an elephant ’ s trunk . Perhaps Aristotle was also aware the elephants really do use their trunks in a snorkel-like fashion when swimming .
In the early 1400s , artist and visionary Leonardo da Vinci had a stab at designing a snorkel . His was a longer tube held at the surface by a hollow cork bell . However , to my mind the tube is too long and the snorkeller too deep to make it effective and to overcome the difference in ambient pressure , so I doubt he ever produced a useable version . Then , dating from 1531 in Italy , we have a drawing of someone using a hollow tube held in place by an attachment to the snorkeller ’ s hat .
Without the ability to see well underwater that comes with masks or goggles , and without the thermal protection offered by wetsuits , it ’ s not surprising that snorkelling appears to have developed in the warmer , clearer parts of maritime Europe , especially Italy and Greece . Although much of the research and evidence has been centred in the Classical World , there is evidence that snorkelling was adopted across the world independently by ancient societies . The coastal bamboo forests of Eastern Asia or the reed beds of the Red Sea or even the river-bank plants of the Amazon , for example , would have supplied plentiful raw materials and inspiration for the oldest diving discipline . Snorkelling , with its low cost , simple , accessible nature , seems to be the underwater activity that can transcend financial , cultural , geographical and even chronological boundaries .
The first snorkel to be patented in 1938 was front-mounted , worn with the tube over the front of the face , and secured with a bracket to the diving mask . Frontmounted snorkels proved popular in European snorkelling until the late 1950s when side-mounted snorkels came into the ascendancy . �
Leonardo da Vinci ’ s theoretical snorkel
The dual-snorkel of the 1950s ‘ Medusa mask ’
For more information on snorkelling with BSAC go to bsac . com / snorkelling Looking to introduce snokelling into your club ? Find out more at bsac . com / snorkellinginstructor
Vintage snorkeller , Tyneside SAC
1950s centremounted snorkel
73