BIL on island, needs mask help. Guys with goatees, mustaches

alw1977 · Post by **alw1977** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:33 pm

My BIL just got on island yesterday for his honeymoon. He just texted me. They are snorkeling but he can't get his mask to stop leaking water. We bought him a very nice mask (not a cheapy combo set one). He has a goatee and says that the main problem appears to be that water is leaking in under his nose. Is his facial hair preventing him from getting a good seal?

I told him to wet his face and the mask, put it on outside of the water and press it to his face to see if he is getting a good seal. I will just send him to a scuba store if this issue persists, but has anyone else with facial hair had this experience? What did you do?

I'm The Stig · Post by **I'm The Stig** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:43 pm

Try raising the mask on his face, so the lower part is a close to his nose as possible. Also, try loosening the strap & if that doesn't work then tighten it more. The real fix is to get rid the facial hair or just deal with water in the mask. It will grow back after vacation.

chrisn · Post by **chrisn** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:44 pm

My Honey has a stache. He trims it real close, then takes a small tube of Vaseline and coats it a little before puting the mask on. Sometimes it helps.

Last trip, he just shaved cause he got annoyed with the leakage. I told him to NEVER do that again so this trip it's Vaseline again.

Marcia (Mrs. Pete) · Post by **Marcia (Mrs. Pete)** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:55 pm

Pete used to have a mustache and he would use a product (which I assume the dive shops all carry) that was much like Vaseline. It worked well. It was kind of a bitch to clean off of his 'stash afterward though.

alw1977 · Post by **alw1977** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:57 pm

Thanks, I've just texted him these solutions. I think I just need to fly down there to show him how to fix the problem in person.

mit43 · Post by **mit43** » Tue May 12, 2009 3:23 pm

I had the same problem. Here is what I do.

Right before we leave I shave the top line under my nose a little lower than usual. That provides a small space of naked skin under my nose and it provides a good seal. I have also trimmed it short and used Vaseline with great results.

For future reference, the Seavision ultra masks work well for men with facial hair. A Purge valve would also be helpful in this situation.

Lex · Post by **Lex** » Tue May 12, 2009 4:06 pm

If he puts on his mask and looks in a mirror, he'll be able to see just how much of the mustache the mask actually covers. I had the impresion that it covered most of the the area and was surprised to see that it really only covers a small strip under the nose. Shaving off my whole mustache was more than I was ready to do, but I was quite willing to trim a little bit, which was all that it needed. It's barely noticeable.

I'd previously used vaseline and some stuff I bought in Hawaii, but trimming that tiny area gave me the best seal I'd ever gotten.

CariBert · Post by **CariBert** » Tue May 12, 2009 4:24 pm

I used to have a mustashe, and I would shave it for the trip down. I could always grow the stache back, but an unpleasant snorkeling experience lasts a loooong time. It's not worth the hastle, just suck it up and shave. You'll enjoy the underwater a lot better when you're not leaking salt water into your nasal passages!

-Bert

ClevelandDave · Post by **ClevelandDave** » Tue May 12, 2009 4:41 pm

mit43 said: I had the same problem. Here is what I do. Right before we leave I shave the top line under my nose a little lower than usual. That provides a small space of naked skin under my nose and it provides a good seal.

This is what I do. too. The stache didn't look bad at all and I had zero leakage. Just make sure that there's about 1/4"+ of bare skin and that should do it.

Dave

BillVT · Post by **BillVT** » Wed May 13, 2009 7:15 am

I have a beard and since I've had it for so long (my adult children have never seen me without it) I refuse to shave it and I love to snorkel. The owner of my local dive shop recommended using Unpetroleum Lip Balm. You put a gob on your finger and liberally smear it on your mask where it makes contact with your facial hair. He recommended the product since it does not have petroleum products in it that can adversely affect the material that your mask is made of. If you can't find Un-petroleum I'm sure another similar product would do. http://unpetroleum.com/ is their website. A little goes a long way.

I've also found that I get some leakage on my first snorkel of vacation and as I slip into island time and start to relax I get less leakage. I think we carry a lot of tension in our faces making it difficult for that all important seal to stay set. This is by no means scientific, just a personal observation. But I think it's true.

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