Taking a deep breath – a snorkel can be useful, wet or dry

Checking out the NZ Four Wheel Drive Association's Southern Safari (below), 4wdNewz wondered if a snorkel would be needed. The cautious note comes from the days when Fred Cassin of Nelson ran the Coast-to-Coast tag alongs from Greymouth to Kaikoura, or vice versa, that ran with the motto, "use no bridges". A snorkel was pretty much mandatory for those who didn't want to ignore the motto. The Southern Safari, however, is apparently less extreme. There will be water crossings, but none too serious – flooding and unexpected deep holes excepted. With summer approaching, it's worth remembering another good reason for a snorkel: in serious dust it will usually take in cleaner air, meaning a less clogged filter. Some argue a snorkel has a "ram effect" and improves performance, but don't expect to notice any improvement, if true. The big piece of advice about fitting a snorkel: make sure it's installed really well. If the water sealing is not perfect, the whole exercise is pointless – and potentially very expensive.