TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands The "Snorkl"

Anyone ever used one of these. They look kinda cool:

http://www.thesnorkl.com/

St. John Beach Bum store rents the similar Tribord Easybreathe and a few friends have tried them out. They are expensive and really only work well on the surface. If the float ball does not seal well it will dribbly pretty much continuously. But, one friend who was not comfortable snorkeling in the past due to getting water in her very sensitive nose was comfortable with the Easybreathe. I'd be interesting in hearing any first hand reviews of a similar product.

Cheers, RickG

A friend on FB just said she has one and loves it. And, the anti-fog glass really works.

I was wondering if they were only good for staying on the surface.. didn't see anyway to equalize and sure wouldn't be low volume enough for any kind of free diving. Sure are goofy looking.

Word on the street is that v2.0 will have an adapter for a CPAP machine so you can wear it 24/7.

Most ridiculous looking thing ever. But I think I'm going to order one for my mom, the poor woman must take her mask off 100 times in a 1-hour snorkel. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Tonguea.gif" alt="" />

How much you like this probably depends on what you want out of your gear.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist... standard mask with no valves and a straight-pipe snorkel with no valve is preferred. However, I spend a long time in the water and will snorkel fairly deep - down to 30 feet. I want a robust, simple design that has no moving parts or valves to leak. Those valves that don't leak this trip might start leaking next trip, or next year. Note that a valve in the nose of your mask makes it difficult to equalize pressure in your ears on the way down. Typically you pinch your nose closed and blow gently. A valve interferes with your ability to pinch your nose closed. Most people need to start equalizing at around 6-8 feet down. Sand in a diaphragm seal will allow it to start leaking. I've had a simple mask last 20 years, and my straight pipe snorkel was bought in 1981 and still going just fine.

The key to comfortable snorkeling is breath control. Learning how to keep enough breath in your body to blow a snorkel clear after you return to the surface or have a wash-over is a learned skill.

I can see how this product might be attractive to someone who does not know how to snorkel, or who stays on the surface all the time. I just see maintenance issues down the road. One thing to find out would be how easy the valves are to service, and can you get replacement parts? If you can, I'd recommend you buy them when you get the mask.