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Looking for the best snorkelling gear for your next beach holiday, but don’t like the idea of clenching a chewed-up rubber mouthpiece between your teeth? Rather than clipping a traditional snorkel to the side of the mask to inhale air from above the water, full-face masks combine mask and snorkel into a single piece of kit.
The new design is growing in popularity as it allows users to breathe “normally” with both nose and mouth. This is due to the fact that snorkel masks cover the entire face from forehead to chin with a fixed breathing tube poking out of the top (or side) to stop water from coming in when a wave hits.
As an avid freediver, I have spent considerable time with various snorkel designs, but a full-face mask is not ideal for diving to any depth because the design restricts access to your nose, making it difficult to equalise the pressure in your ears. However, for adults or children apprehensive about putting their face in the water, full-face masks are a great piece of starter kit.
As long as you do not mind looking like a Spartan soldier from Halo, these masks keep the entire face dry and create a wider viewing area. Major brands introduced the concept in 2015, but it has since been picked up by many companies leading to more competitive pricing.
Top tip: it is important to pick a product with a proper airflow system. Dead airspace is greater in a full-face device than in a conventional snorkel, and this can cause CO2 build-up, with potentially dangerous consequences.
We put three brands to the test in a swimming pool and compared their fit, field of vision, breathing system, risk of leakage and water drainage. Here's how they performed under pressure.
Wildhorn Outfitters Seaview 180° V2
Although the crossed, elasticated textile straps are a bit unusual at first, the mask is easy to put on and does not pull any hair.
The breathing system has two separate chambers that separate inhaled air from exhaled CO2, and four intake valves to keep plenty of fresh air in the mask.
The snorkel itself is a fair bit longer than the other two tested – which can mean more effort to breathe in and out – but perhaps to counteract this it is also wider and seems to let in more air.
Unlike most other full-face masks, this snorkel is built into the side, as is the case with traditional snorkels. From an airflow point of view, this makes sense as air can easily be funnelled into the snorkel and does not flow through the rest of the mask. And a system that keeps exhausted air away from your field of vision certainly improves the fog resistance.
The wide, flat window really does provide a fine 180-degree view. Pleasingly, the anti-fog lens also means there is no need to spit on the glass before using the mask.
The Seaview V2's silicon skirt seals nicely around your face, but tends to compress if you dip your head down too far resulting in some water leakage. If this does happen, surprisingly, the mask still does not get foggy. And if the mask fills up with water, just lift your head up and it will drain quickly.
Score: 9/10
Price: £77 | Check price on Amazon | Wildhorn Outfitters
Subea Easybreath
A full-face snorkel mask will perform well if it fits properly. This mask comes in eight colours and two adult sizes (S/M and M/L), so it is important to measure your size correctly before buying it. New this year from the brand is it's first XS children's version for six- to 10-year-olds.
Talking of size and fit, we think it might be worth getting one size up and using the elastic straps to tighten the mask properly. Or if you are really hardcore try an older version of this brand – before changing its brand name to Subea, Tribord offered a mask in three different adult sizes.
While the smaller size felt rather tight on my face, the silicon skirt was still comfortable enough. The mask sealed properly and did not leak but still fogged up, which could be due to air not circulating properly. The purge valve at the bottom of the mask worked well to drain any water without having to remove the mask. Breathing, though, did not feel as effortless as with the other products tested.
And remember that full-face masks can make you feel out of breath or tired as they contain more dead air, so it is important to take regular breaks.
Score: 8/10
Price: £25 | Check price on Decathlon
iClique Full Face Snorkel Set Diving Mask
This mask only comes in two sizes and felt quite tight, though breathing seemed surprisingly natural. We filled up the mask with water to test the purge valve: it worked fine, although drainage was not as smooth as with the Wildhorn and Subea products.
The one-way valve system should prevent water from entering in the first place, but in case of a leak, looking up will speed up the draining process. The lens is curved (unlike the other two flat products tested here), which distorts what you see, particularly at the edges where the lens meets the frame. Sometimes this can make you feel dizzy when snorkelling.
The iClique mask is also considerably smaller than the one from Wildhorn. The fixed breathing tube is locked using a snap buckle and neatly folds down into the mask for storage – a real boon when travelling light.
However, both Wildhorn and iClique come with an action camera mount for taking underwater photos (with the Subea it has to be ordered separately). The camera attaches to the top of the iClique mask, so if you are not keeping your head flat in the water, it might point in the wrong direction and film what happens above the water.
Also, because full-face masks do not allow you to dive down, it might be challenging to capture good images and footage in deeper water.
Score: 8/10
Price: £25 | Check price on iClique
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
