It is legal, right? Does it just get in the way? I would figure if it were posible to cut time off we would see alot more of it.
It is not legal, at least not USAT races or any around where I live.
snorkel?
dorkel
While it is in fact legal I would imagine the main reason is that you will get your ass kicked for being a dork.
Other reasons include that it isn’t very hard to breathe while swimming and that by nature of a snorkel it is an inefficient method of breathing, i.e. restricted flow and you will be rebreathing a decent amount of every breath.
Did I mention that we’ll kick your ass for being a dork?
The hardest thing about using a snorkle on the swim is telling your parents you are gay… Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Can you imagine some guy standing there waiting for his wave to start wearing a mask and f-ing snorkel. How funny would that be???
Why are snorkels dorky and aerobars cool?
I thought triatheltes were equipment junkies. There’s no piece of equipment that can’t make you go faster.
Here’s the equipment sections of USAT rules, nowhere does it exclude snorkels… But try getting good rotation and breathing with one in a bunch!
4.7 Official Equipment.
If provided by race management, a swimmer shall wear the proper official swim cap corresponding to his wave. The penalty for an infraction of this rule is a variable time penalty. For safety reasons if no official cap is provided, all swimmers should wear their own brightly colored swim cap.
4.8 Goggles.
Swimmers may wear, but shall not be required to wear, swim goggles or face masks.
4.9 Illegal Equipment.
Any swimmer wearing any artificial propulsion device, including but not limited to fins, gloves, paddles, or floating devices of any kind shall be disqualified.
Another very telling post about how serious the swim is in triathlons…
hee hee…
And why don’t more people wear black socks and garters on the run?
Snorkels are OK as long as you put an end plug in it. It would be unsafe, otherwise. Oh, I suppose you could put a brake lever on it.
My bad, I thought it was illegal.
I thought the USAT sent out something last summer saying that the Race Director could prohibit them unless medically necessary.
"4.9 Illegal Equipment.
Any swimmer wearing any artificial propulsion device, including but not limited to fins, gloves, paddles, or floating devices of any kind shall be disqualified."
Floating devices of any kind, eh? Guess all the wetsuit wearing world should be DQed. Oh, I forgot… wetsuits are necessary because you’d otherwise freeze in that 77 degree water. 
Give the choice of gloves, paddles or wetsuit, I’d choose wetsuit as my artificial propulsion device second only to fins.
I suppose this post belongs in the wetsuit whining thread that was a couple months ago though, eh?
I thought last year a “Special Amendment” was made to the USAT rules prohibiting them. I saw that on the Lake Degray Half Ironman web page.
*** Special Amendment to USAT Rules has been approved:***
Snorkels will not be allowed unless they are medically necessary for the the individual to compete.
Who the hell cares if they’re legal…IT"S A FU&KING SNORKEL … for God’s sakes!!!
f-ing hilarious… can I carry and oxygen tank on my bike?
The first time a Pro goes out and wins a race with one they’ll become the hottest freakin thing since sliced bread and everyone will have one. Then someone will make a carbon one, and then there’ll be aero snorkels, and then Cervelo will make one which will be so fast that it gets banned.
A few months back when I’d just started swimming and couldn’t figure it out at all I thought a snorkel would be a good idea.
Now I can swim and realise that a snorkel would be lousy idea - I don’t think you could get enough air through it to power your swimming.
Has anyone ever seen one in action ?
Can you imagine some guy standing there waiting for his wave to start wearing a mask and f-ing snorkel. How funny would that be???
I swear to God I saw that in my wave at Gulf Coast tri. I had to look away – I felt like I was staring at a freak! Looked completely ridiculous. I was embarrassed for him.
Anyway, I cannot imagine that you could go faster with a snorkel vs. a solid rotation with every breath.