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Old 01-19-2019, 03:59 AM   #1
popgun pete
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Glo-top and red tipped snorkels

When I started skindiving snorkels all had red tops, either wrap around red stickers or in some cases a red plastic top. Every snorkel from companies such as Nemrod and Beuchat always had this red band, sometimes in a fluoro red. Later on some snorkels switched to fluoro green or yellow. This was to aid diver visibility when looking for each other on and along the surface and to aid the positional location of a diver to any bystanders watching on shore. When Farallon produced a snorkel they then added a white reflective band as well as the red bands, so what has now changed? Divers tow floats behind them with “Diver Down” flags, but they also did that in the red top snorkel days. It seems to me that dry snorkel technology put valves and deflector gadgets on the top of snorkels and the high visibility ends then disappeared.
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Last edited by popgun pete; 01-19-2019 at 04:29 AM.
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Old 01-20-2019, 04:09 AM   #2
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Re: Glo-top and red tipped snorkels

After looking around at various snorkels on offer on the web maybe 10 per cent or less have a high visibility color segment at the top and half that are red and that is after omitting all the snorkel masks on sale. For safety reasons should snorkels have red tops, particularly for divers who swim long distances and cover a large area rather than poking around close to the shore?

I must confess that my own snorkels are either blue or black and I have one fluoro-yellow tube snorkel given as a present which I have never used. Years ago my Nemrod and Dacor snorkels had red tops, but when they wore out (the rubber mouthpieces cracked from age and drying out of the rubber) I only replaced them with what was available after the brief flurry of candy apple translucent snorkel colors from companies like Tekna.

Last edited by popgun pete; 01-20-2019 at 04:20 AM.
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Old 02-05-2019, 06:04 PM   #3
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Re: Glo-top and red tipped snorkels

I guess that with cheap leds being put into everything else that it is only a matter of time before seeing them fitted into a snorkel with optional flashing sequences as that control chip seems to be used everywhere in flashlight derived products. I have not seen one yet, but out there must be leds embedded in dive mask frames and maybe compact "spy" cameras as they can certainly fit into spectacle frames and arms.

Well not too far to look, here are two dive masks with built-in lights.
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Last edited by popgun pete; 02-05-2019 at 06:20 PM.
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Old 04-02-2019, 10:25 AM   #4
cmburch
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Re: Glo-top and red tipped snorkels

I use an Aqualung Impulse 3 black yellow flex snorkel for visibility. Carmel and Van Damme had small inflatable motor boats go over me even with my kayak or Boogie board in close proximity. Also good for buddies to easily recognize me. UK LED has a small 4 cell AA light that attaches to mask or snorkel. But I attach it to my speargun instead. Seems too heavy for snorkel flopping around. When I used Mares pneumatics, I would just hold the green handle out of the water if I hear a motor or want to signal my friends.
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Old 04-02-2019, 01:18 PM   #5
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Re: Glo-top and red tipped snorkels

A turn or two of fluoro-colored tape should do the trick to brighten up a snorkel, you can buy lots of tape with reflective finishes as well. A fluoro paint spray is another possibility and one spray can could do lots of snorkels as you just use it to coat the tip that sticks out. I am surprised that no one has marketed a product that fills this niche as every other aspect of diving has been catered for with product offerings.

I remember the Mares "Competition Line" gun with the fluoro-green soft handle cover, it was a bright object, but retained water in the hollow grip handle despite the slit in the bottom and ran saltwater out when you least wanted it, like the trunk of the car. I soon took it off and was left with the grey plastic handle.
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