Interest in snorkelling continues to grow, which is reflected in the number of people joining BSAC snorkelling branches, many of who go on to diver training.
Tusa Hyperdry
Kapitol Reef
Kapitol Reef £58 & TUSA Hyperdry max £29.95
So, this month, we thought we would catch up with the latest in snorkel technology.
The basic snorkel design is relatively simple, consisting of a plastic tube that's rounded at one end to form a 'J' shape, which is then fitted with a mouthpiece so you can breathe through it. It's stood the test of time well. Ping-pong balls over the open end (to help prevent water entering) have come and gone, various valves all designed to drain out water have been honed, but the simple
'J' snorkel is what most people use - it works.
However, I'm
told that there is a problem with this design, in that some of your exhaled air remains in the tube and is then inhaled in the next breath. Over prolonged periods, this can lead to a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. Also, the weight of water around your body presses air out of your lungs and makes inhalation harder, resulting in fatigue. So what is the solution? The Kapitol Reef snorkel aims to cure both these issues, using two separate but complementary features.
Firstly, it has a tube within a tube. Valves allow only fresh air to be inhaled via the outer tube, while the exhaled air is directed through the internal tube and therefore not used again. These valves are also designed to balance the inhalation and exhalation effort as well as draining off any water that has entered either tube.
In practice, I'm not convinced. Yes, I suppose having fresh air on each breath is better for you, but the snorkel is huge. Also, the inhalation effort is quite marked and is akin to using a rebreather - is this better for you? My final point is that when you dive under the water and the snorkel floods, it takes a considerable effort to blow all the water out back at the surface.
A better snorkel is the Hyperdry Max from Tusa. It's a conventional snorkel with a bottom drain fitted, but also featuring a clever valve at the top. As water reaches the open end of the snorkel, it pushes a small float that then activates a flap to seal the opening. When the top portion of the snorkel is dry again, the reverse happens and you can breathe normally - an up-to-date version of the ping-pong ball design. In practice, it works well and shuts off the air/water supply as soon as it is submerged, ensuring you cannot get a wet breath. I dived down to about 5m and on arrival at the surface only had a tiny amount of water to get rid of, easily despatched via the bottom drain valve.
If you're worried about CO2 buildup, go for the Kapitol Reef -
but I prefer the Hyperdry.
DIVE SAYS…
Kapitol Reef
Delivers fresh air but requires more effort
Value 6 Performance 7
