With the recent advent of snorkel-integrated masks, full face masks for scuba diving are making waves once again. There are several pros and cons to diving with a full face mask, and only you can decide if the pros outweigh the cons enough to give it a shot. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can expect if you choose a full face mask for your dives.
Wider View
While there are different styles of full face masks, many offer a wider field of view than a traditional mask. This allows you to see more of the environment during your dive, as well as having a better peripheral for keeping track of your dive buddy or group.
Improved Communication
Some full face masks include integrated microphones, allowing divers to speak to each other or to surface support. Professional divers have been using full face masks for years for just this reason. However, in most dive scenarios, the same hand signals you’ve always employed will work just as well.
Increased Cost
One major con for most when considering diving with a full face mask is cost. With price tags ranging from about $600 – $1,500, these masks are much less accessible than their traditional counterparts. Don’t forget to budget in the cost of specialized training to learn how to use your new equipment, which will teach you how to operate with new buoyancy characteristics, equalization techniques, and out-of-gas procedures, among other details.
Integrated Regulator
Perhaps the biggest pro, and oddly, con of diving with a full face mask is the integrated regulator. Having the regulator integrated into your mask means it’s far less likely that it could accidentally get kicked out or be pulled free by a strong current. This also can alleviate jaw fatigue since you won’t have to keep a grip with your teeth. The integrated regulator is quieter as well, which can cause less disturbance to the marine environment.
However, if your mask does come off unexpectedly, the regulator goes with it, making mask retrieval a somewhat dire situation. Hoses attached to the regulator prevent the mask from straying too far, but if a diver panics at having lost both his mask and regulator, it can create an emergency.
This is one of the main reasons a course designed for diving with a full face mask is crucial for anyone interested in purchasing this piece of equipment. Mask removal and replacement is one of the core drills of this training.
If you choose to try diving with a full face mask, remember to keep current and practiced with your basic scuba skills — like mask clearing and retrieval — to allow you to transition back and forth easily.
