A snorkel is part of the essential ABC set and, therefore, every diver should own at least one of them.
They are also great just for snorkeling or skin diving without scuba gear.
Snorkels for scuba diving are a relatively inexpensive item and as such, it’s easy to get lost in the plethora of different options.
They are often bought together with an appropriate mask so look out for sets!
The Best Snorkels in 2026
These are the best snorkels 2026 for any budget. Most of them can be used for both scuba diving and snorkeling.
- Best dry snorkel: Cressi Supernova Dry
- Best budget dry snorkel: Oceanic Ultra Dry
- Best foldable snorkel: Cressi Alpha Ultra Dry
- Best semi-dry scuba snorkel: Atomic Aquatics SV2
Cressi Supernova Dry
One of the best dry snorkels on the market!
- Very comfortable
- Good splashguard
- Lots of color options
- Great price
- Pretty big
- Rather flappy
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The Cressi Supernova Dry is one of the best dry snorkels on the market and is just a really comfortable piece of equipment.
Like pretty much all Cressi scuba gear, it comes in dozens of colors so pick what suits your style.
Oceanic Ultra Dry
An affordable dry snorkel for divers and snorkelers alike.
- Great Splashguard
- Easy to store away
- Lots of color options
- Cheaper than new V2 version
- Bigger drag
- Not foldable
- 'Ultra-dry' mechanism takes some getting used to
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The Oceanic Ultra Dry snorkel is one of the best dry snorkels on the market at an affordable price.
It’s pretty affordable and looks really cool.
What I like about it most are the easily replaceable mouthpiece and the super good splashguard.
However, there is also the Ultra Dry 2 available now!
Oceanic Ultra Dry 2
A great update to the first version and a great dry snorkel option.
- Great update to the V1
- Little drag
- Absolutely dry
- Looks super cool
- A bit pricey
- Still not foldable
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Cressi Ultra Alpha Dry
- Foldable
- Easy to store away
- Lots of color options
- Latex-free
- Splashguard not as good as the Supernova one
- Not the most robust mask clip
- I am not the biggest fan of the design but that's subjective
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Cressi’s Alpha Ultra Dry foldable snorkel is a great budget option that has a comfortable fit.
It can be stored away super easily and fits into any BCD or suit pocket underwater. It is also latex-free which is a big plus for many divers.
The Cressi Ultra Alpha Dry is a great snorkel for beginners and experienced divers alike.
Atomic V2
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The Atomic V2 snorkel is a typical Atomic Aquatics scuba gear product. Great materials, looks amazing…and quite pricey.
As usual, you get what you pay for and this semi-dry snorkel is a true delight to use. Easy to purge and one of the lightest snorkels I’ve ever used.
It’s mainly aimed at scuba divers and if you want a small yet super-effective snorkel, this is a great option.
Why do we need a snorkel for scuba diving?
In scuba diving, we use a snorkel when swimming at the surface to or from the dive spot in order to conserve air from our tank, look at the reef underneath, and to not get water into our moth. It is an essential part of our scuba gear and all divers should carry one on their dives.
Buying a snorkel for scuba diving
A snorkel is an important part of the basic scuba gear every scuba diver should own.
In contrast to essentially all other equipment parts, however, they have (almost) identical shape, form, and length no matter which one you buy: 35ncm in length by 3 cm in diameter.
Pendulum respiration
Snorkels may not be any longer than 35ncm, as in that case, your lungs would not be strong enough to blow out all the exhaled air from the snorkel. Some of it remains in it and is inhaled when you breathe in next time.
Since exhaled air contains a higher CO2 content, you lower the oxygen content in the snorkel, leading to a typical pool blackout after a while. We call this pendulum breathing or respiration.
Make sure the snorkel is certified, can be easily connected to your mask, and doesn’t dangle in your face during a dive.
How much to spend on a snorkel
Basic snorkels start at around $20, while higher-priced models will cost anywhere between $50 and $80. They offer convenient features such as better design, being foldable, or one-way water outlets.
Foldable means that you can fold and store away the snorkel in your BCD pockets during a dive. I think this should be the standard on all snorkels. Unfortunately, this is only built into the better ones.
One-way water outlets make it easier to blow out the snorkel when water gets in, as they are located right in front of your mouth, while cheap ones are essentially just U-shaped tubes. If you enjoy snorkeling on its own, then you will definitely want this feature.
I personally use a Tusca foldable snorkel, which is also great for freediving.
However, don’t break the bank by buying a super expensive snorkel, just because it features a certain brand name.