Mask Leaking

[Desert star]

My husband and I have been on two cruises together and have always used the equipment provided. ( I tried to convince myself they had been properly sanitized) Anyway..I have never had any problem whatsoever, but my husbands mask ALWAYS leaks he is constantly trying to clear the water making it not really a pleasent experience. We are planing on purchasing our own equipment for our upcoming trip.

He has a pretty big head, could this be the problem, or is it just bad luck with overused equipment?

[bruce-r]

A large head could be part of the issue. Masks used as rentals have to fit the widest range of faces, which would leave people at the far ends of the size range out of luck. Go to your local dive shop and get your DH to try on masks there until he finds one that fits well. It will be money well spent to keep from having to use leaky rental masks.

 

You don't say if you are asking about snorkeling or scuba diving, but either way, he needs to have either the snorkel or the regulator in his mouth to be sure of a good fit. Having stuff in your mouth will change the shape of your face, thus affecting mask fit.

 

You don't share your toothbrush with strangers, why would you share a snorkel? Is rinsing them in water enough cleaning for you?

[Wspinelli]

As a diver for over 30 years and an instructor for 10 years I believe the single most important piece of equipment is your mask. Go to a local dive shop and try several for fit, the staff at the shop should help you. If you can try it in a pool. Have the strap adjusted, most people tend to wear a mask too tight and that flattens the seal and of course leaks. If he has a moustache, expect a little leakage, I've told my students shave it or you live with it; I live with it. The other feature you may want to look at for the mask is a purge valve, a one way valve which makes it easier for you to clear the water from a mask. If you wear prescription lens, you can have them bonded to your mask.

 

For your snorkel you will want to look for a few features. A self draining snorkel also makes life a lot easier. Look for a snorkel with a larger bore, it is easier to breathe through and with the drain it is just as easy to clear. It is similar to sucking through a straw, the bigger the straw the easier it is to breathe.

 

Enjoy you purchases, get good quality and it lasts. Get equipment that fits and you'll have fun!

[scubadiver888]

Desert Star,

 

Bruce-r makes some good points. I purchased my first mask and it seemed pretty good but when I actually dove with it, it leaked. The next mask I purchased someone recommended the following procedure:

 

- Put a snorkel in your mouth (or regulator).

- Flip the mask strap so it is in front of the mask.

- Put the mask on your face and breath in your nose.

 

The mask should stick to your face and stay there until you breath out of your nose.

 

Additionally, is your husband clean shaven? A little stubble could cause leaking.

 

Also, does he breath out through his nose? If he does it could be dislodging the mask and making it leak.

 

Finally, is the mask on too tight? If you pull the mask straps too tight it can deform the mask and cause it to leak.

 

Scuba diving or snorkeling, I'd recommend going to a good scuba diving shop and get someone to help you pick a mask.

 

Darrell

[Desert star]

Thanks for the info. We are snorkling. My brother who dives is always trying to get me certified, he says there is nothing like it. But I am not sure I am ready yet.

 

 

My husband does not have a beard or mustache so that wouldn’t be the problem. I will have to try the dive shop. Are they going to look at us strange if we ask to try it out in the water since I am assuming they are not returnable.

[Spikesgirl]

No, the dive shop will not look at you strange. Ours even has its own pool for people to try out equipment (along with teaching the beginning Scuba classes). Try on several and remember you don't necesarily have to buy the same kind as each other if one works better on him or you. Fit is very important and a good shop assistant won't stop until both of you are happy. Spend the money and you'll get something that you will have for a long time. We bought our masks about 20 years ago and they are still holding up just fine.

 

Charlie

[BuzzF117]

The folks at www.scubatoys.com can fix you up with whatever scuba or snorkle gear you will need. I ordered my wetsuit from them and there customer service people were the tops

[ninkb]

DH and I are snorkelers and bought our own masks and snorkels 2 cruises ago. I've had no trouble, but he has. Replaced one mask (leaking) at the dive shop on our return from the cruise. I tried the new one in our local pool before it closed for fall . . . no leaking for me, but on our last cruise it leaked for him.

 

He's just spent several days with the owner of the dive shop, figuring out what's wrong. Facial folds can cause leaks. DH has "jowels" on his face. Not fat, but definite folds. Dive shop suggested he smooth these out when putting on his mask. He tried that at the Y pool today. Still leaking.

 

This afternoon he went to the dive shop pool and the owner worked with him in how to position his mouth and smooth his face when putting on the mask. ("Fortunately" the dive shop owner has the same problem so he was both patient and knowledgeable). DH swam 10 or 15 min. with the mask and had no leaks.

 

Bottom line, it can be a real problem and takes work. Go to a good dive shop and get your husband all the help he deserves. Then enjoy those beautiful views under the water!

[bruce-r]

The folks at www.scubatoys.com can fix you up with whatever scuba or snorkel gear you will need. I ordered my wetsuit from them and their customer service people were the tops

 

I second the recommendation for scubatoys. Great service.

[Wspinelli]

Just a word of caution about buying off the web, The important thing is fit. The web can't fit you like your local dive store. While more expensive than buying off the web you get the service of a knowledgable professional.

[BuzzF117]

Just a word of caution about buying off the web, The important thing is fit. The web can't fit you like your local dive store. While more expensive than buying off the web you get the service of a knowledgable professional.

 

Yes even though I suggested scubatoys.com for you snorkle gear you cannot go wrong getting your mask fit at your LDS. I sometimes do get some leakage in my maske when I snorkle but when I scuba dive below 10 feet the leaking stops.

[Stevesan]

Ditto the advise to have a scuba shop fit the mask. I found this interesting article about properly fitting the mask:

Mask Fitting

 

How many times have you gone into a dive store, tried a mask that seemed to fit just great, got on an airplane to halfway around the world, jumped into the water and the mask leaked? There seems to be a nearly universal way to try a mask, which unfortunately happens to be the wrong way. Put the mask on, inhale through your nose and guess what? The mask fits. Right? Wrong!

 

The big mistake is that no one dives or snorkels with a vacuum in their mask or shouldn't be if they are. By inhaling through the nose, an unnatural seal is created. Some divers have tried on masks that don't even come close to fitting but as soon as they inhale, a tight seal is created. While diving though, they are not constantly trying to inhale through their nose (which is what the store clerk told them to do) and now the mask leaks.

 

Someone told a tale of a dive store that displays all masks without straps. The idea apparently is to check that a really good vacuum makes a really good fit. Once again, no one dives trying to inhale through their nose constantly and without a strap no less.

 

Almost all modern masks have an outer seal and a narrower inner seal. This inside seal covers everywhere except just under the nose. If both of these seals touch the face than the odds of that mask fitting and not leaking are very good. This is done by putting the mask on with the strap loose, but in place, and then tightening it to what would be normal if you were diving. Some divers who have had very bad masks are in the habit of over tightening the strap on a new mask in hopes of a better seal. Don't do that especially while trying masks for fit.

 

The next step takes a second person or a mirror. Look around the entire inside of the mask checking to see that the inner seal touches everywhere. It is very important not to inhale through the nose which forces the mask seals to touch if they didn't naturally. Next check the outside seal the same way.

 

If the inner seal is not touching the face, especially next to the side of the eyes, it is likely the mask won't work well. But do check everywhere around the inside. The outer seal might keep water from dripping in but not as well as if both seals touch. Make sure the seals do not cut across any hairline or eyebrows. Also that the side seals are not right at the edge of the eye.

 

One other problem can occur when someone laughs, smiles or even squints. This motion creates lines or wrinkles next to the nose. Sometimes this makes a passage where water pours in. Almost every mask will leak when this happens. So don't laugh! Occasionally, depending on the person, these wrinkles may remain even after they stop laughing. In this case it may be necessary to straighten the face by pulling down or sideways on the cheeks. Again this is not necessarily a mask problem. So don't run out and buy a new mask.

 

If absolutely necessary, to keep everyone happy, you can now inhale slightly to check any unseen leaks. Sometimes a mask leaks around the glass. This is very unusual and is a one off problem, not the design of the mask. You can check this by holding the mask with the face plate parallel to the floor and putting water in the mask. If the face plate seal is faulty, drops of water will appear on the outside.

 

Don't be fooled by the size of a mask's frame and lenses. This has little if anything to do with how a masks fits. People will look for what seems like a narrow or wide mask, depending, but what counts is the size of the skirt where your face is actually touching the mask. An exaggerated example but if the lens of a mask is 1 foot wide but the skirt is only 4 inches, this would fit a rather narrow face but the mask looks huge.

 

With literally 10's of dozens of masks on the market, there is one that will fit. It may take awhile to find but it is out there.