Snorkels... Do you find them a help or a hinderance?

Does anyone else feel as though they swim slower with the finis snorkel on? I use mine for recovery swimming, drills, and kicking. But if I try to swim hard/faster with it on, it seems to create too much resistance for faster swimming.

Does anyone else feel as though they swim slower with the finis snorkel on? I use mine for recovery swimming, drills, and kicking. But if I try to swim hard/faster with it on, it seems to create too much resistance for faster swimming. Absolutely. I can swim probably 85% effort for FAST with it. Going all out and it starts coming off on turns and flopping all over the place. What you CAN do though, is go right from a hard set where your HR is up high, to putting it on and doing some other moderate/hard stuff...or recovery type work. Your still working with some oxygen debt benefit.

I've tried the Finis snorkel, but I've never been able to use it without inhaling the pool through my nose. (I've tried it with a nose clip, but then I feel like I'm suffocating.) So i guess my answer is that I find them a hindrance. :frustrated:

I have a moderately messed up vertebrae in my neck so using a snorkel makes swimming possible.

Does anyone else feel as though they swim slower with the finis snorkel on? I use mine for recovery swimming, drills, and kicking. But if I try to swim hard/faster with it on, it seems to create too much resistance for faster swimming. I don't know if have ever tried to swim at a high intensity with it on. It does move around on me if I don't hit my turns right.

Does anyone else feel as though they swim slower with the finis snorkel on? I use mine for recovery swimming, drills, and kicking. But if I try to swim hard/faster with it on, it seems to create too much resistance for faster swimming. When I use mine, I go slow on purpose to work hard on my technique. I do feel like I'm gliding a bit more through the water so I feel like I'm moving pretty fast but that's only because I'm rotating better. Maybe next time I'll actually try to go fast.

If you are going to sprint with it make sure it is on tightly and absolutely straight.Better yet,don't sprint with it.

I found a few months ago that I have a nice bone spur on one of the vertebrae in my neck (kinda looks like Cape Cod!). This spur is pushing on the nerve. Fun stuff. :censor: I had never used a snorkel, in my life, but learned quickly. I love it. Helps my breathing (hypoxic), keeps my strokes more balanced, and my neck doesn't hurt as much. The down side is flipturns. I can only do them with a nose clip, but if I'm wearing sunscreen (usually) the clip slips off my beak! And I've only been able to do 6 flipturns without having to "regroup". All in all the snorkel is a good thing. I'd use it even if my neck wasn't messed up. I wish someone had suggested it awhile ago. My free has improved immensely.

timely thread. i'm actually going to be hanging out near a reef next week :banana:...i'm also in the middle of training for the 1 hr postal. i generally try to go for a bit of a 'real swim' before donning the mask if the water is mellow but if there is any way to improve my swimming while wearing a snorkel and chasing fish, i'd love to hear your ideas.

but if there is any way to improve my swimming while wearing a snorkel and chasing fish, i'd love to hear your ideas. I returned from 2 weeks in Guam a month ago. Did all my coral/fish viewing without snorkle, mask and flippers, just used my goggles. Nevertheless, I purchaced an underwater camera out there and when I got back home I discovered several flaw's in my stroke with viewing underwater footage. Not sure if chasing fish in the ocean all day long made it worse, but it definately didn't improve anything - it sure was fun though. An underwater video camera would be a good thing to have while on the reef. Not oly will it provide cool footage, it will keep stroke form in check if bad habits develop with swimming in the ocean all day. Another thing, the next time I have an opportunity to go snorkling (probably Aruba next year) I will for sure have a FINIS front mount with either a nose clamp or a developed skill of keeping water out the nose. Have fun on your trip!