Ready, Set, Let’s Do the Snorkel

Need to drive your rig through three feet of water to assist some neighbors in need, or maybe just for the hell of it? You’re gonna want to get yourself a snorkel. But prepare for some backlash, and don’t say you weren’t given a warning.

Ah, snorkels. We are alive in the Golden Age of the automotive aftermarket. A slew of aftermarket companies now compete to customize and perfect every inch of your vehicle, bumper to bumper. And few aftermarket topics divide off-road enthusiasts quite and sharply as the talk of a snorkel. While useful when the waters rise, most detractors say that it is merely a showpiece, another useless doodad for preening, inexperienced riders to adorn their pavement princesses with. But a great many others see the value when put to their intended use, for work and for play.

Do I Need One?

So what, exactly, is a snorkel good for? To put it simply, it helps the engine take in the air it requires from a higher point. Moving the air intake from behind the grille to roughly the vehicle’s roof height prevents problems that arise when the engine may be submerged in high water, when hydrolocking is a concern. Water can’t compress in a combustion chamber the same way air can, and any H2O infiltration is likely a death sentence. Bent connecting rods, destroyed head gaskets, and even the head separating from the engine block entirely could spell the send your beloved rig to its watery grave. It can get pretty ugly.

Anyone who thinks they may have reason to bog through a couple feet of water, be it for work or play, could benefit from a well-installed snorkel. They’ll keep the engine breathing high and dry. And while that is the intended effect, a secondary perk is lending your vehicle (be it a Jeep, pickup, or other four-wheeler) an air of off-road status. A snorkel looks tough and capable, and its looks are what splits the automotive web in two.

A Difference of Opinion

If the snorkel were installed under the hood and remained hidden, there would be little debate over its validity. People who thought they needed one would simply install it, and then go about their lives. End of story. Nobody would accuse them of doing it just for the looks. But that’s just not the case. When asking the internet four-wheel scholars that make up the vast network of message boards, Wrangler and truck forums, as well as the all-knowing Four Wheeler network, the general tenor surrounding snorkels can be boiled down into three basic schools of thought:

1. Snorkels are stupid, and stupid people only install them because they think they look awesome.

“If I have to see one more mall crawling pickup that has never been off of an asphalt road riding around with a Warn winch, a Red Rock recovery jack on the hood, and a goofy-ass snorkel sticking out of the side so he doesn’t drown on his four-mile journey to Buffalo Wild Wings, I’m going to lose my mind. These guys are playing dress-up. It is an insult to true four-wheel culture.”

2. Snorkels are great! They look awesome.

“This is America, Jack. I work hard for my money, and no amount of internet haters are going to shame me out of buying a snorkel, whether I need it or not. It looks great. Although I don’t really go off road very much, you never know when that is gonna come in handy.”

And as with most disputes, the most astute assessment likely lies somewhere in the middle…

3. Though they may be in a state of over-installation, and a bit of a fashion statement, snorkels can absolutely be useful in some difficult situations.

Aside from the security they provide in the event of a water hazard, snorkels also act as an additional air filter, keeping dust out that would otherwise pollute the engine. And many message board devotees say their modification helps with highway fuel economy too, giving them an extra 1-2 miles per gallon.

A Useful Accessory

Additionally, care must be taken to insure proper installation, otherwise things can go south pretty quickly. A snorkel is cut to fit, so its installation requires sawing into the body of the vehicle. This is of concern to many, because it almost certainly will void most warranties. Also, a snorkel must absolutely be airtight, and installation perfect. Any leak will leave the owner worse off than when he began.

You can’t please all the people all the time, and the vehicular snorkel is rock-solid proof of that. There will always be a faction of snorkel owners who never put them to use. Some people don’t know how to use their thousand dollar winch. Some people with fancy tow mirrors on their truck have never towed anything. Such is life. It’s no secret that many trucks and Jeeps that were once solely seen as workhorses now have show ponies among their ranks. But there’s also a doomsday-prepper savvy to snorkels, to prepare for the yet-unknown problems the future may hold. As some in online forums point out, though they have no set plans to use their snorkel anytime soon, the need to drive through high-standing water is often an unforeseen occurrence.

Just ask the rescuers from this year’s natural disasters in Florida and Texas. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And for them, brand names like Volant, Safari, Rugged Ridge, AEV, ARB, River Raider, and even Mopar are great insurance to have.