FINIS Original Swimmer’s Snorkel - Center-Mount Design - for Swim Training - Adjustable Fit - Purge Valve - Yellow - Adult

I'm a beginner learning to swim proper freestyle. I bought this at the advice of my nephew who competes. Learning to breathe properly is essential to swimming and it's also the biggest obstacle when you first start out. A snorkel is the best piece of gear I bought as it allowed me to focus on my stroke while taking the breathing out of the equation. I also learned to relax in the water with this on. My swim stroke and my breathing (you still need to train this without a snorkel) have both improved dramatically in the two months since I bought this. I haven't had any issues with the fit of this snorkel it's easy to put on and take off and works perfectly. If you've ever wanted to swim but have struggled with the breathing aspects this is your solution.

I looked at other brands of snorkel, but I decided to go with Finis because this is high quality. I have been using them regularly and I like how they work as intended. It doesn't slide around and is fairly comfortable except it kind of hard on the forehead. I heard I can wear a swim cap so it doesn't dig on my forehead. Overall, I'm very satisfied with its performance.

Like all pool training aids, should be used not full-time, but it’s part of your exercise. I truly enjoy the snorkel, as I’m able to concentrate on my stroke, which includes a early vertical forearm and a high elbow. I can concentrate on my glide with my hand in front of me and then the early vertical forearm and the catch pulling back. I also do flip turns with the snorkel. I’m a master scuba diving instructor, and the snorkels is a part of my body. When using the snorkel, try to concentrate on how few breaths you can take to get from One in the pool to the other. Time, your breathing with when you would actually breathe if you weren’t using the snorkel. If you’re gonna do flip turns. You want to use your tongue as another valve. I stick my tongue in the hole between my teeth and then when I exhale hard and sharp to make sure there’s no water in the snorkel. If you’re doing a flip turn. Take a deep breath, tuck your chin, exhale slowly, and continuously through your nose. Once you’re facing down just before you surface exhale through your snorkel. You want to clear the snorkel before it breaks the surface I know it sounds crazy, but it will clear much easier. Take a cautious inhale to make sure that you’ve got all the water out. If you don’t breathe softly until you have enough air again to exhale sharply. It’s a great training aid. You can also use it to Swim fast and hard to increase your pace, but not have to worry about breathing. Just be sure to use it as a tool and not full-time aid.

As someone who's returned to swimming after a very long layoff, my stroke technique needs some work. A coach recommended getting a snorkel, so after some research I decided on this model. I've had it a few days, and the first thing I can say about it is that it definitely allows you to concentrate on your technique. It is, however, something that will take a while to become truly comfortable with in the pool. One thing I noticed was that I have a tendency to tilt my head and look forward a little more than at the bottom of the pool. Overall, though, it seems like a great tool for improving stroke technique. The head harness fits well with goggles, at least on my forehead. It does, however, seems as though it was designed for someone with a larger head. The harness keeps it in place, even during flip turns, but clearing it without having water go down the wrong pipe will require a bit of practice. I've seen others at practice using this same snorkel, and they don't have any problems so I really think it is mostly a matter of practice and getting used to it. When you first get it, I recommend putting the snorkel in the harness on dry land and adjusting the position up or down so that when the snorkel is in your mouth, the silicone part with the mouthpiece isn't bent up or down. Once you have that figured out, go to the pool and make any refinements you need. Overall, this seems like a good product and good solution to a complex problem. It just takes practice, I guess, to make it really work well.

This snorkel is made with sturdy, thick material. I use 4-5 times for my swimming practices and I love it! The head band is soft and comfortable with adjustable mouth piece. I am very happy with my purchase. I bought it almost a year ago and it still holds the shape, adjustable and functional. Will buy this again for sure!

I'm close to being a senior now.... and a long-time runner. Last year I developed persistent and nagging heel problems that caused me to seek other exercise that gave me the same cardio workout, but was a lot easier on the joints. Sooooo, I literally jumped into the pool and started swimming. I could barely do a lap or two without running out of breath and flapping my arms or dog paddling. Obviously I needed to figure out how to swim. After a little research, I realized I needed to invest in a few things - this swimmer's snorkel, pr. of nose clips, ear plugs, swimmer's cap and fins (DMCSWim training fins) in Feb 2012 (now 18 months ago). Wow; I am now swimming 10,000 meters each week (2,500 mt sessions 4 days a week) and absolutely loving the workout!! Without this snorkel, I would have given up on swimming. With it, I can work on a good swimming technique and I really get a great workout. My weight is down and I just really feel great! I still run 3 days a week, but very short distances (3.5 miles) and quite slowly. The heel pain is almost nonexistent, but I'm going to stay with swimming. FWIW, I weaned myself off the fins about 3 months ago. At first I used the fins the entire distance, but over time took them off for increasingly longer distances. Obviously, it's a better workout without the fins, but they helped me immensely get comfortable as a swimmer. The snorkel has worked extremely well. I do clean the purge valve every other week or so and only once in a while do I find myself needing to "clear" it while swimming. Also, I wear a swimmer's cap that is low in my forehead and the snorkel rests on the cap, not the skin of my forehead. This is very comfortable for me. Also, I do really need the nose clips and ear plugs. My sinuses have always bothered me and keeping water out is essential. So, to sum it up, I really love this snorkel. My wife is considering getting into swimming after listening to me tell my buddies just how much I the sport/exercise. I support her no matter what, but if she does want to get into swimming for exercise, I'm sure she'll want to get this snorkel as well.

Folks it is a snorkel, pure and simple. As a scuba diver I have used all kinds from high end jobs to a $5 roll up one. They all do pretty much the same thing. Air goes in and air goes out. Not the most complex piece of machinery ever devised. I got this today and decided to take it out for some test laps. First putting it together is really very simple. Almost self explanatory. Slip tube into loop on headpiece. Adjust it so it sits comfy in your mouth. Let me say that do to an injury I usually wear an upper denture. I scuba without it and used this without it and no problem. Don't bite down too hard as that causes jaw fatigue. Too lose and water gets in. As Goldilocks would say, "Hold it just right." I thought I was in decent shape. But after a few (and I mean few as in like 3) laps I was stopping to sit and gain back my breath. This does indeed allow you to focus on your technique, how you move your hands and arms without worrying as Finis says in the video, "...worrying about self preservation." Over all this seems to be a good piece of gear. Might take it on a dive trip just to watch all the expressions. (just kidding) I wouldn't do that.

Pros: - This is a phenomenal product for beginners who are just learning to swim and want to practice their kicks / stroke. It enabled me to relax and not worry about breathing and concentrate on good form and proper movement and balance. - If you swim in the pool, it can substantially or completely eliminate you drinking the pool water. This is especially good again for beginners since they are just learning to breath, and unfortunately, a mistake in breathing usually amounts to a gulp or two of chlorinated pool water that's sometimes mixed with sweat and bacteria. It's usually best to avoid drinking pool water as much as possible. - The strap is quite comfortable and adjustable. I didn't have any marks or discomfort on my forehead, and barely even noticed the strap. - The mouthpiece is well designed and soft. It doesn't irritate the teeth or mouth, and you could get a nice comfortable seal around it. Cons: - I'm not sure if it's just my unit or most of them, but when I got this product, there was a filthy smell of silicon + burned plastic + skunk in the tube, kind of similar to smelling the sole of a new shoe. Having to breath that smell in constantly made me throw up in my mouth after first practice. I've tried washing it with dish-soap and leaving water in it for hours, but the smell hardly subsides. - The breathing tube is somewhat narrow and feels like sucking air in from a straw. You don't breath with comfort, you really have to pressure your lungs to suck air in. This can get uncomfortable, especially since the air that comes in smells awful. - Once water gets in the tube from the top, it's not easy to push it out. Your really have to exhale very heavily to push *most* of it out, and there is still some left. I feel that once water gets in the tube, I can never get it all out completely until I get to the end of the lap, take it out of my mouth, and empty it. - It looks a bit awkward. You might get some strange looks from people around you, but that usually doesn't bother me much.