Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First, let me say, swimming with a snorkel is absolutely addictive. 5 months ago I fell and seriously damaged my knee. So much so that I was bed ridden for almost three of those months and lost nearly all of my muscle and respiratory fitness. I went from biking 60 miles a weeks to complete inactivity gaining 40 lbs in the process. Once I COULD walk, the ONLY aerobic exercise I was capable of... was swimming. Even though I use to swim competitively when I was young, I was so out of shape, I could hardly swim a lap without gasping for air. So I decided to try the Finis Snorkel. WOW what a difference! I went from barely swimming 20 laps in a workout to swimming almost 200 in just under 2 months. I've lost 20 lbs swimming 2 hrs 3-4 times a week. The snorkel is the only main reason. Since the snorkel allowed me to swim much longer and much harder than I would otherwise, my knee recover was likely cut in half... (my surgeon was amazed). I like the facing forward design and have had no trouble with the "on the forehead" strap. The mouth piece is comfortable even during a two hour swim. BUT! (and yes this is a big BUT), the purge valve leaks forcing you to clear the water almost every lap. The speed at which you swim does effect the leakage rate as does the how hard you are breathing. You have to swim exactly at the optimum speed to keep the leakage to manageable minimum. Originally, I thought maybe I just got a lemon, so I went out and bought a second one. Same problem. Having to constantly clear the snorkel, really does interrupt my work out. Again, snorkel swimming truly has been a life changing experience for me, and I can't imagine swimming without one, but the purge valve problem has forced me to give this product only 2 stars. I'm back on the market looking for an alternative, probably one without a purge valve. GREAT in concept, just falls short with respect to design and/or construction. Hope they can correct it.