Indie Feature: The Extra Breath Snorkel

I’m excited about all the revolutionary new equipment that seems to be hitting the snorkeling market these days. A few months ago, we showed you a snorkeling mask that gives snorkelers the ability to breathe normally through their mouths because the product covers their entire face. Now, there’s a potential campaign by creator Landon Stinson to get his Extra Breath Snorkel on the market.

Snorkeling can be a hugely enjoyable activity and Stinson noticed that it can be limited, especially in relation to scuba diving. The problem with scuba is that it’s expensive and requires a lot of time and equipment. For those looking for much of the same experience, snorkeling is an excellent alternative. With the development of a product that will give you extra dive time, you might feel as though you’re not missing out at all.

A little more on how Landon came up with the idea for his innovative snorkel:

“I spent most of my life in the water, at the beach, in the springs and on friends’ boats, but never had the money or time to take scuba lessons. Whenever my friends would scuba dive. I would just snorkel near the surface and try to make the most of my situation, then I realized something; this simple, J shaped breathing tube can be improved. People have been snorkeling some way or another for centuries and with current innovations in pneumatics, it’s time to improve upon the age old design.”

The Extra Breath Snorkel (or EBS) does just what it says—allows users to take an extra gulp of air while they’re observing fish enjoying the wonders of the world under the water.  This means you can double your time underwater with the help of this one device.

The EBS works in three easy steps:

1: Pump. There is a hand pump on the side of the snorkel that takes air from the top of the snorkel and deposits it into an air bladder. This is where the air is stowed during the duration of your free dive or snorkel excursion.

2: Dive down. This product has been engineered to have what Stinson refers to as “buoyancy neutrality,” meaning the air contained in the bladder won’t keep you from being able to dive down.

3: Twist the valve for an extra breath. While eventually the developers would like to have this mechanized via button, there is a twist valve that releases the air from the reservoir filled by the hand pump into the mouthpiece of the snorkel.

You can then replenish the air reservoir from the surface once you bob up to get oxygen. Pretty cool, huh? The EBS also works at a maximum depth of 100 feet.

The Extra Breath Snorkel recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, however it seems to be cancelled at this time. The team was originally looking for $20,000 to make the jump into manufacturing.

It sounds like the major jump the product needs to make is streamlining everything to make it as ergonomic and compact as possible. The current prototype does seem a bit bulky, but the makers are aware and plan to make a product that is smaller, has a more efficient pump relative to size and has a strong bladder. They’re also looking to find the right materials to achieve cost effectiveness.

This product really would bridge the gap between snorkeling and scuba diving and we hope to see it come to fruition really soon. Good luck, Landon!