Beard/Mustache and Snorkle Mask

[KandMGIn]

My husband is seriously considering shaving his face due to the snorkle issues last cruise. The water constantly seeped into the mask just under his nose. I heard from one person that putting vasoline on your mustache will prevent the problem and I was wondering if anyone else has done this with success or had any other surefire tips. This would be greatly appreciated as I just love my DHs facial hair!

[Hilary]

DON'T put vasoline on a snorkel mask! It will deteriorate the skirting and ruin the mask pronto. You want to use silicone gel instead. It's very easy to go to a local dive shop and buy a small tube of the stuff for about $2 and a tiny bit will last forever.

 

My DH has a mustache and shaves the very upper part by his nose when we're diving. He also uses silicone to be on the safe side and has never had a leak, even at depth. If your DH doesn't want to shave even one hair, a liberal amount of silicone will do the trick for you.

[chriscamp]

I have a full beard and use the silicone grease. I only experience a slight amount of leakage when scub diving. Some masks fit better with facial hair, so it may be worth the investment. A mask that doesn't fit properly can really ruin a dive.

[KandMGIn]

Thanks for the silicone tip. DH had to make his mask soooo tight last time that his head ached half way through the snorkel trip and for the whole night. Poor guy!

[sea-jay]

I have a mustache and shave the part close under my nose only when I am planning a dive. It grows back quickly. Also, I use a purge mask so any water that does leak in, can be purged out relatively easily. Once you get used to this type of mask, it is hard to go back to the non-valve type.

[goldwingnana]

Hi

My husband had the same problem. The first time we didnt have vaseline but did have bacitracin antibiotic gel and that even worked. Next time he used the vaseline with no problems. Happy snorkeling!