (J-style): a simple tube with nothing to break. Freedivers and spearfishers prefer it: less drag and no valves to fail.
- Semi-dry: a splash guard on top and usually a purge valve at the bottom. Easier for beginners and choppy surface swims.
- Dry: a float valve closes the top when you go under, so water stays out. Great for surface snorkeling, but bulkier, and not for freediving.
- Flexible: a folding lower section that drops away from your face when you switch to your regulator. Made for scuba.
What matters most
- The mouthpiece. Soft silicone that doesn’t make your jaw ache after an hour. This is personal.
- Easy breathing. A tube wide enough to breathe without effort, without so much volume that you rebreathe stale air.
- The clip. It should hold firmly on your mask strap. Scuba divers wear it on the left, because the regulator comes over the right shoulder.
Full-face snorkel masks
They’re made for floating at the surface only. Most don’t let you equalize, so don’t dive down in them, and never use them with scuba.
Care
Rinse it in fresh water after every swim and keep the silicone out of the sun.
The mouthpiece is personal. We set it up on your mask with you when you buy.