5 Easy How-To Tips on Snorkeling With Beard Or Mustache
If you are here reading this, you must be interested in scuba diving or Snorkeling with a beard or mustache. Anyone knows how an ill-fitted mask quickly drowns the fun and incredibility of Snorkeling.
Water enters the mask and destroys all the fun. So what is important to go snorkeling with a beard is the perfect mask seal. But some people believe that they can’t snorkel with a beard and mustache because the mask seal would not be perfectly tight due to mustache and beard.
Can you snorkel with a beard? Yes, it is possible to snorkel with a beard or mustache only if you choose the right snorkeling mask that fits well.
If the mask seal is interrupted by the beard or mustache, you can use food-grade silicone to the edge of your snorkel mask. Then, all you have to do is to make sure your facial hairs fit well in the snorkel mask you are using.
Here in this article, let’s talk about the problems of Snorkeling with a beard or mustache and some easy tips to deal with those problems.
These tips could help you have a safe and fun time in the water, even with your beard or mustache.
The Problems in Snorkeling with Beard or Mustache
The main problem in Snorkeling with a beard or mustache is not having a completely sealed snorkel mask. If you have a good mask that is clean and has a tight seal, there are fewer chances that water could get in your mask. However, if you have facial hairs, these might interrupt the seal, and you will have salt water in your mask.
So the question is how to deal with this so that having a beard would not spoil your fun of Snorkeling. How can you fix the seal having a beard?
Can you put something to fix the seal? Or what kind of mask should you wear while having a beard? Does it create any problem while having a mustache and beard? What should you do to enjoy Snorkeling without shaving your beard and mustache?
Easy Tips To Snorkel With a Beard Or Mustache
Snorkeling is an incredible sport. But, having a beard and mustache could Here are some easy tips that would help you to snorkel with a beard and mustache.
1. Selection of the perfect mask
Selection of the right snorkeling mask is an essential part of Snorkeling, whether you have facial hair or not. But if you have a long beard and mustache, it would be more important to have a tight seal; otherwise, your mask will be filled with salted water.
Since there is no room for any error, you must be sure that the mask is tightly sealed. Firstly you have to decide if you want to select a traditional snorkel mask that covers only your eyes and nose area or a full-face mask that covers your entire face from head to chin.
It would be more challenging for you if you have a mustache and use a traditional snorkel mask. In a traditional mask, most of the time would be spent focusing on the point of contact and potential point of failure between your facial hair and the mask seal.
If you have a problem snorkeling with a mustache, there are two options you can adopt. The first option you got is to use a food-grade silicone to make the seal completely tighten and bond up your upper mustache and mask. The other option is to look for a full-face snorkel mask.
If you choose a full-face snorkel mask, it will cover your entire face leaving your beard and mustache dry. In addition, it will give you a complete field of view and let you breathe naturally.
So if you choose a full face mask, make sure it belongs to a reputable manufacturer like Head by Mares Seaview(on Amazon) or Tribord Subea Easybreath(on Amazon).
Many expert snorkelers have an excellent experience using these snorkel gear sets. According to their reviews, the valve fitted at the top of the mask works excellently to keep all the unwanted water out. And the valve also allows you to breathe naturally at the water’s surface.
It allows you to exhale the used air out from the top valve of the mask. It prevents using the exhaled air. And some of the snorkelers also reviewed a full-face snorkel mask; these masks are thought to potentially have some valves that keep Carbon Dioxide inside the mask that causes injuries or worse consequences using them.
For more information about how a snorkel mask works, check out How does a snorkel works?
You can have an opposite issue with a full-face snorkel mask for most divers with full beards unless your beard is finely trimmed.
Your beard will clog the mask seal around your face, and creating a solid bond between them will be tough. Lastly, make sure it fits well on your face no matter what mask you choose. Every mask and every mask shape is different.
If a mask doesn’t fit well on your face, it doesn’t mean it is the same for other people. So before going on a trip, it is suggested you should try a few different masks. And look for different options to dive into the ocean. Search for some good tour operators and masks that they prefer to go Snorkeling. Spending a few minutes searching for a well-fitting mask will make a big difference.
For suggestions and picks for the best snorkel mask for each level, check Top Rated Best Snorkel Mask in 2022.
2. Use a high-quality food-grade silicone on your mask
If you have minimal facial hairs and want to use a snorkel mask, the mask comfort would definitely be in the first place. Our tip to support the snorkel mask seal is to use a good quality food-grade silicone for your mask seal. Food-grade silicone is very safe to use, like during Snorkeling. If it gets into your mouth, it will not create any problems. I keep saying that silicone is food-grade because it has an essential significance.
The process of putting food-grade silicone on the snorkel mask edges is very easy. Just wear your snorkel mask and note the points of contact of your facial hair with the snorkel mask. Then put some food grade on these points of contact for a tight and perfect seal. After putting in the food-grade silicone, leave your mask for a few minutes so that it sticks properly and is the part of possible best seal around your mask.
You may have heard about using vaseline or something like that, but I assure you that’s a bad idea. The petroleum ingredients in vaseline and other petroleum jelly products eventually harm the silicone skirt around your mask. This would really create a problem in the seal around your mask.
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You can find the best diving accessories on Amazon. If you are looking for a high-quality food-grade silicone, Trident’s food-grade silicone snorkel and scuba mask seal are the best you can order here on Amazon. |
On the other hand, some more products are helping to make the mask seal perfect, like mustache or beard wax, beeswax, and some other products that include beeswaxes like chapsticks or lip balm. These products can be used if you have no more options. So you can make a good impact using this.
But I suggest always using a perfect food-grade silicone. Nothing can make your snorkel unsafe or ruin your dive except the unexpected water in the mask. Just ensure your mask has a tight seal around its edges to prevent this. You can search these products like Snorkeling and scuba mask sealer or Mustache wax on Amazon.
There are some useful products from Trident diving company. Many people have reviewed these products in a positive manner. This product also comes in a spray version, but I prefer to buy this stick version of the sealer. The stick version is a lot more useful than the spray one. You can directly apply it to the points of contact of your facial hairs and the mask seal.
3. Trim your facial hairs regarding your snorkel mask
If you can’t get some food-grade silicone for any reason, we suggest you try a few masks before snorkeling with a beard or scuba diving, as we know that different masks have different shapes. But if you have a rental snorkel mask with terrible fitting, you can solve this by being a little creative.
Try shaving or trimming your facial hair according to the shape of the snorkel mask. There is nothing too serious about it. Just follow the mask straps and shave your facial hairs where you feel irritated or from where the mask is not fitting well. Try trimming the upper area of the mustache underneath your nose, or trimming the top of the beard on the sides of your face can make a huge difference. Just clean up the edges of the mustache and beard just a touch. I swear your lady is going to love it.
Just wear your snorkel mask and note the points of contact of the snorkel mask to the facial hairs. And trim the area where your facial hairs are messing up with the seal of the mask. You don’t have to actually shave your hair all over your face.
If the overlap is too big, maybe it’s not your cup of tea. It would help if you tried another mask that fits differently and is worth trying. So keep trying different masks until you get the right mask. If your beard or mustache varies a bit differently than mask fitting, you can clean up the edges of the beard or mustache.
4. Don’t Wear Contact Lenses while snorkeling with a beard
Try to avoid wearing contact lenses while snorkeling with a beard. It seems a bit unrelated but highly important to consider. According to the tips above, you will make your seal leakage free but remember there will always be room for error. It could never be 100% perfect.
The contact lens material is different. Soft material contact lenses cause problems {source}, but contact lenses with hard and gas-permeable material cause real problems, especially during scuba diving. {source} another problem with using a contact lens is that the water may contain any harmful ingredients that may cause infection in your eyes.[source].
To get to know more about tips for your safety and comfort during Snorkeling, check out Is snorkeling dangerous? Easy tips for your safety and comfort.
And learn about everything you need to take care of while going on Snorkeling.
5. Use Swim Goggles if all else fails
If you have a long beard and don’t find these above-mentioned tips any more useful, you still have an option. As a final option, you can use a normal swim goggle with a nose clip and a snorkel tube so you can breathe properly. Using a nose clip with it is important because you can’t just let your nose open inside the water without a snorkel mask. Still, you can have a good time in the water with a beard or mustache.
Swim goggles are only related to your eyes and nose area, so sealing around your face isn’t a big problem now. You do not need to seal your facial hairs using these swim goggles. If you use swim goggles, it will prevent you from diving underwater deeply. If you try to dive deeply into the ocean, the water pressure increases the pressure inside the goggles, which may harm your eyes due to the strong vacuum effect.
When snorkeling with a snorkel mask, you can exhale the breath to equalize the pressure inside the mask, but it seems impossible with swim goggles. So I suggest it would be better if you stick to the surface.
Using swim goggles in the water is a good option if you want to enjoy the snorkel as a fun activity. You can also enjoy the water underneath beauty using the swim goggles.
The Best Snorkel Mask For Beards and Mustache
All the snorkel masks are designed differently for beard and mustache growers. And snorkel masks for mustaches and beards must be chosen wisely. You should pick one that works well for you. Check out all the qualities of the snorkel mask, from checking the wide field vision and lightweight construction to silicone skirt edging.
And also, check the purge valve that may cause any slightest leaks exposed to facial hairs.
We suggest you choose a high-value snorkel mask. There are many snorkel masks in the markets at varying prices. Don’t just look for expensive or only less expensive masks. This sport is all about fun, don’t waste your time browsing the masks products. Here we have suggested some snorkel masks that you can use while snorkeling with a beard and mustache.
For snorkelers with beards and mustaches, our best pick is TUSA M-32 Imprex 3D Hyperdry from TUSA. You can easily browse the Amazon web and buy it at all your convenience.
The Imprex 3D is the best snorkel mask that meets all the criteria with a wide panoramic field of view, well-set purge valves, and a high-quality silicone skirt with a lightweight frame. If you are using this mask for scuba diving, the purge valve may not work efficiently, but it works well for Snorkeling with minimal facial hair contact.
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If you want to go for a snorkel with a beard and mustache, our pick for this type of snorkeling would be TUSA Imprex 3D Hyperdry which pairs well with the TUSA Imprex ⅠⅠ Hyperdry snorkel tube. These are excellent in each manner from performance to price. |
TUSA is a reputed snorkel manufacturer that offers high performance with a high value but very reasonable prices. Moreover, you can pair it with the TUSA Imprex ⅠⅠ Hyperdry snorkel tube.
If you want to learn more about different levels of snorkel masks, check out Top rated best snorkel masks for all levels, beginners, intermediate and advanced.
The Best Snorkel Mask for Beards and Mustache within a Budget
If you are looking for a high-quality snorkel mask for beards and mustaches, the PROMATE Side-view Edgeless mask on Amazon is also a good option. It may lack silicone skirt technology but really worked well for many snorkelers with beards and mustaches.
You can pair it with Cressi Supernova Dry Snorkel(Amazon), which performs in an excellent manner. You will get a high-performance snorkel gear set at a reasonable price.
Conclusion
Beard or mustache is not such a big problem in everyday life. By making a few right decisions, like buying an excellent snorkel gear set that works well even with the beard and mustache. Just make sure that your beard and mustaches fit well in your snorkel mask. Never get irritated with your facial hairs; make it your pride. You should be proud of having such beautiful beards and mustaches. Just make the right choice!
