During training in Dean’s Blue Hole, world record holder Will Trubridge asked me:
“Chris” he asked my hypoxic brain after I’d just surfaced “What is your relationship with your snorkel?”
Possibly due to the aforementioned hypoxic suggestibility this question has continued to resonate in my mind, like an inscrutable koan.
My Relationship With Snorkels
As a kid, I spent innumerable hours breathing through a snorkel while exploring the sometimes openly hostile waters of Lake Michigan. They and my masks were secret portals to the universe beneath the waves (and, in the case of snorkels, survival in some sketchy situations).
During the winter, I’d practice equalization and breath holds while awaiting the latest issue of Skin Diver so I could scope out the newest gear.
Snorkels came and went, none hitting the spot, until one day, I found this:
From that day until now, the ‘Dacor Big-Barrel Wrap-around’ snorkel has set the standard. It was the snorkel of my dreams, low drag, tremendous airflow, comfortable and stylish.
Sadly, Dacor went out of business, and those rubber mouthpieces eventually rot, leaving only the weathered, clear barrel—a poignant reminder of thousands of hours of unimpeded breathing (and ‘danger music’). We hummed danger music through our snorkels: ‘ Nanananananana NA! ‘ etc.).
Since then, it’s been nothing but compromises.
With the advent of my monofin addiction, streamlining became a priority. For recreational swims and dynamic workouts, I’ve been using the very hydrodynamic Gull Stable, and for face-down breathe-ups during dedicated line diving, the bulky but capacious Impulse 2.
The Stable’s hydrodynamics come at the cost of airflow. The Impulse Two breathes nicely but is like a drag chute attached to your mask and sinks like a rock if you let it go.
Enter The Alchemy Air
The Greek free diving equipment company Alchemy, known for its novel and high-quality free diving kits, contacted me about its new snorkel. I’m a big fan of Alchemy neck weights and recently had a chance to try out a pair of short-profile Alchemy carbon fiber fins (which were amazing—particularly given their very compact form factor—but that’s another story). I was intrigued to see what their innovative minds could do with the venerable snorkel.
Out of the box
The Alchemy Air comes in two stiffness levels: Soft and Normal. I like the soft model because it has just enough flex to make it a little more comfortable but not so much that it will kink or flatten and reduce airflow.
The Air has a very large-bore tube with a gentle curve, allowing excellent airflow and a good hydrodynamic profile.
At first glance, the feature that stands out most is the boxy-shaped mouthpiece. I had a pretty good idea of what that was about and looked forward to testing it in open water.
The Air and Water
Flotation
We took the Air out for a dive on a small offshore wreck in West Grand Traverse Bay (off Lake Michigan). During my first buoyancy test, the soft model, surprisingly, very, very slowly …. sank.. while the stiffer model floated as advertised. It didn’t take long to figure out the culprit: a custom snorkel clip I’d attached to the softer version.
My custom snorkel clip weighs 3 grams more than the silicone loop-style snorkel keeper with the Air. In fresh water, it was enough to make the air slightly negative.
With the included snorkel keeper, the air floats, but not so aggressively that it pops up or creates drag when attached to your mask.
Breathing
I was right about the boxy mouthpiece. It keeps that annoying bit of water that always seems to rattle around in your snorkel out of the airflow. Such an elegant solution to an irritating problem!
The Alchemy Air’s mouthpiece is more effective at eliminating residual water in the airflow than even the purge valves in some of my other snorkels.
It’s almost as if actual math was used in its design (see specs below)!
The Air breathes more easily than any modern freediving snorkel I’ve used. My perceived breathing effort is on par with the ginormous tube from my original Dacor Big Barrel.
Thanks to Alchemy for providing at long last a snorkel I can truly bond with!
Bonus Safety Hack: Conspicuity!
I recently taught freediving to a pod of US Coast Guard Rescue swimmers. They, each and everyone, had done the same thing I’d done to my small fleet of snorkels, including the newly beloved Alchemy Airs. If I’m a nerd – so are they. (And they get to jump out of helicopters!!)
Final Thoughts
The Alchemy Air is a subtly innovative snorkel with great hydrodynamics and airflow. It’s buoyant enough that you can confidently let it go during a dive but not so buoyant that it’s annoying when you leave it attached to your mask.
The brilliantly designed mouthpiece is amazingly effective at keeping residual water from disrupting the flow of breath.
Features
- CE / EN1972:2016 certified (INPP R100-2023)
- Positive buoyancy (floating) both in salt-water & freshwater
- 2 tube stiffness levels. Flexible (shA60) and Semi-Rigid (shA80)
- Weight (mass): ~96g
- Color: Black / Black
- 100% hypoallergenic silicone mouthpiece
- R2 influx design resulting in no interference of the remaining water in the mouthpiece with the diver’s breathing.
- Anti-air-turbulence tube design to ease the movement of air in & out of the tube
- Inhale work: 0,11 J/L
- Exhale work: 0,13 J/L
- Respiratory pressure range: -1,61mbar to 1,96mbar
Price
- Alchemy Air Snorkel – €27 EUR / ~$29 USD / £27 GBP
Buy Now
Alchemy Air Snorkel
Introducing Air, the ultimate freediving snorkel that defines performance excellence. Air's unparalleled R2 Influx boasts the largest air intake ever seen on a snorkel, making surface breathing a breeze. Say goodbye to the hassle of retrieval, and focus on the thrill of the depths, as it effortlessly floats on the surface. Glide seamlessly through the currents with Air's sleek and streamlined form, minimizing drag, and combining comfort & style with optimal underwater maneuverability. Crafted from premium materials, and available in two levels of stiffness, Air is not just an accessory but a lasting investment in durability and performance.
