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Post by duckbill on Nov 9, 2005 0:24:37 GMT -8
Yes, I know many of you have a thing against snorkels, but I learned with one and like to have one for those rare long swims back to shore. So, I have a question for those in the know.
I'm trying to match some snorkels to some masks so that they are fairly accurate combinations historically.
Which came first, the USD snorkel with the flared top and tight, contoured bottom curve, or the snokel having the drop-away bellows bottom?
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 9, 2005 22:23:12 GMT -8
My 1969 printed USD catelog shows the Aquaflex snorkel (drop-away bellows bottom), but not the Power (Tuned) snorkle (flared top and tight, contoured bottom). But the 1971 printed USD catelog shows both. I think the Aquaflex was first of those two.
The "Power (Tuned) Snorkel" had this description:
Actually, you could probably determine best which was "first" by looking up their patents in the US Patent Office.
John
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Post by duckbill on Nov 10, 2005 0:31:19 GMT -8
Thanks John. That pretty much narrows it down. I guess now the question is- When did the Aquaflex make it's debut? The patent number would maybe help. I don't have that snorkel in front of me, so I'm not sure if the number is even on it.
Good idea on the patent number idea. I'm not sure how to check patent numbers. I'd bet there must be some way on-line.
Thanks again.
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 10, 2005 7:46:35 GMT -8
If you want to have some fun with this, look at the US Patent Office web search site: patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-adv.htmThere is a lot of snorkel information. The best is to get a good, modern patent, then look up the other patents referenced by that patent. Good luck, John |
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Post by luis on Nov 10, 2005 16:43:41 GMT -8
John, Thanks for sharing that description from the USD catalog. That is great. I bought one of those snorkels, I guess when they came out (I bought one recently from Dan due to nostalgia) and I always wondered how much thought was given to that flare. You’ve got to love it when they use that techie talk in advertising.  I particularly like the “18% increase in exhalation efficiency”. There is no way to disprove (or even prove) a statement like that. You can define efficiency in so many different ways (ratios, etc.) it is a great catch-all word for advertising. I also like: “eliminate turbulence of air on exhalation and inhalation”. They are not talking about reducing turbulence, they are eliminating it! Well, I am still not sure how much thought went into the snorkel flare, but I’ve got an idea of how much thought went into the advertising.  |
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 10, 2005 19:29:43 GMT -8
I started with snorkeling in the late 1950's. I remember my first snorkels being the old plastic ones with the pingpong ball in the top. We very soon found out that the pingpong ball did nothing, interferred with air flow, and sometimes still allowed the snorkel to flood (when we turned over). We also started diving deeper in Cascade lakes during the summer camp times, and so we simply cut off the tops to make the classic "J" tube. We learned to clear them, and used them in rivers and lakes in Oregon. One memorable time was in the summer when we went fishing in Detroit Lake, near the head of the reservoir where the Santiam River comes into it. I wasn't too interested in fishing, and so went snorkeling in the lake near the fisherman. What I found out was that the reservoir had been forested, and when they cut the trees, they left the stumps in the water. The stumps now had roots hanging out, just waiting for fishing flashers and lures. So I got my knife out and began gathering the lures. Then I noticed a fish swimming circles around a stump's root. He had been hooked, and tangled the line on the stump's root, then the fisherman in frustration had to break his line. But the fish was still there, still caught on the line. So I grabbed a large breath, swam down, and grobbed the fish. I then cut the line, and brought the fish to shore for my brother to take. I got two fish that day, and the rest of my family was skunked! 'Made me feel good about my snorkeling. I began using different snorkels. I went from that plastic imitation of a good snorkel to a flexible snorkel, which was pretty good, but the one I chose was one with a mouthpiece that folded in a current against my chin, cutting off the air supply. I got a Voit flexible snorkel, and that was pretty good. I used it for several years, both snorkel and scuba diving. But it had a problem in that it was a small-bore snorkel made for kids, and I was now in my late teens. I got a big-bore snorkel, probably a Dacor, and enjoyed that you several years. Then came a Farrallon large-bore snorkel with the really nice, moldable mouthpiece. That took me into the US Air Force, where I probably lost it. I used several different types of snorkels, and continued to dive in the 1970s into the 1980s. At that point, Scubapro came out with their Shotgun snorkel, which I still love and use. But when we began getting ready to go to Hawaii, I made further tests on snorkels and their ability to stay clear, give good performance, etc., and decided to equip the family with what I thought was the best snorkel on the market at the time, the U.S. Divers Impulse. I still like both the Shotgun (the original) and the Impulse for primary ones for free diving, and a Dacor flexible snorkel or the Shotgun for scuba work (which I have mounted on a helmet). While we think of skin and scuba diving as the exclusive sports that use snorkels, there is one other with a different snorkel that you should be aware of, finswimming. One of the nicer snorkels for water fitness swimming is the Finis Swimmers Snorkel. I'll explain later, after supper, about it: svc004.bne013i.server-web.com/catalogue/aquadatabase/cache/item-145public.html?cache=noJohn |
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Post by luis on Nov 10, 2005 20:33:06 GMT -8
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 10, 2005 22:18:32 GMT -8
In the 1980s I was Finswimming Director for the Underwater Society of America. Finswimming uses a very streamlined snorkel to swim surface events greater than 50m (which is swam "apnea," or breathholding underwater). Here's a link to the World Games discussion of finswimming: www.worldgames2005.de/en/sportarten/trendsport/flossenschwimmen/I mention finswimming because the snorkel is unique--it is streamlined in front of the finswimmer, and not out to the side. This allows for very fast times by reducing water resistance. Finswimming is a very good off-season way for divers to stay in shape; it is mimicing the same skills we use diving, but actually improving them. For more info, google "finswimming," or look at this site, where there is a good description and photos of the finswimming snorkel: members.ozemail.com.au/~lproud/Sub%20Pages/whatis.htmI continue to finswim, especially during winter when I cannot get into the rivers or lakes, or go to Puget Sound. When I swim in a pool, I use the finswimming snorkel, and either goggles and a nose plug or a tight-fitting Dacor mask. For fins, I have used the monofin, but find them uncomfortable (poor footpocket design). I use my full-foot fins, and either swim crawl stroke, or the dolphin kick only and no arms. The dolphin kick can be faster, but the crawl stroke is easier for long distances. Full-foot free diving fins are ideal, with their longer length. My workout usually consists of sets of 25 lengths of a 25 yard pool, in sets of two or three. Sometimes I swim normally for two sets of 25 yards, then switch to finswimming for the last set (so I can keep in practice for actual swimming). I sometimes finish it off with three sets of 50 yards underwater swimming for time (two lengths, no breath, with a flip turn in the middle. I can usually swim the 50 yards in under 40 seconds in this manner (sometimes under 30 seconds if I use the monofin). I mention this because this is a wonderful way of keeping fit for diving. Many of our divers today do not have good water skills, and finswimming can keep people in the "feel" of the water. It's especially important as we get older to keep in shape, and finswimming is an excellent, low-impact way of doing it. I do put some grease on my toes to keep them from getting a blister, but that is the major hazard;) Concerning the finswimming snorkels, they originally were hand-made by the swimmer. They took a piece of plastic tubing, filled it with dry sand, heated it, and contoured it to their head. They then made a plastic headband with elastic to hold it in place, and put a mouthpiece on it (after removing the sand, of course). These snorkels are secure enough to survive a dive entry from a starting block for racing. The new ones from Finis have a small chamber on the bottom, below the chin, with a non-return valve to allow water to be blown out. I have used them in my river swims in current/rapids too, and they are very well designed. Their only problem has to do with the placement in front of the eyes--this takes some getting used to. John |
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