Diving With a Full Face Snorkel Mask

We often get asked here at Reef Mask's, can you go deep diving with a full face snorkel? The short answer is no! Full face snorkels are designed to be used on the surface of the ocean, allowing you to peer down onto the amazing underwater world, discovering unique aquatic life. You may occasionally dive downward in the water but even then this is only for a few seconds and not very deep.

Sometimes you may spot something really interesting and want to dive deep down into the ocean, but how deep can you actually go with a full face snorkel? The team here at Reef Mask's recommend against deep diving with a full face snorkel, this can cause multiple problems, especially with the float in the breathing valve. Children can use full face snorkel mask when supervised but please ensure that no deep diving occurs with kids under the age of 12.

Full Face Snorkel

As you dive downward, your head tilts forward with your body. This motion means the breathing tube sealed at the top of the mask is not vertical, making the possibility of water coming into the mask likely! If you do want to submerge with a full face snorkel, you should go straight down in order for the ball valve to rise and block water from entering. From here you can move in any direction while underwater.

Other issues can arise such as pockets of air forming inside the face mask. This creates pressure on the skin and can become very unpleasant as you enter waters as deep as one or two meters. The type of lens of the face mask can make a huge difference with air pockets, check out our flat lens vs curved lens full face snorkel article to learn more.

A full-face mask also doesn't allow you to equalise as you dive deeper. Normally, divers will block their noses and begin to exhale to get rid of the pressure on the ears. When you wear a full face snorkel mask your face is completely covered by the lens, making it impossible to pressurise. The only option around this is to yawn, which may be tricky when you're exploring the underwater world.

Conclusion

A full-face snorkel won't turn you into a dolphin but it can definitely make your snorkelling experience a much more enjoyable one! It's important to remember that full face snorkel masks are the only suitable for diving one to two meters deep and always ensure to submerge vertically down to stop water from entering the breathing tube. Failure to follow these tips can be dangerous when using a full face snorkel mask. If you are looking to do more deep diving then we recommend checking out our traditional snorkel set. Perfect for free diving with equalisation nose pinch technology and free mouth nozzle breathing tube.

Reef Mask ships all across Australia, from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and all surrounding regional areas. If you have any questions about full face snorkel masks get in touch with the Reef Mask team.