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Scuba Forum / Scuba Equipment / November 2005Mustache = leaky mask
It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a mustache and my mask leaks like crazy. I've only been snorkeling up to this point in my life but I'm signed up for scuba certification class in November and both masks I've tried lately in the pool -- and I'm talking full dive masks sold by the local dive shop -- leak, leak, leak. Doesn't seem to matter what I do, nor what kind of grease or goo I put in my mustache -- I've tried silicone grease, Vaseline, and chapstick, and they all work equally well, which is to say not well at all. Sometimes I can do a full lap in the pool without leaks and then have to clear the mask, and other times I think it's sealed and as soon as I go face-down in the water and start to swim it floods completely. My theory: I have a funny-shaped head in addition to the mustache. My back-up theory: I have been unlucky in the masks I've tried out. My dive shop (Waterfront Dive Center, of Burlington, Vermont) has done its best to try to recommend masks that would seal out of their inventory, but the sort of pained look on their faces seems to indicate that what they're really thinking is "nothing's going to work well, you've got a MUSTACHE." I've read back over the last few years of this group, glancing at posts with "mustache" and "leak" in 'em, and some folks spoke well of the Tusa Imprex HyperDry Nose Purge Mask, while others recommended other masks. The reason for my post: are there any really recent developments on the leaky- mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and ordering one from online?  Signature"I wish people who had trouble communicating would just shut up." -- Tom Lehrer http://www.livejournal.com/users/jayfurr/ I don't have a moustache, but I've had leaking problems if I hadn't shaved for a few days. I don't really have any advice as far as solving your problem, except maybe a full face mask? What I do want to say is, if you have money to throw away, then go ahead and order a mask online that you've never tried before. Otherwise, the best policy is to try before you buy. Every face is different. What works for one person may not work for others. I tried many masks before I got one that fit right, did not leak, and was comfortable. Your mask is one piece of equipment that you just don't want to have to even think about. It can totally ruin your dive. So keep trying different masks from your LDS. And, heaven forbid, you might consider losing the soup strainer if you're serious about diving. Perhaps other caterpillar lips can offer some better advice. DS > It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a > mustache [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? > It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a mustache > and my mask leaks like crazy. I've only been snorkeling up to this point > in my life but I'm signed up for scuba certification class in November and > both masks I've tried lately in the pool -- and I'm talking full dive masks > sold by the local dive shop -- leak, leak, leak. Try more masks. Ask fellow mustachio'd divers if you can borrow a mask to try. Ask at the dive club meeting or put a note up in the shop. SNIP > My theory: I have a funny-shaped head in addition to the mustache. My > back-up theory: I have been unlucky in the masks I've tried out. I don't have a mustache or an unusually shaped head (IMO), but I've found the Wintech FS-106 seals very well. They state it fits "large to extra large" faces and it fits my average-sized face fine. Notably, its skirt is very pliable and seems to make more contact than other masks I've used. The FS-106 is $33 at my local shop, but it's branded by many others at higher prices, including Tusa, as the Visualator. It's volume is higher than most, but the field of view is super, better than the Big Eyes, by my measurements. Wintech's site: http://www.wintechdiving.com/divemasks.htm Here's a site that shows many different mask designs, if that might help: http://digitalmedianet.dealtime.com/xDN-sport_and_outdoor-scuba_masks-price_rang e_50_60~V-grid Here's the Tusa Imprex Hyperdry (on Leisure Pro's site): http://www.leisurepro.com/prod/TBTM80.html It's described as a low volume, NARROW fit. Both of those factors could reduce the range of faces it will fit, I think. The purge might be helpful to you, though. You won't know if any of them fit for sure until trying them in the water, especially with a second stage in your mouth and while making normal head movements, etc. Sometimes a mask will seal better with a looser strap, sometimes with a tighter strap. > My dive shop (Waterfront Dive Center, of Burlington, Vermont) has done its > best to try to recommend masks that would seal out of their inventory, but > the sort of pained look on their faces seems to indicate that what they're > really thinking is "nothing's going to work well, you've got a MUSTACHE." They might be right, you know. What's your priority? A dry mask or a lip rat? 8^) Maybe you could trim the hedge. > I've read back over the last few years of this group, glancing at posts > with "mustache" and "leak" in 'em, and some folks spoke well of the Tusa > Imprex HyperDry Nose Purge Mask, while others recommended other masks. The > reason for my post: are there any really recent developments on the leaky- > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? As the other poster said, that could get expensive. You've got a lot of divers in the Burlington, Vermont, area. I'll bet you could put a note up in the dive shop or ask divers at a club meeting to get some people with mustaches to let you try their masks. Might take a few tries, but be less frustrating then buying and hoping. You could probably simulate by sticking your head in a tub of water with the mask on. Don't forget: black skirt to avoid reflections in the lens. HTH. Dave C > It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a mustache > and my mask leaks like crazy. I've only been snorkeling up to this point > in my life but I'm signed up for scuba certification class in November and > both masks I've tried lately in the pool -- and I'm talking full dive masks > sold by the local dive shop -- leak, leak, leak. Try more masks. Ask fellow mustachio'd divers if you can borrow a mask to try. Ask at the dive club meeting or put a note up in the shop. SNIP > My theory: I have a funny-shaped head in addition to the mustache. My > back-up theory: I have been unlucky in the masks I've tried out. I don't have a mustache or an unusually shaped head (IMO), but I've found the Wintech FS-106 seals very well. They state it fits "large to extra large" faces and it fits my average-sized face fine. Notably, its skirt is very pliable and seems to make more contact than other masks I've used. The FS-106 is $33 at my local shop, but it's branded by many others at higher prices, including Tusa, as the Visualator. It's volume is higher than most, but the field of view is super, better than the Big Eyes, by my measurements. Wintech's site: http://www.wintechdiving.com/divemasks.htm Here's a site that shows many different mask designs, if that might help: http://digitalmedianet.dealtime.com/xDN-sport_and_outdoor-scuba_masks-price_rang e_50_60~V-grid Here's the Tusa Imprex Hyperdry (on Leisure Pro's site): http://www.leisurepro.com/prod/TBTM80.html It's described as a low volume, NARROW fit. Both of those factors could reduce the range of faces it will fit, I think. The purge might be helpful to you, though. You won't know if any of them fit for sure until trying them in the water, especially with a second stage in your mouth and while making normal head movements, etc. Sometimes a mask will seal better with a looser strap, sometimes with a tighter strap. > My dive shop (Waterfront Dive Center, of Burlington, Vermont) has done its > best to try to recommend masks that would seal out of their inventory, but > the sort of pained look on their faces seems to indicate that what they're > really thinking is "nothing's going to work well, you've got a MUSTACHE." They might be right, you know. What's your priority? A dry mask or a lip rat? 8^) Maybe you could trim the hedge. > I've read back over the last few years of this group, glancing at posts > with "mustache" and "leak" in 'em, and some folks spoke well of the Tusa > Imprex HyperDry Nose Purge Mask, while others recommended other masks. The > reason for my post: are there any really recent developments on the leaky- > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? As the other poster said, that could get expensive. You've got a lot of divers in the Burlington, Vermont, area. I'll bet you could put a note up in the dive shop or ask divers at a club meeting to get some people with mustaches to let you try their masks. Might take a few tries, but be less frustrating then buying and hoping. You could probably simulate by sticking your head in a tub of water with the mask on. Don't forget: black skirt to avoid reflections in the lens. HTH. Dave C Jay; I've had a mustache for the last 40 years and when I started diving I ran into the same issues. Then I stopped to think about it, the water won't hurt me (maybe some rivers will) but I just let it leak until it gets up to my eyes, then I clear. I've found that I'm only need to clear maybe once or twice a dive, of course people give you funny looks when your mask is half full of water. Try trimming the top of your mustache just under your nose maybe 1/8 to 3/16 inch, and don't inhale through your nose. The longer you dive the less it will bother you. gary > It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a > mustache [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? > Try trimming the top of your mustache just under your nose maybe 1/8 to > 3/16 inch, and don't inhale through your nose. The longer you dive the > less it will bother you. > gary I dove 25 years with a mustache. I found that the best masks were the ones that had a relatively hard and narrow skirt where the went over the hair, but I agree that shaving the space just below your nose works best. I know one diver who had electrolosis to permanently remove the hair in this area. Safe diving, Cpt. Dale So breathe out through your nose once in a while. I have a moustache, and a little water gets in every once on in a while. And breathe out through my nose. The water goes back out the way it came in. And I have a clean 'stache. > It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a > mustache [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? >It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a mustache >and my mask leaks like crazy. I've only been snorkeling up to this point [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >the sort of pained look on their faces seems to indicate that what they're >really thinking is "nothing's going to work well, you've got a MUSTACHE." Jay, I used to do the vaseline on the moustache trick .. and while it usually worked, sometimes it didn't or it'd wear off on a long dive. But like someone else said ... it's only water (which in some places may not be "just water" but then you should be using a full face mask anyway ) if I'm doing a lot of sequential diving I trim the space below the nose. It looks funny for a little while until you get used to it. Don't go overboard, just try a little at a time until you get it right. otherwise I tend to just let it leak . Don't be tempted to overtighten the mask strap. the shaving of a landing strip is also the best way to shop test a mask ... unless the shop doesn't mind you sliming up the inventory with vaseline etc :-) I like to find a mask with a skirt that contacts as close to the bottom of the nose as possible to decrease the shaving. For me they also tend to leak the least amount if I haven't shaved. - Ed >It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a mustache >and my mask leaks like crazy. I've only been snorkeling up to this point >in my life but I'm signed up for scuba certification class in November and >both masks I've tried lately in the pool -- and I'm talking full dive masks >sold by the local dive shop -- leak, leak, leak. I forgot to mention ... a dive mask makes a terrible lap mask especially if you have fur under your nose. if you have the strap set correctly for diving it really is only doing the job of making sure the mask doesn't fall off your head, water pressure provides the real seal. trim the upper part of the moustache and do the real testing submerged in the pool. if it leaks a little, just try pushing it up on your face tight to the nose. - Ed > >On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 15:12:45 -0000, Jay Furr > ><jfurr-nospam@nospam-furrs.org> wrote: > > if you have the strap set correctly for diving it really is only doing > the job of making sure the mask doesn't fall off your head, water > pressure provides the real seal. Are you sure? You should be able to exhale into your mask without problems. The pressure on the inside of the mask when you exhale is greater than the pressure exerted by the water on the outside of the mask. Therefore, water pressure is not providing a seal. The seal is the mask seal abutting the skin or other surface. Shaving the top of your mustache is my advice. I have a mask with a purge valve. I also use mustache wax. How bad is the leak? Part of your training is learning how to clear a flooded mask. A purge valve makes it easy, but you don't really need one. You'll get more practice than most. > My theory: I have a funny-shaped head in addition to the mustache. My > back-up theory: I have been unlucky in the masks I've tried out. Your theory is probably correct. It is probably not, however, a question of luck. It's more likely a question of how many masks you've tried. Find a shop that has the widest prossible variety of masks and try them all. Forget anything with an extended range of vertical view. They're all quite particular about the faces they fit. Many that can buy almost any mask off the shelf, have trouble with them. Buy a spare scuba mouthpiece or take a snorkel with you when shopping for a mask. Your face is not quite the same shape with a mouthpiece in as it is without. You might as well stack the deck in your favor. You should be able to place the mask against your face with the strap hanging loose in front of the mask and keep it there with only the slightest inhale pressure. We're not talking hoover strength here, just a very slight inhale should do the trick. If it doesn't, keep looking. Look for a double seel at the bottom of the mask and don't forget to consider masks made for kids, women, etc. You can guess what your particular needs are better than I can, but all masks are not created equal. > My dive shop (Waterfront Dive Center, of Burlington, Vermont) has done its > best to try to recommend masks that would seal out of their inventory, but > the sort of pained look on their faces seems to indicate that what they're > really thinking is "nothing's going to work well, you've got a MUSTACHE." Then their best is not good enough. A really experienced shop person may be able to guess which mask will be best for your face, but people that good aren't common. You just going to have to try mask after mask after mask until you find one that works best. Sorry, but there's no substitute for testing. > I've read back over the last few years of this group, glancing at posts > with "mustache" and "leak" in 'em, and some folks spoke well of the Tusa [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? Don't even think about ordering a mask on line. The only way to find a mask that fits is to try masks until you find one that does. Once you've identified a mask that works for you, then, and only then, should you consider an on line purchase. It may cost you more to buy in the store than on line, but not matter how much it costs, it's less than what you'll pay on line for a bunch of masks that don't work for you. Lee > You should be able to place the mask against your face with the strap > hanging loose in front of the mask and keep it there with only the > slightest inhale pressure. We're not talking hoover strength here, just a > very slight inhale should do the trick. If it doesn't, keep looking. This is the best advice there is. You won't try too many different masks before you discover the wisdom of these instructions. You'll appreciate it even more when you use the mask on your next dive. > It's the same problem that others have had for millennia: I have a mustache > and my mask leaks like crazy. I've only been snorkeling up to this point [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > mask front I should be aware of before just crossing my fingers and > ordering one from online? I've had the same problem. I use some of the silicon they sell at the dive shops. I put a little on the mustache and some on the rim of the mask I have no leaks at all. Otherwise it leaks really bad for me. I have really stiff fur on the face and it just won't seal. I would be clearing every minute or so. With the silicon no problems. Dennis |
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