Mask recommendation?

Mr. X said:

try spraying the silicone (not the glass!) with a silicone spray?

Click to expand...

Silicone is pretty much inert and non-degradable. The only reliable way to destroy is is to burn it. Silicone sprays should only be needed if you would still use the masks from Vintage Snorkeler's thread.

@Leander And I’m going to try it! mask lick

Mr. X said:

Perhaps the silicone has stiffened? Might be worth washing your mask with washing up liquid to make sure the silicone is clean. Perhaps try spraying the silicone (not the glass!) with a silicone spray?

Is it possible that you lost some fat/flesh off you face (e.g. have you lost weight, been in training or very active, or been ill)?

Click to expand...

Yeah washing it well may help. There can be serious build up of stuff on masks. Give it a good wash is soap and warm water and see if that helps. I bet that could be it in this situation.

Snorkel masks of the full face type are all the rage for kids, but really you would be better off with a separate mask and snorkel. Of the many full face masks from no brand names most are pretty much the same, but Seac Sub offer some models where they actually did some analysis to produce a better mask given the constrictions imposed by the designs. These cost more than the models from China or Taiwan, but unlike them Seac Sub have a reputation to keep. The main thing is if you want to dive down to check something out the air bubble on your face makes the mask too buoyant and the volume to equalize by breathing into the mask is that much greater, the opposite of what you want. I bought one of the full face type out of curiosity and bar the novelty they are not really that convenient to wear with their cross strap system on the back of your head. Also being plastic the full face masks should not be subjected to abrasives as the plastic marks fairly easily.

As a lifelong snorkeller, never a scuba diver or freediver, I completely agree with Pete about the preferability of a separate mask and snorkel.

Some adult snorkellers do choose combined snorkel-masks if they absolutely must have the option of nose breathing or if they have issues with snorkel mouthpieces, which may cause a gag reflex in a minority of people or tend to rub against the gums when worn over an extended period. Otherwise consider keeping the mask and snorkel separate.

You state that you are "looking at snorkel masks to make it even easier to drift about while viewing the site below", so I am assuming that you are not planning to do many, if any, sorties below the surface of the water to investigate more closely what you will be observing face down on the surface.

Like Pete, I too purchased a twenty-first century version of the snorkel-mask, also out of curiosity, and I too balked at the cross-straps at the rear of the head. From the range I saw online, the differences between the models have to do with how many snorkels they have, where the snorkel entry point(s) to the mask is/are and whether the snorkel-mask covers the mouth as well as the nose and eyes. There are fewer snorkel-masks with eye/nose coverage only than there are snorkel-masks with full-face coverage, enclosing the mouth as well. One example of the former below:
Like conventional dive masks, snorkel-masks must fit individual faces; there is no such thing as "one size fits all". To their credit, manufacturers usually provide three different sizes and show how facial dimensions must be measured so that you are more likely to find the correct size.

I collect the older versions of snorkel-masks and my current collection stands at 25 models. If you are curious enough to want to see them, you will find an illustrated PDF file of my collection online. I haven't snorkelled with any of them.

One aspect that has given full face masks credibility is that people see them on TV being used by scuba divers, usually with microphones for narrating what activity is taking place underwater. The similarity is in the appearance, but they are totally different in that the diver is receiving a pressurised air supply that is fed into the mask, whereas a snorkeler is sucking air from above the surface at ambient pressure. The full face snorkel masks have restricted bore sizes much smaller than the familiar separate snorkel where the air flows in and out of the mask due to parts of the air flow passage being of greatly reduced diameter. These strangled flow paths can supply air at a leisurely demand, but step up the activity level and they cannot deliver adequate airflow because of the limitations of the bore used in sections of the mask and the resulting turbulence. Another problem is having “all your eggs in one basket” if the full face snorkel mask floods, unlike the traditional snorkel that can be spat out, or if the traditional mask floods you can still breathe through the snorkel. Mill pond surface conditions do not always last during a snorkel dive which is where these full face snorkel masks may be adequate, but only just.

IamSarah said:

The best snorkel masks for all levels: beginners, intermediates, & advanced Top 8 Best Snorkel Masks in 2023 [+ buying tips]

Click to expand...

I got a security alert when I clicked on that link, implying at the very least that the website's security certificate had recently expired.

DRW said:

I got a security alert when I clicked on that link, implying at the very least that the website's security certificate had recently expired.

Click to expand...

I got the same, I don’t advise going there, could be harmless, could be a load of malware.

Omer Alien has a reputation for fogging. But you can sometimes get black or brown ones for under £20, which makes it worth consideration. Also, the design has changed a little since I bought mine. I think it may just need more cleaning than normal, which I suspect may be the case for your current mask.

I went into the shop recently and they had an epsealon mask and I really liked it. The sea wolf. I do not need a mask and i am still thinking about buying it. It will def be my next mask.