I received a full face snorkel mask as a Chanukah present and I was excited.  It was a year of two  ago that I had rented one on Oahu.   We decided to give the SEESCAPE full face snorkel  mask a try so we headed to Maui.

In many of the marketing material the actors are shown diving with the mask on with out difficulty or pressure equalization.

On Maui the Honolulu Civil Beat was reporting that seventeen people had died in 2 months from drowning while  snorkeling and many were wearing the full face mask. The SF GATE was reporting that at least 3 of those drowned were California residents. 

The Seescape did feel a bit different than the one I had rented the previous year.   The mask was a size medium and it seems to fit properly I found it pretty easy and smoothly to adjust it.  I did have help just to be safe. I suggest you also ask friend for help just to be sure that you aren’t getting your hair caught in the straps. The inside of the mask has a silicone rim that prevents water from coming in , so if you have facial hair like myself make sure that you take this into consideration, my friend with a bull beard a some issues getting the mask to not leak. I am not sure if the vaseline trick on the beard works here but I suspect it could prematurely wear the silicone down.

Inside the water I was able to see pretty clearly.  I was impressed with the clarity of the mask, a minute or two into snorkeling water came in the tube and It stopped my flow of oxygen. It was fast. I exhaled and I couldn’t inhale, there was no air coming in, when I tried to remove the mask it was suctioned to my face.  I was able to pull if off as I was close to shore.  I took the mask of and noticed that there was water inside the silicone.

With a buddy holding my hand I tried again. This time I was able to last a little longer under water but I noticed that the water again was gathering at the bottom of the mask where the mouth is I was bit impressed that you can blow the water out but you have to come up .

Would I snorkel with this mask again. I don’t think I would without being close to shore.  I have been considering  about practicing a bit more.

 

I had been at a store in Wailea that rents out these masks and I was floored that they had been rented to a family without any warning or explanation or fitting. I did wonder if they knew about the recent deaths and about the limits of the masks.