Snorkeling is a sport that most people (especially water lovers) cherish to do. Some people with bearded faces wonder if the snorkel can fit over their faces without a problem. They don’t even know that the problem is not always just the beard but also can be the mustache.
If you have a beard without a mustache, you will likely face fewer problems than someone with a mustache and no beard.
The sealing issues that beard and mustache create are usually dependent on the level of bears or mustache you choose to keep.
If you keep a bushy mustache but want to snorkel, yes, it will be possible to snorkel but not without problems. Fortunately, these problems have solutions you can apply to be able to enjoy your snorkel just any other person.
We have good news for beard face persons, but you won’t benefit from our answers unless you spare some time to read till the end. Continue reading as we provide you with all you need concerning this topic.
Can you snorkel with a beard?
The simple answer to this question is yes! But there are a few problems you will face. However, you can also use a few tips to counter these problems.
So, what problems will you face with your beard while snorkeling? The principle behind the snorkel is for a perfect seal to be created between your face and the snorkel.
The seal has a major purpose which is to avoid ending up with saltwater covering your whole face while you snorkel.
The problem beard and or mustache people face is this; where the snorkel overlaps their beard and mustache, the seal gets disrupted, and likely water leaks in this are where we come in with tips on how to maintain a perfect seal while keeping your mustache.
How can you snorkel with a beard and or mustache?
The tips provided here are well-researched, and if you apply them carefully, you will enjoy a safe and fantastic time among the fish and corals without the need to destroy your beard.
Pick the right mask
Every snorkeler knows that the secret to enjoying a good time underwater is picking the right mask. This is even more crucial for anyone with a beard.
Yes, because your beard already compromises the seal, you won’t want to worsen matters with a bad snorkel further. So there is no room for errors since your seal has been tampered with.
The decision you will likely have to make here is choosing between a traditional snorkel mask and a full-face snorkel mask.
But what is the difference?
A traditional snorkel mask covers only the eyes and nose area, while the full face snorkel mask covers from below your chin right up to your forehead.
The traditional snorkel mask will be more challenging to use for those with a mustache. The main area of contact between the mustache and the snorkel mask is under your nose, and this is the point where failure is most likely.
The rest of the mask lies on your upper chicks and around your eyes where there is less or no facial hair.
So the best first option is to have a little touch on your mustache, and if this doesn’t help, you better go in for a full-face snorkel mask if that is a simpler decision to take; otherwise, we give the next tip as a try.
Use grease to achieve a perfect seal
Another way to snorkel without cutting your beard is to apply a seal on your beard and the skirt of your snorkel. A variety of products exist for this purpose.
However, you should not use petroleum jelly products as they will destroy your snorkel, which will cost you expensive repairs.
You may use Vaseline; although very common, as mentioned above, it is a petroleum jelly product.
Moreover, Vaseline is just is short-term and will ride the skirt of your mask, causing serious damage to it. Recommended products for this purpose are silicon grease and wax hair products.
Silicone grease is a mixture of silicone oil and a thickener. It creates a perfect seal and doesn’t destroy your mask since it lacks petroleum jelly.
Do not wear contact lenses
You might think we are getting out of topic by mentioning contact lenses here. But this is very important to note.
Although the two tips mentioned above might create an effective seal, you may still have some leakages and will want to perfect that with contact lenses.
If your contacts are especially the soft type which is good, but if they do break, the water and the grease you use above can get the broken pieces to stick to your face.
This is an experience you will not want to face.
Make sure your beard and mustache match your mask
It will not surprise if one complains about not finding good silicon grease or wax hair products. Also, others may complain about the cost and will be looking for an alternative. If that is the case here, we will bring you the alternative you are looking for.
Get your mask over your face and see where your beard or mustache tempers with the seal. Get a razor and trim off these problem areas so that your mask can have a great seal over your face.
This tip depends on whether you love your beard more than snorkeling or the reverse.
Try swim goggles
Swimming goggles will be the best option for beard face snorkelers to go with and avoid any leakage. Even the bushiest mustache or beard will not be a problem to snorkel.
But why didn’t we start with this option if it presents this perfect world to bearded snorkelers? This is why! If you choose this option, then diving isn’t possible for you.
When you dive, the pressure from diving creates a vacuum in your goggle which can cause serious damage to your eyes.
One important and frequent action you must perform is clearing your ears. Failure to do so can blow your eardrums-something you won’t want to happen.
Swimming goggles prevent you from performing this clearing action. It would be best to settle for this only when all other tips fail.
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Conclusion
Snorkeling with a beard or mustache is not an impossibility. Aiming to do so will require some sacrifices; financial because you will have to buy extra stuff like grease and because you may have to cut off part of your beard.
But if you love snorkeling, you will have to make one or all the sacrifices. The good news is that you can snorkel with a beard. Happy snorkeling.