Choosing the right snorkel can make a massive difference to your experience in the water. Opting for a dry snorkel when a wet one would be better can lead to problems while opting for a wet snorkel when you should use a dry one can also present challenges. So what is the difference between a dry vs wet snorkel, and which one is right for you?
The Dry Snorkel
The dry snorkel is the perfect choice if you want peace of mind when snorkeling and are concerned about water entering your breathing tube. The basic dry snorkel consists of three parts: a mouthpiece, the breathing tube, and a dry valve (one-way valve) at the top of the breathing tube.
Bear in mind that most modern snorkels have breathing tubes made from 2 sections, a rigid upper part, and a corrugated lower section. This flexible part allows the snorkel to fit better to the contours of your face. In addition, most snorkels now have a reservoir at the bottom of the mouthpiece where a small amount of water can be trapped, so it does not enter your mouthpiece. The reservoir will also often feature a purge valve so that when you exhale, you automatically purge the snorkel from any trapped water.
The main benefit of using a dry snorkel like the Tidal Dry Snorkel is that your breathing tube is protected. The dry valve closes the breathing tube off whenever it comes into contact with water. This means that when you snorkel no water will enter the breathing tube if you dive underwater or a wave breaks over your snorkel.
How the Dry Valve works
The mechanism is essentially a float valve. Generally, the device contains a buoyant ball that floats on the water's surface. With the dry valve above the water, the ball is down, allowing you to breathe past it. As the valve descends underwater, the ball rises inside the device; since it is larger than the opening of the valve, it blocks it, sealing it shut and preventing any water from entering.
This feature makes a dry snorkel incompatible with scuba diving and free diving since the device creates a significant amount of positive buoyancy, which will pull and drag on your mask as you try to descend.
The Tidal Dry Snorkel is hard to beat when it comes to dry snorkels. Featuring a patented dry technology, it is easy to use, and you can spend hours on the surface exploring the reefs below without worrying about water getting in the breathing tube.
Even if you want to dive under to get a better look or snap a great holiday picture, the gasket will seal smoothly and efficiently, preventing water from entering the breathing tube. Features of the Tidal Dry Snorkel Include:
· Lightweight making it ideal for travel.
· Simple to attach, making the perfect companion for snorkelers and divers.
· Comfortable mouthpiece aimed at eliminating jaw fatigue, especially after long use.
· Backed with a two-year manufacturer warranty.
· The Tidal Snorkel is available in 3 colors blue, red, and aqua.
· The contoured Silicone section makes the snorkel easy to fit different users' shapes and sizes.
· The silicone section also allows the mouthpiece to drop out of the way when you are not using the snorkel.
One thing to note is that even if you get a tiny amount of water in the breathing tube, it is incredibly easy to eliminate thanks to the high flow, one-way purge valve. The angled chamber, along with the valve, makes purging your snorkel a breeze.
Even the gentlest of exhales will generally push all the water out of the tube. Moreover, due to its ease, every time you exhale, you are clearing any water droplets in your snorkel, ensuring that it is clear and easy to breathe from!
The Wet Snorkel
A wet snorkel is the classic snorkel that goes back hundreds of years. In its purest form, it is a reed or a tube. Today the simple ones are a mouthpiece with a plastic tube. Similar to dry snorkels, some will have a two-part breathing tube, and often, the mouthpieces will have a reservoir and purge valve. With no protection to the breathing tube, you will get some water coming in if a wave splashes over it. However, this is not a problem for experienced snorkel users who can deal with the water easily.
A wet snorkel like the Tidal Roll Up Snorkel is ideal for scuba divers and snorkellers who freedive and explore underwater. On the surface, the snorkel can be used as normal, then removed and placed in a pocket while scuba diving. Or, if you are freediving, you can just keep the snorkel in your mouth while underwater.
The Tidal Wet Snorkel is the ultimate travel snorkel and the perfect companion for free divers and scuba divers. Made from soft silicone, the snorkel rolls up and fits snuggly into a small case, making it ideal for stowing in your BCD pocket when diving. This is ideal for scuba divers who like to have a snorkel with them but not when diving since they do not like the extra drag on their mask created by snorkel flopping around.
The ability to remove your snorkel, stow it away, then take it out an attach it when back on the surface is why many scuba divers have a Tidal Wet Snorkel tucked away in their BCD pocket. Features of the snorkel include:
· Simple design that provides ample durability and flexibility.
· Soft silicone mouthpiece eliminates jaw fatigue even after prolonged use.
· A silicone snorkel keeper for ease of attachment to any mask is included.
· Storage shell comes as standard.
· Light weight making it ideal for traveling.
· Streamlined design for greater hydrodynamics when swimming underwater.
When it comes to a wet Snorkel, the Tidal Wet snorkel simplicity of design, innovative features, and performance make it an ideal choice. If you are looking to color code your gear, you are spoiled for choice since the Tidal Wet Snorkel is available in pink, aqua, white, and black.
Two Steps to Improve Your Snorkeling
If you want to get serious about your snorkeling, you can do a couple of things that will take your snorkeling to the next level, regardless of whether you decided on a dry vs wet snorkel. You need to master clearing your snorkel and perfect your airway control.
Airway Control
There is nothing worse when enjoying your time snorkeling then inhaling and getting a lung full of water. However, if you have good airway control, this should not be an issue. In fact, if you have excellent airway control, you can breathe from a snorkel that has some water in it since your control allows you to breathe past the water.
The first step to mastering airway control is learning to breathe slowly and being aware of what is happening in your mouth, so the instant some water enters your mouth, you stop inhaling. The easiest way to develop airway control and awareness is to change how you breathe.
When snorkeling, place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Breathing with your tongue in this position makes it act as a barrier. So any water that you inhale will hit the back of your tongue and drop into your mouth, which prevents you from inhaling it.
While this may initially feel a little "weird" and awkward, you will get used to it and realize the benefits of the technique. Over time keeping your tongue in this position raises your awareness of your airway and gives you more control. It allows you to be flexible, so you slow your breathing down to prevent any inhalation if you feel water ingress. Once you have developed a feel, you don't need to use this maneuver in the long run. Instead, you can reserve it for when the seas are particularly rough and there is a risk of water ingress regularly.
Master Clearing Your Snorkel
Blast Method
If you are going to snorkel, then a perfect clearing technique is a must. The basic technique is blast clearing which requires you to blow hard into your snorkel, ejecting the water from the top of the device, or, if your snorkel is equipped with one, the purge valve near the mouthpiece.
To use the blast method, you need to have a lungful of air; however, if your snorkel is partially flooded, then inhaling deeply will not end well. At this point, you should use your airway control to breathe gently past the water in the snorkel and fill your lungs. Now you have enough air in your lungs to sharply exhale and clear your snorkel.
The blast method is best used when you are on the surface, and a wave laps over your snorkel, and some water gets in. Once you perfect the blast method, you can easily cope with most situations. The blast method shines because you can perform it without losing your concentration, so you can simply clear your snorkel while carrying on what you are doing.
The Displacement Method
If you are going to be diving underwater with your snorkel, then perfecting your displacement clearing will help you take your snorkeling to the next level, since it is the perfect method to clear a snorkel upon surfacing. As you reach the surface, you simply look up, and as your head breaches the water surface, you gently blow into your snorkel. This air, along with gravity, displaces any water in the tube, pushing it out of the bottom.
When it comes to clearing a fully flooded snorkel (like when you dive underwater), the displacement method is ideal since it requires minimal effort. Blast clearing a fully flooded snorkel is significantly more complicated since you have to exhale enough air to push a relatively large volume of water up and out of the top of the snorkel.
Dry vs wet snorkel: when to use each
Which snorkel you use, dry vs wet snorkel, will depend on your primary activity. Your go-to snorkel will be wet if you are scuba diving, freediving, or spearfishing. Using a wet snorkel makes diving down and surfacing a breeze, and there are no issues clearing your snorkel.
On the other hand, if you are new to snorkeling or are primarily a snorkeller who does not dive down underwater, then a dry snorkel can be ideal. Having a protected breathing tube while you swim around and explore or gain experience as a beginner is perfect.
If you are an experienced snorkeller who spends most of their time on the surface but every so often likes to have a duck dive to check out the life under a rock or in a nook, then a happy compromise is a semi-dry snorkel. Here you have the advantages of the wet snorkel when diving underwater, and on the surface, the splash guard offers you some degree of protection from water ingress.
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