[milkman21]

Hey, I'm a little late to the discussion here, but hear me out.

I've used the swimmer's snorkel a good deal myself, and I feel it is an absolutely great tool.

(1) It helps balance your stroke
(2) It trains you to swim more efficiently in a straight line, with less bowing at the hips.
(3) It adds a hypoxic element which can be enhanced by taping over part of the opening.
(4) It allows you to become more technique-minded during your swims.
(5) It's a challenging change of pace.

For what it's worth, *many* top swimmers train with swimmer's snorkels. When I was at Auburn, the coaches swore by them, and they arranged for several sets per week for everyone. For some swimmers, particularly the ones who needed conditioning work, they used them even more often.