Neoprene mask strap compression - or my imagination?

[bkotheimer]

I've been experiencing what I think is an inordinate frequency of mask flooding and while I hate to give up my Marsoops strap, I think it might be compressing at depth and actually loosening. Is this a ridiculous theory? You'd think the natural squeezing of the mask at depth would negate any lengthening of the strap due to compression, right? Do I need to just tighten it up so it's a little more uncomfortable at the surface?

 

[Doppler]

I've been experiencing what I think is an inordinate frequency of mask flooding and while I hate to give up my Marsoops strap, I think it might be compressing at depth and actually loosening. Is this a ridiculous theory? You'd think the natural squeezing of the mask at depth would negate any lengthening of the strap due to compression, right? Do I need to just tighten it up so it's a little more uncomfortable at the surface?

your mask should not be uncomfortably tight on the surface... if the mask leaks, it doesn't fit. Simple solutions are usually the correct ones.

If you are wearing a hood, that's probably what's compressing rather than the strap

 

[bythesea]

My experience level is only middlin with the slap strap but I usually see water getting in when air gets in the hood and causes the strap to ride up towards the top of my head. This causes the top of the mask to kick away from my face. I make a point of wearing it a little tight and low so that I can slide it way down the back of my head and get a comfy stable fit. If I'm diving in a group or with a spaz like my best friend I wear the strap under the hood and have no issues but it leaves the side of your face a little exposed and makes a snorkel pretty useless.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Ya like they say above...your mask should fit and not leak even without a strap, so even if the strap compresses at depth and loosens, it should still fit. It seems like something is causing the leak: Ill fitting mask, deep smile lines, beard or stubble, or similar.....I have dove a few times with no mask strap just to do it and play around, and I never had any leaking

Are you possibly breathing OUT your nose? I find alot of people do that without knowing....This will cause water to come in the mask...maybe something to try and pay closer attention to next dive

 

[rollerboi]

My experience has been the tighter I try to make the strap, the worse my mask floods and the more I look like a raccoon after the dive. Once I started *barely* having the mask adhered to my face, my problems cleared up pretty well.

The strap is mainly to keep your mask from falling off and floating away, not to help the seal.