5 WAYS TO STOP YOUR DIVING MASK LEAKING

Ughhhh… I know, it’s REALLY frustrating when you’re trying to enjoy a dive but your mask keeps leaking. No one likes it! Trust me! Here at the Fifth Point, we've brainstormed a few top tips to stop your dive mask leaking.

1. FIND THE PERFECT MASK

Finding a mask that suits the shape of your face is absolutely essential to stop your dive mask leaking. If it doesn't fit you, it won't create that perfect air-tight seal and the water will trickle in. No one's face is the exact same shape, and that's why there's so many masks available on the market.

The only way you can find one that's the best fit for you is to try it on. Most dive centres keep a decent range in their stores. Make a visit, and try them all on using the suck test. This is a great starting point, but ideally, you need to get the mask wet and take it for a spin. There's more info on the suck test from The Honest Diver, plus you can try out every single mask in our training tank to make sure it's absolutely perfect! 

2. KEEP THE BANGS OUT THE WAY

Long hair, short hair and everything in between… unless you're bald there's a good chance you'll suffer from a leaky mask occasionally when hair getting stuck in the seal. Yup, it's a pesky one, but with the right techniques, you can stop your dive mask leaking.

Run your fingers around the skirt of the mask - ensure there's no wispy bits of hair stuck. If you're wearing a hood, make sure your mask is against your face and not sitting on top of the neoprene. I actually find my hood a great hack for getting my hair completely away from my face. I just tuck everything inside. You know what they say… out of sight, out of mind.

I actually wrote a blog all about perfect hairstyles for divers with long hair! Check it out for some epic tried and tested go-to dive hairstyles. 

3. IS IT TIME TO SHAVE THE TASH?!

If you've got a mustache or your facial hair is getting in the way… I'm afraid to say it but the most frequent (and arguably most effective) response is to simply shave it all off!

However, we feel ya! You've been growing out that hair and it's a part of you! So, an alternative to shaving off ALL your facial fuzz is to only shave the area just under your nose. This way, you can get that perfect seal, especially if your mask has a nice thin, soft silicone skirt. 

If you don't want that razor anywhere near your face, then you could try vaseline. Smother your tash and it should fill in all the air gaps so the water can't find its way in.

4. DEFOG IS YOUR BFF

There's nothing worse than diving with a foggy mask. The only way to make it bearable is to continuously force your mask to leak so you can swish the water around and clear the lens!

Spitting in your mask before a dive used to be the easiest and cheapest defog around - especially if you eat haribos beforehand, it works a treat! But let's face it, it's not exactly the most hygienic form of defog, particularly in these times.

Instead defog has become our go-to as divers. You can make your own from baby shampoo, but my favourite is one that is eco-conscious and reef safe! Try out Stream2Sea’s reef-friendly and biodegradable defog available from The Honest Diver. It even comes in a sugarcane resin bottle so avoids plastic pollution, awesome right??! We love it and so do the fish!

5. DON'T OVERTIGHTEN

A mask that's worn too tight can leak just as much as a mask that's too loose. I guess you have to find the Goldilocks sweet spot to stop your dive mask leaking and that's just going to take a bit of trial and error. If your mask is a good fit for your face, you will find that you can wear it quite loose because it's naturally going to hug your face. 

It's a common misconception, especially from new divers, that the more you tighten your mask, the less likely it is to leak. What actually happens is that it squashes the lines in your face - particularly those ones that run from your nose to the corners of your mouth and it makes a little valley. This creates a gap in the seal and the water will keep running in.

Plus, avoiding wearing your mask too tight also stops those annoying red marks that appear after the dive!