Is alright for me to ditch my snorkel? It is the most worthless piece of SCUBA gear I own?

It seems that scuba divers are divided on this issue. On one hand, they say (I can’t speak from experience) that it’s necessary to have one in order to do a surface swim in rough waters, or to conserve airwhile surface swimming in calm waters.
On the other hand, I’ve met some instructors who never wear it except when teaching class because they claim that they’ve never used it, apart from certification dives, not even in the conditions described above.
My person feeling is that I hate the thing; it’s uncomfortable, no matter how much I try to adjust it or what type of holder I use to hold to my mask, it whacks me in the head or gets in my way. Plus, the quarries here in the midwest are not exactly rough waters, and if I have to surface swim, I can do it easier by swimming on my back.
So, fellow divers, what’s your take on this?
Thanks!
If you’re not a SCUBA diver, then please don’t respond… you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Thanks, bob, that’s the kind of info I need… from somebody who knows what they’re talking about!