Research Update: Full Face Snorkel Masks

[Grantt]

Research Update: Full Face Snorkel Masks

In the past five years, full face snorkel masks (FFSMs) have exploded in popularity. At first these products were made by a small number of reputable manufacturers, but there is now a broad spectrum of designs of varying quality and no regulation of testing or function. Despite their prevalence...

dan.org

 

[David Wilson]

This report has been mentioned and discussed in the Basic Scuba forum thread Tour operators start ban on full-face snorkel masks. Also on SB as thread ARE FULL-FACE SNORKEL MASKS SAFE??? on Accidents & Incidents forum.

 

[WeRtheOcean]

Remind me why people like them in the first place???

 

[Jonn]

Remind me why people like them in the first place???

I think the people who like them want to snorkel without knowing how to snorkel. It’s not all that hard to learn but with the full face version there’s *nothing* to learn. You just strap it on and get in the water. The wisdom of this can be argued but that’s the pitch. Want to go deeper? Have I got the product for you!

Aliexpress Smaco mini oxygen tank

(impressed they can ship that so cheap though)

 

[David Wilson]

Remind me why people like them in the first place???

A key issue is serving a special-needs population who find a conventional snorkel mouthpiece intrusive in the mouth, triggering the gagging reflex and/or rubbing the lips and gums raw when all the surface swimmer wants to do is to spend time face down watching the sea bed and breathing atmospheric air through a tube as many spearfishers of yesteryear used to do when stalking prey.