GCP.... Just wanted to clarify some points on the full face mask, and why I've slowly switched over to it in shallow water. The number one reason is that it actually allows me to stay in the water much longer than a traditional mask.....heres why......if I wear a traditional mask my lips 💋 and mouth are constantly exposed to the salt water. After about 3 hours my lips start to get sore and chapped from constantly having the snorkel in my mouth. The full face mask keeps your face mostly dry, and my lips don't get so sore from salt water exposure. Also I've had implant surgery for some of my teeth, and chewing constantly on a snorkel for more than 3 hours at a time can make the mouth sore and is a constant contact with my teeth. The full face mask has none of that issue. Also this mask has a super wide field of vision, which is really nice !!
Now the draw backs......you won't be able to dive deep with this mask because of the large volume of air that gets trapped in it when diving....its very boyuant and takes time to master while diving. Anything over 6-8 feet is a struggle, and the pressure on your face is strong at depth....it took some learning how to dive with it. Usally I'm exhaling slowly while digging at depth. Also there are warnings about dead air being trapped in the mask, and it being difficult to get the proper exchange of fresh and old air. Every now and then I'll give it a long and hard exhale to clear it completely before taking in new fresh air. Again I had to learn this !! Some times the float in the snorkel will get stuck and you cannot draw air in with out tapping the snorkel tube to dislodge the float.....only happens once or twice a day, but can be a surprise if not prepared for it. Every once in awhile its nice to flip it up and actually get your face wet too !! So there are a few drawback, or compromises with it......I still have far less saltwater in my mouth, and can stay in the water more than 5 hours. When I got the gold cuban link I stayed in the water without a break 11am-7pm, 8 hours only stopping to talk or have a sip of water.....this is whats making the difference in my gold count......im flipping hundreds of targets until I hit the gold I know is there !! Obviously if I'm on compressed air at greater depth than 7 feet I have to use the traditional mask.....spearfishing, shell 🐚 diving, and wreck hunting im using the traditional mask to freedive to 30+feet which would be impossible with the full face mask....your just to boyant with it on and the pressure on your sinuses is tremendous at about 15 feet ..... if you can even make it that far !!
Hope that helps a little !!
