Snorkeling death

[doctormike]

If there is an intake and exhaust "pipe" on these masks, how can you dive under water? Unless there's some type of pressure regulating release on the exhaust, won't the mask squeeze in? Your nose stops that after pressurizing on a regular mask. Am I missing something?
But I agree with the concept that if someone uses this because they're uncomfortable using a regular snorkel, they probably should get some water time and master a regular snorkel and mask.

It's not for diving underwater. It's not for people who want to take up free diving or scuba diving. It's for people who want to spend a half hour on their Caribbean vacation floating around a shallow reef and looking at some fish, without stepping up their game to scubaboard levels.

If the consensus is that this simply can't be done safely, then I guess it's not a good idea. But so far I haven't seen any evidence presented to that effect, which is what I was looking for.

 

[David Wilson]

As a lifelong snorkeller, I'm always on the lookout for new developments, particularly if they represent a response to real-world problems. I used to contribute regularly to Yahoo Answers and one of the questions I encountered there was from somebody who was a good swimmer and keen to progress to snorkelling but couldn't bear having a snorkel mouthpiece in his mouth as it triggered a gagging reflex. I referred him to the progress in research and development then being published about Tribord's EasyBreath snorkeller's full face mask and advised him to try out the design in the safety of shallow waters before making up his mind. I was impressed by Tribord's revision of its own initial advice about the mask to the effect that it should only be used on the surface in the interests of safety.

I'm a strong believer in being discriminating when adopting new technology. I welcome some innovations, while rejecting others, often for subjective, aesthetic reasons as well as objective, practical ones. What matters is that any device or technology I adopt is appropriate for me. The term "appropriateness" derives from a Latin root meaning "personal ownership", which suggests that anything I choose for myself may be the totally wrong choice for anybody else and also that I alone am responsible for the choices I make and their consequences. We've already met a possible application of this product in the case of an individual with a cleft palate. I've mentioned somebody with a gagging reflex when introducing a mouthpiece into the oral cavity. Such problems are disabling for people who otherwise may be perfectly at home in the water and "reasonable adjustments" such as the snorkeller's full-face mask may have the potential to level the playing field so long as the user remains aware of its constraints as well as its benefits. I wish all items of snorkel and scuba gear came with a list of possible adverse side-effects as phamaceuticals routinely do.

 

[Vicko]

Yeah, but those people would otherwise not be likely to see the underwater world at all. Not sure why not wanting to use conventional snorkel gear automatically means no respect for nature. I see plenty of scuba divers tearing up the reef.
.

I don't think of it that way, I think of it that this mask puts a few hundred people on reefs (or in my case sandy bays that are a spawning ground for sea shells) who don't know how to swim properly so they paddle around, hit the reef, dig up the sand and are a ecological disaster.
Like I said I don't have a problem with the product but with the way it's used.

 

[doctormike]

I don't think of it that way, I think of it that this mask puts a few hundred people on reefs (or in my case sandy bays that are a spawning ground for sea shells) who don't know how to swim properly so they paddle around, hit the reef, dig up the sand and are a ecological disaster.
Like I said I don't have a problem with the product but with the way it's used.

OK, so then your problem is with the tour operators, not with the product. But are you saying that anything that makes snorkeling easier for people without great water skills is a bad thing because it means more people on the reef? Would you object to OW classes on a reef as well? Would the objection be to the scuba gear that they use or to their instruction?

Many people who consider themselves animal lovers instinctively hate zoos, but people who spend their lives working for wildlife and environomental concerns see the advantage. If the only people who ever see a gorilla are skilled outdoor enthusiasts who have the ability to trek into the wilderness, most human beings will not really care about them and won't vote or work for policy that protects them on a worldwide basis.

Yeah, zoos might be considered bad for those specific animals living in them (just like even careful snorkelers are bad for that specific reef), but overall it promotes an appreciation of nature and wildlife. Snorkeling promotes an appreciation of the undersea world and generates allies among people who aren't avid scuba divers (a much larger population).

 

[dmaziuk]

If there is an intake and exhaust "pipe" on these masks, how can you dive under water? Unless there's some type of pressure regulating release on the exhaust, won't the mask squeeze in? Your nose stops that after pressurizing on a regular mask. Am I missing something?

Yes: if you can freedive to where the squeeze of this mask becomes a problem, then you won't be freediving in this mask.

 

[tridacna]

This mask is not intended for freediving. I would never even try and freedive with it. There is simply no way to equalise the air pocket in the eye section.

It is perfect for what it is made for: Snorkeling.

 

[Hank49]

This mask is not intended for freediving. I would never even try and freedive with it. There is simply no way to equalise the air pocket in the eye section.

It is perfect for what it is made for: Snorkeling.

You mean people actually just float on the surface?.....like.....the whole time they're in the water? No way.

 

[ScubaBobCancun]

My non diving wife with mild thalassophobia (she can snorkel, but won't dive) was considering getting one of those new full facemask snorkels for our upcoming trip to Turks and Caicos. I just saw this.

How One Woman's Snorkeling Death Might Help Save Lives

Anyone have any opinions or insights?

DoctorMike. I have been renting Ocean Reef Full Face snorkeling masks in the Cozumel to Cancun area for over a year and we have rented these masks hundreds of times. If you look under the Disabled Divers community on ScubaBoard you will see two stories I have posted about disabled people (one in a wheel chair and one who is nearly blind) who have used and fallen in love with the masks. I have used the masks many times when snorkeling with whale sharks as well as regular reef snorkeling and they are superb. But be aware that there are cheap knock-offs that are not as good or as well designed as the Ocean Reef ARIA (or the licensed clone by HEAD). The Aria does not leak and will not fog up and the cheap imitators will. Trust me--I have tested and compared. There is a small plastic ball inside the snorkel and if your mask / head goes underwater the ball will rise up (like a ball in a toilet tank) and shut off water (and air) from coming into the mask until you get your head back onto the surface at which time the ball will drop back down and you will be able to breathe again. NO water will enter the mask. Check these out on my web site: scubabobphoto.com or write to me at bob@scubabobphoto.com if you have questions. You can buy ARIA masks at Dick's Sporting Goods or on Amazon in the US. They are about $99 but are definitely worth it.

 

[doctormike]

DoctorMike. I have been renting Ocean Reef Full Face snorkeling masks in the Cozumel to Cancun area for over a year and we have rented these masks hundreds of times. If you look under the Disabled Divers community on ScubaBoard you will see two stories I have posted about disabled people (one in a wheel chair and one who is nearly blind) who have used and fallen in love with the masks. I have used the masks many times when snorkeling with whale sharks as well as regular reef snorkeling and they are superb. But be aware that there are cheap knock-offs that are not as good or as well designed as the Ocean Reef ARIA (or the licensed clone by HEAD). The Aria does not leak and will not fog up and the cheap imitators will. Trust me--I have tested and compared. There is a small plastic ball inside the snorkel and if your mask / head goes underwater the ball will rise up (like a ball in a toilet tank) and shut off water (and air) from coming into the mask until you get your head back onto the surface at which time the ball will drop back down and you will be able to breathe again. NO water will enter the mask. Check these out on my web site: scubabobphoto.com or write to me at bob@scubabobphoto.com if you have questions. You can buy ARIA masks at Dick's Sporting Goods or on Amazon in the US. They are about $99 but are definitely worth it.

Thanks! That's really helpful, will pass it on to her.

We actually did find a mask in a local store (can't remember the brand, wasn't the SeaView or the Tribord), and she didn't like it that much, but maybe better to try one in the water?

 

[doctormike]

Here's a follow up report. At Beneath the Sea I ran into a buddy with a dive shop who was working with one of the companies that makes these masks. He gave me a small and a large version or the Aria Ocean Reef model to try out.

I just finished a week in Turks and Caicos with my wife, a friend, and another couple. All of these people have snorkeled before, but none of them were avid snorkelers. All four of the non-divers LOVED the mask. My wife, who was never comfortable with snorkeling called it a "game changer". One of the people who was fairly athletic had no issues diving 5-10 feet underwater (and I was impressed with it's shallow free diving performance as well). Yes, if you were really going to use it for deeper free diving you would need to become adept at a hands free method of equalization (there are a number of them), but I doubt that anyone who buys this mask is going to care about that. They particularly liked the lack of fogging and the greater comfort when compared to their experience with traditional snorkel mouthpieces.

So while it's tempting to ridicule something that's new and not designed for scuba divers, I would suggest that this really is a useful piece of gear for it's target audience. At lease according to my experience last week.