Recommendations for Diving with a Beard? #AskMark #scuba @ScubaDiverMagazine
@TheMarkbergeron
Mark Bergeron
#askmark any mask recommendations for gents with bears such as yourself?
#scuba #scubadiving #scubadiver
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Proper fitting mask is the best first answer. The better the fit, the less water throughout the dive.
I’m fully bearded and don’t use balms or trim or anything else. I just clear the mask when needed and carry on. It’s more annoying to dive in a hood and bite down on your beard doing regulator switches than it is to just clear the mask.
#askmark
Hi Mark, so I am nearly done with my open water course. I am in the market for a first regulator and I want good stuff. There are a kazilion regs out there. Most of them being sold for more then a decade without changes. I am leaning towards an atomic st1, I like the stainless and since they all breathe the same I will not go for the t3 version which is to expensive. Do you agree that the st1 is still after a decade one of the best regs out there or do you have better options for me?
Love your videos!
Kind regards,
Dennis
ST1 is a great regulator. Atomic regulators are always top tier and the ST1 is better at cold water diving compared to the T3 because it is made from steel. Titanium is strong and light but, not great in colder waters. A lot of divers use the ST1 for it’s breathing performance.
I use a beeswax chapstick. Does a great job to help the seal and moisturizes my upper lip.
The key thing is that when I put my mask on I make sure it is sitting up high so the seal is not too far down on my lip where the hair and the shape change caused by regulator will cause leaks.
I also nip off just a few hairs under my nose ans I shave up nearby cheek bones to make that nice and smooth. Not exactly sure how much it helps but I do it and I’ve not had many issues.
Also, keep in mind that your mustache will only create a leak at the bottom of your mask. The water coming in needs to displace the air in your mask, but air can’t go down, which means that unless you do a headstand not much water will get in. (And you also quickly become a pro at clearing your mask 😂)
I have a big head and facial hair. I’ve always preferred a larger mask, like a tri-pane with a purge valve. I never had any issues and with the purge valve it’s easy to dump the small amount of water that could build up. For colder water I would use something on my moustache to help make a better seal and it was just a little bit of Vicks VapoRub. It really does help with the seal and does wonders for the sinuses.
I shave the top 1 or 2 mm of my mustache. Works pretty well.
😎👍😂
i shave before diving. i was told that faces leak not masks. after about 4 different masks
i found one that doesn’t leak. on the plus side of a leaking mask you get to practice clearing your mask.
Excellent idea to bring a snorkel when trying on a mask to properly mimic your face contortions while trying on a mask
This is definitely a situation where going to your local dive shop would be something I would recommend. Not only trying various masks but also feeling those skirts to find any ones with really soft skirts was super helpful for me. Plus if they have a pool they likely will allow you to even jump in with various masks for you to try them out, just bring swim gear and a snorkel (or even full dive gear, depending on your relationship with that shop they might even let you use a tank at no cost). For me the sweet spot mask was a Halcyon H-View Narrow mask which was night and day from several masks I had been using. I was in my LDS’ pool testing out some other gear I had bought from them and asked to try a few masks and realized after doing some skills work with it that I’d actually completely forgotten about having to do any extra bits of mask clear or just living with that bit of water in my nose. Best feeling ever having a mask without that little bit of leaking for once! Definitely worth being able to actually check out and try various masks at a local shop if you can, IMHO. Some gear there’s no worries buying online, but masks, in my experience (especially for those of us with facial hair) it’s best to be able to really try it before you buy it
Currently on holiday in the Caribbean and completely new to scuba diving , we are finishing our open water course referral here , and loving all the vlogs , thanks for the beard tips mark 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
How’d it go? Waiting for things to warm up so I can finish my OW. Can’t wait!
@Mr. Beacher we passed mate 👍🏻 our dive instructor was brilliant 🤩
@Iain Chesterman congrats!