I can't specifically answer any of your questions, but I have the Finis Original Swimmers Training Snorkel with the Dry Top accessory. There is some movement with flip turns but I found it to be manageable....for the two times I used it. I quickly decided that I was much better off without swim training devices. Now it's on ebay.

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I like the Powerbreather one - you can turn with it and it's pretty snug. Pricey though

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Can you explain the efficacy of trining with a snorkel? I understand the kickboard (increase leg stregnth), float (form), paddles (arm/shoulder strength). The snorkel baffles me.
Thx

Relative to other disciplines, swimming affords you limited opportunities to breathe. And if you're focused on that, chances are you're paying less attention to the dynamics of your technique. It probably would have worked better for me in a long-course pool.

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I am a little biased, but the MP Focus snorkel is the best choice on that list.

They are not really all the same. Most are very similar, but the MP Focus Snorkel differs in a number of ways, that improve comfort and performance of the snorkel.

Michael and Bob Bowman had some great feedback on what needed to change on the typical swimmers snorkel design. From there, our snorkel and dive heritage went in to designing the Focus Snorkel, and this allowed us to engineer a snorkel that improves on the existing technology.

- Stability was a major focus on this snorkel, and the shape of the snorkel and head bracket provide the most stable snorkel platform on the market
- Comfort and ease of adjustment is also unrivaled in this category
- The purge (which allows you to clear water from the snorkel) was put inline with the mouth piece to improve the clearing capability. It really works very well!
- The mouthpiece has a bridge on it, that makes it easier to hold the snorkel in your mouth, without constantly biting down on the bite plates. This greatly reduces any jaw fatigue that may occur otherwise

We do offer it in a regular fit and a small fit. It's hard to say which will fit you best, but adults with smaller facial features and a smaller mouth, may be better suited for the small fit. As far as a snorkel for a novice, there isn't anything really specific here. It will likely require some practice to get used to using a snorkel. Be patient with this process and I believe you will find success.

I do highly recommend a snorkel with a purge valve on it. You do not need any type of restrictor (to start at least).



I hope this makes your choice a little easier. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Jake

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Get outside!

The thinking is that for most of us, breathing brings the body out of alignment when trying to isolate individual stroke pieces. With a snorkel, you should get your stroke nice and symmetric (and hydrodynamic), or you can just "listen" to the body part that needs attention. Then muscle memory magically keeps things together. Or so i've been told...

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Life is tough. But it's tougher when you're stupid. -John Wayne

do you notice the pipes on the sides of your head getting in the way of your arms/shoulders at all? That is my only concern, well other than the price tag, of the powerbreather. I've been tempted to buy it as I cannot master flipping with the MP one.

Mind if I ask what kind of issue are you having with flip turns with the Focus snorkel?

Jake

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Get outside!

i have trouble clearing the water from the snorkel. even without flips I sometimes get excessive water in the snorkel that doesn't seem to easily get blown out the purge valve which is exacerbated if I don't have lungs full of air at the time (and I end up breathing in water). i have to wait until an open turn to blow it out the purge valve when my head comes out of the water to fully clear it.

Thanks for the in-depth insights to the MP Focus Jake. I usually have to special order my fitted caps because most start at Size 7 and my head is slightly smaller at 6 7/8”. My cycling helmets are all size small and nothing that’s “One Size Fits All” fits my head.

I suppose I can order both and return the one that doesn’t fit properly. I’ve also read elsewhere the mouthpiece is rather large in comparison to the others in the market. Is this feedback you’ve seen before?

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"Train so you have no regrets @ the finish line"

no issues w/ the pipes getting in the way of my arms.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Are you breathing all of your air out in the turn?

That is one of the challenges with any snorkel really. Trying to reserve enough air to clear the snorkel when you come up after the flip turn. Snorkels with or without purge valves require a sharp exhale breath to clear the snorkel or open the one way purge valve.

One way to ensure that you do have enough air, is to make sure that you are breathing normally with the snorkel and not holding your breath while swimming (this sounds obvious, but I think it's easy to forget to breath normally). Get a good breath as you approach the wall, then do the turn, exhaling and push off. Try coming up earlier than normal to start and work on getting more distance off the wall as you go along. Once you surface, a quick SHARP exhale breath will open the one way purge valve to clear the snorkel. This exhale breath needs to be harder than a normal breath to open the purge valve. It doesn't need to be that hard, but the breath does need to have more force than normal to clear the snorkel.

Jake

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Get outside!

I haven't heard the feedback that it is larger than normal, but the regular fit is definitely adult sized. The small fit isn't tiny, but it may be more manageable for smaller adults.

If you have the option to try both, that may be the best option, so you can see the difference.

jake

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Get outside!

I obviously try not to, but as I mentioned in the other post, it seems to take full lungs to get it to clear reasonably.

Anyway, I guess the point is it's still difficult which is why I'm curious about the power breather with the check valves at the top.

Thanks for the explanation.

I do think that it is part of the learning curve for snorkels. It doesn't necessarily take a full breath, but just a harder exhale, once you find the balance your normal breathing exhales can also be going out the purge valve also. I imagine that the Powerbreather uses a one way valve as well, that will take some getting used to. But I haven't tried one yet.

I take breaks from swimming with a snorkel, and every time I start back up again it takes me a few laps to figure out the optimization again.

Jake

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Get outside!

Oh it definitely takes some getting used to! I couldn't swim with it until the 3rd or 4th time I tried, kept getting water boarded! But I've been swimming with it for a couple of months now, usually 1000-2000 of my workouts with the snorkel on and I still can't flip. I guess I could probably try more as I'm definitely getting tired of all the open turns.