full beard and prescription lens snorkel mask

[Sharat]

Hi all,
I am unable to see this being discused here recently, just joined to seek answers so apologies if this isnt the right thread/forum.
I am looking for a snorkel mask for myself, I wear high index progressive glasses and do not use contacts- guess these arent recommeded either under a mask.
I also have a full beard and moustache.
I found that full face mask can be used by those with beard- but most diving sites say that these are unsafe.
I can use a half face mask with a snorkel attached- for perfect seal- some sites say use a diving head hood.
I also need prescription glasses to be fitted on the mask- thats the easy bit as some specialist shops can fit them- provided i know what mask to use.
So please can any one advise what snorkel mask should I use and look for online keeping the above crieria in mind, cost is not an issue.
I am not going to take off my beard- never shaved after 20 yrs of age but I can trim and clear some from below the cheek bone.
Thanks very much for any advice.

 

[musubi]

Hi all,
I am unable to see this being discused here recently, just joined to seek answers so apologies if this isnt the right thread/forum.
I am looking for a snorkel mask for myself, I wear high index progressive glasses and do not use contacts- guess these arent recommeded either under a mask.
I also have a full beard and moustache.
I found that full face mask can be used by those with beard- but most diving sites say that these are unsafe.
I can use a half face mask with a snorkel attached- for perfect seal- some sites say use a diving head hood.
I also need prescription glasses to be fitted on the mask- thats the easy bit as some specialist shops can fit them- provided i know what mask to use.
So please can any one advise what snorkel mask should I use and look for online keeping the above crieria in mind, cost is not an issue.
I am not going to take off my beard- never shaved after 20 yrs of age but I can trim and clear some from below the cheek bone.
Thanks very much for any advice.

I came across this site: https://blog.padi.com/moustache-divers-tips-for-improving-your-mask-seal/

The best is to go to a store that sells masks, ask to try them on, and see what fits best.
I have a friend that also didn't shave, but battled heavily with water leaking in. He used a gel or Vaseline like substance which sort of helped, but it would make it really hit or miss on it leaking or not. He eventually trimmed his moustache area down a lot and that's worked.

I'd recommend the same if this is something you want to get into.
Also, I've worn contacts for many years spearfishing and free diving and it hasn't been an issue for me. It would probably be best to go that route, but if you prefer going the prescription lens route, that works.

 

[Sharat]

Good advice, many thanks
I will need to fit a mask and then go under in a bath tub or swimming pool to check if it leaks- my facial hair is not very thick and I can trim.
I guess you are not recommending full face mask.
I can get contacts- disposable ones for one time use, I dont think contacs can be with progressive power- but i can do with that -only need to read my watch from close distance. Thats an easy option, i havent seen anyone i know use contacts while swimming, most use powered goggles which is what I use for swimming.

 

[musubi]

Good advice, many thanks
I will need to fit a mask and then go under in a bath tub or swimming pool to check if it leaks- my facial hair is not very thick and I can trim.
I guess you are not recommending full face mask.
I can get contacts- disposable ones for one time use, I dont think contacs can be with progressive power- but i can do with that -only need to read my watch from close distance. Thats an easy option, i havent seen anyone i know use contacts while swimming, most use powered goggles which is what I use for swimming.

I honestly don't have any experience with full face masks, but the main disadvantage for me would be not being able to equalize your ears. Unless you're one of the very few that can equalize underwater without pinching your nose. It sounded like the concern with the full masks were the potential build up of CO2 since there's a lot of dead space in there. I'd say, if you plan to snorkel for hours, I'd avoid the full face ones.

Most of my friends have been gifted with perfect eye sight, so no contacts needed for them. For the other friends like me needing corrective lenses, we use contacts. I'm fairly blind without them or my glasses, so I'd need to walk around with my mask until I could get back to my glasses, which sometimes is far away.

I think if you're just going for short duration casual snorkeling and don't feel the need to dive closer to things, the full face might be okay for you. That way you can keep you mustache full length.

 

[DRW]

Masks with attached snorkel(s) may help people in particular who absolutely must breathe through their nose or who experience a gag reflex when inserting a standard snorkel mouthpiece.

As for their use in the water, they best serve people who want to lie face downwards on the surface of the water for extended periods while they observe what is going on underwater. The original mid-twentieth-century snorkel-masks were designed for the latter purpose, finding favour with spearfishers who spent most of their time floating face down on the surface unencumbered by a traditional snorkel mouthpiece and stalking their quarry.

So it depends what kind of snorkelling you have in mind. Snorkel-masks, whether ancient or modern, won't really help if you are actually contemplating submerging to "freediving" depths where ear-clearing is necessary. If you are content with underwater observation from the surface with occasional shallow dives, these masks may fulfil their function.

I also have a full beard, which I keep short. As a "vintage snorkeller", never a freediver in the modern sense, I have snorkelled all my life with a vintage-style high-volume oval mask whose rubber skirt flange provides sufficient surface when in contact with my face to guarantee a watertight seal. Of course, a low-volume diving mask proves its worth at freediving depths when equalising and expelling residual water from the mask interior, but it isn't an absolute necessity when snorkelling at shallow depths.

The other contributors are right to stress the need to check before purchase whether a mask fits properly to avoid potential leaks later. Do so by pressing the mask against the face without attaching the straps, inhale through the nose and see if the vacuum generated keeps the mask adhered to the face. Not a complete guarantee that a mask will be leak-free, but at least a positive sign. Don't believe any propaganda about a certain model fitting every face.

 

[Mr. X]

Saw, I think Dan Man on YouTube at the weekend. He just shaved the top of his upper-lip, at the beach! Good luck.

 

[J Campbell]

Saw, I think Dan Man on YouTube at the weekend. He just shaved the top of his upper-lip, at the beach! Good luck.

Yep, that's what I do. You only need a thin band of smooth skin below your nose. Just shave the places where the edge of the skirt of your mask touches.