Full Face Snorkel Issues & Solutions

2. CO2 carbon dioxide buildup

CO2 can build up in full-face snorkel mask, especially in cheap Chinese face masks that you can purchase on eBay for twenty dollars. Its often very tempting to go for the cheaper price, be warned they often carry greater risk.

• How Carbon dioxide buildup occurs:

When we naturally breathe we are inhaling and exhaling, this is where carbon dioxide occurs. If we are partaking in high-intensity cardio we need more oxygen in our body, this is why shorter, faster breathing takes over.

If we are using a lot of energy when snorkelling we can engage in this fast breathing, hence a build-up of CO2 in our full face snorkel. Basically, when this happens you are restricting your oxygen supply and this can lead to light-headedness and dizziness. This is extremely dangers, especially in the ocean.

• How to stop Carbon Dioxide buildup:

Please note that full face snorkel masks are purely for recreational uses. Meaning if you are freediving, open water swimming or other high-intensity activities then its best to not wear a full face snorkel

It’s important to remember that snorkel masks are designed for recreational use. Floating on the surface of the water, looking at the pretty fishies. They’re not designed for tiring open water swimming, freediving or other activities that’ll get your heart pumping. It's best to use a full face snorkel when you are floating across the water slowly, enjoying the underwater world.

3. Face Snorkels From Overseas

Unfortunately, we have heard so many stories of people purchasing full-face snorkels overseas or from what they thought were an Australian company, only to find the product takes months to arrive and is from China! Don't be left disappointed ordering a snorkel mask and it not coming for the summer. Reef Mask ships directly from Australia, how do you know? We provide Australia post shipping on all our orders with shipping time of 7 - 14 days.

A lot of overseas companies don't truly care about their customers and the quality of the full face snorkel is often not up to scratch to take out on the water safely. A good way to tell the quality is by the price of the face mask. Often priced around $20 - $40 dollars for an adult snorkel mask, these masks are something to avoid.

4. Full Face Mask Leakage

Snorkel masking leaking is one of the most annoying things in the world! When you're trying to enjoy the beauty of the ocean and your mask leaks, nothing worst. Water leaks are common and are due to multiple factors.

• Why full-face snorkels leak?:

There are a number of different reasons as to why a full face snorkel would leak. The most common issue is the seal around the nose and face isn't properly sealed and watertight. It is this seal which prevents water from leaking into your mask. It's common that air pockets will form in different spots within the seal of the mask.

Often you have just purchased the wrong size mask, if it doesn't fit your face tightly then water will most likely seep through in the mask. Some cheaper overseas brands use poor material and low-quality silicon. THis is often more stiff, hardened and inflexible, causing cracks and tears to appear within the seal.

• How to stop leaky full face snorkel masks:

First things first, please ensure you get the correct sized snorkel mask. If you have the wrong size snorkel mask then you are going to have leaks. The second tip, check and inspect the silicon lining of your full face snorkel! it should be flexible and soft in comparison to cheaper brands that are hard and dry. Unfrotuanlty the cheaper brands will often have leaking issues over time.

There are some other reasons that your full face snorkel is leaking, they include:

1. If you have facial hair like a moustache or beard, this can cause damage to the seal.
2.  You have a long fringe that blocks or prevents the silicon seal from fitting on your face properly.
3. We know it's hard not to smile with a full face snorkel on, but in this case, it can actually sometimes causes leaking. When you smile you face changes shape, we recommend reapplying the mask to ensure the seal is watertight.

5. Cheap Full Face Snorkel Mask's

We touched on this before, but the poor material of the seal as well as dodgy plastics and silicon can create more problems and headaches then worth, not even for $20!

• The main issue with cheap snorkel masks

Poor quality materials can cause issues such as water leaking, over fogging on the mask, Carbon dioxide build-up and feeling uncountable around your face. When you opt for a cheap poor quality mask you are placing yourself in danger every time you go out into the ocean.

• How to spot poor quality full-face snorkels

There are a few ways to identify a poorly made full face snorkel, as we have mentioned before the price tag is a big indicator. Priced anywhere from $20 - $40 these full face snorkel masks are often manufactured in China and sold on marketplaces such as eBay. These will often be brandless and contain little to no information on the product! We always recommend going for quality and a price point of $70 - $100.