Historically, post 1942 many Uboat commanders prefered to surface during the day (in mid ocean) as they could at least see their airborn enemy coming. This is both good and bad in many ways but it beats being found being a near silent plane in the dead of night via radar and the first thing you know about it is when a 24 million candle power lamp lights your boat up like a christmas tree!
The snorkel only allowed a boat to recharge below the surface or to move at a crawl (loudly due to the diesels) and in rough seas the one way valve on the top slamming shut caused hell for the crew as the engines drew cabin air.
All in all I'd prefer to run decks awash with a good watch crew and get advance warning of an enemy so I might avoid them than to get bombed out of the blue.
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