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| Diving full face masks is really not this serious: «Dive Vader» on his way to Thunderball. (Murner See, BY/D)n any case |
Off the Beaten Tracks: Diving Full Face Masks
SCUBA divers with full face masks are a rare sight, even though reliable and proven equipment is available since many, many years. Several myths and exaggerated marketing claims may discurage interested divers. That's unfortunate, as in reality diving with a full face mask is convenient and offers comfort, is fun (think: underwater cycling), and is safe ... when done properly and wisely.
So, you want to know more about diving with full face masks ... where to start? Good news: this blog is made for you. It has some information you typically won't find elsewhere online (despite the Internet offering so much information), right from my own diving experience. However, this blog won't replace proper professional training. You won't learn driving a car from a blog, would you?
Full Face Masks
When you started learning SCUBA diving you surely used a type of SCUBA mask covering your eyes and nose, so you get clear vision under water. In contrast, full face masks seal the whole of a diver's face from the water and cover not only eyes and nose, but also the mouth. The mask now supplies you with your breathing gas. Often, you don't need to bite into a mouth piece anymore, but can easily breathe through your nose.
Well, there's a small emphasis on sealing the face only. For whatever reason, some people (such as some article authors from the German Wikipedia) tend to think about covering the whole head instead. So, my ears are probably in some wrong place. Or the mask manufacturers did sloppy work. You can never be sure these days.
Posts, Drill, and Videos
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| Comfort and perfect sight with a full face mask. |
- what is different when diving a full face mask?
- mask typology: my incomplete overview on full face masks.
- go for safety-aware drills when diving full face masks:
- my safety-aware drill concept,
- gory details about drill rounds and exercises,
- not only for the fun: my
drill videos ... so that's how it's looking when I'm gonna making a fool of myself. ;) - yes, suitable hoods for diving with a full face mask are worth a topic of its own.
- so this is how diving with a Dräger PND full face mask is like ... a real pleasure.
- go for better safety: my Dräger PND full face mask (and double reg) configuration.
- ...and finally some rants about unfunded cut&dried opinions when it comes to full face masks.
Notices
Even as diving with a full face mask is comfortable and convenient, please never forget that full face masks are no toy. And they are surely no lifestyle products either.
Caveat emptor: my experience may sometimes not be fully representative. Also, I may be mistaken. Albeit I tried to cross-check my postings for correctness, I can't fully eliminate the possibility of errors. So, always be wary when reading my blog posts. Of course, any constructive feedback is welcome.Important: In my view, divers who want to dive full face masks should ensure they have an absolutely firm command of SCUBA diving first. After a diver has mastered these absolutely essential basics and her/his equipment configuration, be welcome to diving with full face masks. Please make sure you get proficient in safety-aware drills.
But now ... enjoy reading and browsing through this blog, and hopefully you will enjoy diving with a full face mask soon!
PS: Many thanks to Jörg Lucinski and Axel Eisele for their shots depicting me with my Dräger full face mask. Jörg shot his photo in Lake Murner, BY/D during a relaxing dive in surprisingly good visibility. And no, I really wasn't posing that moment ... I just waited for Jörg when he pressed the shutter. Me thinks that Jörg just waited for that moment. Contrary, Axel diverted my attention in Lake Blindsee by faking photographing the «infamous camouflage loach» and then turned around ... and got me for the sediment whisperer. Further imagery (the fake slides at the beginning) was shot by Peter von der Sitt and Michaela Heinlein.
