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One of the main problems newbies mention when attempting to start diving, instead of just snorkeling along the surface, is that their snorkel gets full of water while they're under and the water they aspirate when back on the surface causes distress to their respiratory system, and hence to their nervous system. This is an inevitable result of leaving the surface (even if your snorkle is equipped with some lunatic training-wheels contraption to "prevent" water from getting in, but that's the subject of future column full of bitchy, non-constructive, post-consumerist ranting.) What you want to know is how to get the water out of the snorkle without getting it into your lungs. Fortunately this is really easy.
It seems even easier if your snorkle is equipped with a purge valve that allows you to blow the water out the bottom, instead of having to shoot it all the way out the top, but if you did it right, that doesn't make that much difference. Blowing the snorkle tube clean of water to allow the passage of nutritious, muscle-making oxygen is called the "blast" method of clearing. You rise to the surface and forcibly blast the stale air from your lungs, thus shooting most of the water out. This is the method employed by dolphins and whales, giving rise to at least one meaning of the traditional seaman's cry, "Thar she blows."
Once rid of the Bad Air, however, you will probably be hot to stock back up on Good Air, and the big word here is "slowly". Breathing as slowly and deeply as possible is generally a good idea when breathing through tubes that might contain water or, who knows, highly disturbed fish. You don't want to aspirate even the small residue of water that might still be in the snorkle. If you sip it in slowly, you might hear some bubbling and percolating, but you will get air. Enough to do a second blast, hopefully cleaning the tube. It's these moments when there's just a little water in the tube that the purge valve really shines, which makes it highly convenient when you're swimming in waves and dealing not with an entirely flooded tube, but splashed-in amounts. You just puff it out the valve. If you keep having a tiny amount of water snuffling in your tube and can't blow it out the purge valve, just reach and place your hand over the top of the tube and give a quick toot. The water will have no where to go but out the valve and you will have a totally dry air channel. Until the next wave, dive, or miscalculation.
If you don't have enough air on hand to blast the tube, by the way, don't worry about it. You are at the surface and only have to lift your head and unclench your lips from the mouthpiece to get an invigorating gulp of atmosphere. There's no shame in this. There IS shame in screwing around and sucking a bunch of water into your lungs then paddling around emulating the bark of a dysfunctional seal while being cheese-gratered over the reef by the waves. All's fair when it comes to getting around some air.
But there's a better, more efficient, more...well, "heads up" way of clearing your tube while ascending, the "displacement" method. Essentially, rather than energetically blasting away at the surface, you gently breathe the tube clear on your way up, simultaneously venting the carbon-laden spent air that is pressuring you to inhale unwisely. It's not really a "technique" and doesn't really take much practice--it's just a matter of remembering to do it, then making it a habit.
While heading back up, just tip your head back and look straight up. This is not only easy to do, it's not a bad idea on its own merits, since it might prevent you from swimming up into a rock overhang, a spinning propeller, a giant gaping Orca maw, or somebody's butt. The idea is that the tip of the snorkel will be lower than the mouthpiece. That way your gentle, slow, exhalation keeps the tube full of air, in the same way an inverted glass stays empty when pushed down into water. Just let the air flow out naturally, then break the surface far enough that rolling your head forward swings the snorkel to its full upright position without re-flooding and ta-daaa, your snorkel is clear and dry, allowing you to inhale without spouting like a Sperm Whale. If you are coming up at an angle, you can still get your tube into the inverted position by rolling over belly up, which also lets you to watch the surface as you rise.
Do this a few times and it becomes second nature. You can still scan around on the way up, you only have to have the snorkle's tip lower than the rest of it for enough time to fill it with air before surfacing. Keep exhaling until the tip clears the surface, and still take a tentative breath before doing the full huff'n'puff, because you never know for sure. Displacement clearing is one of the hallmarks of an experienced diver and a habit worth cultivating. It works just as well with a simple snorkle as with a valved model, which is why a lot of veteran divers never bothered to switch to purge valves. But, as mentioned, a valve is worth having, especially if you swim in rough water or around rough people. Which, for a true snorkle bum, is the only way to go.
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