Unlike recreational snorkelling where the comfort of an easy to clear or dry snorkel is paramount, freediving has different criteria. While performing dives a freediver drops the snorkel from his mouth, giving another barrier to the possible water penetration to the lungs. This is a safety point and is stressed in all freediving courses. A snorkel with a large splash guard on top or purge at the bottom will catch a lot of water, reducing the freediver’s streamling. Such a snorkel will also be an annoying distraction during ascent or descent, by moving back and forth as it catches the water. A freediver usually chooses a snorkel that is a basic tube with a mouthpiece.