How to Swim with a Snorkel | Center-mount snorkel for improving swimming technique and conditioning
/How to Swim with a Snorkel?
Have you ever noticed other swimmers at the pool swimming with a snorkel centered over their head, and wondered why someone would swim with it, how does it work, and what are the benefits?
Click the video above, or continue reading to find out why the center-mount snorkel should be one of the top pieces of equipment in your swim bag, and why using it could help you improve your swimming technique, breathing, and pace.
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Unlike the more familiar side mounted SCUBA snorkels, a center-mount snorkel is specially positioned and curved, for optimal streamline and efficiency, for swimming and training the four competitive strokes and turns.
Snorkels provide many benefits from beginner to pro.
Whether you are just starting out or having been swimming for years, the need to breathe while swimming disrupts streamline and technique.
Particularly for new swimmers, getting enough air, at the right time, can be challenging, especially when you are just trying to stay afloat, and learn a new complicated swim technique, or need to get enough air to sustain your speed.
A snorkel eliminates the need to break your stroke and streamline to breathe, allowing swimmers to focus more on their technique, or maintain streamline to swim faster.
It can be used to effortlessly perform a variety of technique drills, and conditioning sets, improving a swimmer’s efficiency and fitness.
However, using it, and finding the right snorkel and fit, is its own skill.
I’ve used a few different snorkels over the years, but have stuck with this original FINIS center-mount snorkel .
They sent me a few items several years ago for a national swim program I was running, but do not pay me to use or endorse their products.
What I like about this snorkel, and features you should consider when choosing, are first its comfort.
This snorkel has an adjustable forehead mount, with a soft, but tacky nonslip padding to be placed right against the skin on your forehead or swim cap.
It easily slides up and down to adjust the length of the snorkel between the mount on your head and the mouthpiece.
The straps are adjustable and made of a more durable chlorine resistant silicone that doesn’t dry rot, like typical rubber goggle straps, and the split strap comfortably hugs the back of your head.
The mouthpiece is made of a soft silicone, and has the most important part of any center mount snorkel, the one way purge valve.
This valve is vertically centered below the mouthpiece, to collect and purge excess water, preventing it from coming into your mouth when you breathe.
It also makes it easier to clear if water enters the top while swimming, or during flip turns.
The curved snorkel design is streamlined, and aero or hydrodynamic, staying centered over the head, safely above and below the water, and curved enough to avoid capturing any splash, for all 4 of the competitive strokes and drills.
Its light snug fit is hardly noticeable as you swim, focusing on keeping your head down and aligned.
As you are swimming with the snorkel, you can freely inhale as much as needed.
I prefer to exhale, using a combination of mouth and nasal exhales, continuing to blow bubbles as I would without a snorkel.
I find that cadence and technique prevents the feeling of water in your nose, or accidentally inhaling through your nose.
Some swimmers may prefer using a nose clip, not included, with your snorkel.
Stay tuned for future content on the pros of training and competing with a nose clip.
While the snorkel opening is large and adequate, inhaling with it can sometimes feel laborious, compared to regular mouth breathing at the surface.
With practice it’s a good exercise in controlled deliberate breathing, and will improve with practice.
As far as cleaning the snorkel of water, the purge valve will passively eliminate small accumulations of water as you swim.
If you sense the snorkel has filled, or you ve just been underwater, like off a flip turn, you will have to clear it with a forceful exhale.
Get a big breath into your turn, as you approach the wall.
Perform a good streamline and underwater off the wall, then forcefully exhale and blow water out the top of the snorkel as you breach the surface.
This may take some practice but just like the first time you added flip turns, purging the snorkel on your breakout will also become routine and subconscious.
Like any piece of equipment, it’s important to use a snorkel deliberately for specific drills or conditioning sets.
Use it to improve head position, streamline, and conditioning, but do avoid using it as a crutch for inefficiencies in your breathing or technique.
It can also be difficult to use, or claustriphobic at first.
Start with short repeats, be patient, and remember you can easily push it out of your mouth, and roll or lift to breath as you normally would with out.
So whether you are just starting out, or are a seasoned pro, a center-mount swim snorkel is an essential piece of training equipment, helping you learn a new technique or stroke, or hone your goal pace and conditioning.
Whats been your experience with snorkel training? What snorkels do you prefer? I would love to hear your tips and tribulations in the comments below. Let me know what additional questions you have, please like and subscribe to my channel, and keep swimming!