While training a triathlon student with great success using the Finis snorkel, my thoughts went back to the question whether or not a snorkel is legal triathlon gear. Because if a Finis snorkel is legal in a triathlon, I would use it and have other swimmers buy one because they would make most people faster in the water. If it’s legal for $5,000 bikes to compete against $500 bikes, then the technical advantage of a snorkel is reasonable in my opinion too.

I also think that pull buoys and fins would be fine too as long as we have the swim categorized as swim aided like we do with wet suits when the water is warm and the wet suit is really being used for buoyancy.

Most swimmers slow down and experience most of their difficulty when rolling for a breath of air. When we eliminate the momentary loss of balance and increased drag when we go for a breath of air, we are making a huge improvement in the ease and speed of a swim.

What I liked about the Finis snorkel for this one student is that it allowed him to experience a good stroke time after time without tossing in the weak stroke that often occurs when one takes a breath. Having two or three good strokes followed by a weak stroke was slowing down the learning of a good stroke. With the Finis snorkel, my student was better able to groove a good stroke for hundreds of strokes in a row. Then when we took the snorkel off, the light went on in his head and he could tell what he needed to change in his stroke – a stronger thrust and then maintaining the arm in front while rolling for air.

Was this break through co-incidental or did the Finis snorkel with so many good strokes in a row set him up to know what wasn’t working when he took a stroke and went for air? I tend to think the repetitive good stroke experience created more stroke awareness than taking two good strokes and then one weak stroke.

While I am not a USATA official, here is a web site with a discussion chain that debates the practical legality of using a snorkel in a triathlon.

http://www.triswimcoach.com/members/viewtopic.php?t=100&sid=5a88b6c147d80f4432ae54f110da9585

In closing whether you are able to use a snorkel or not in a triathlon, I am seeing more of benefit to improve one’s stroke with a Finis snorkel than I first thought possible.