Diving and beards

[AzAtty]

Funnily enough, about 20 minutes into the dive the leaking stopped. Not sure why, perhaps the hairs got damp and soft enough that a seal could hold?

Didn't they teach you in your Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures class that the half time on a beard is 3 minutes, so by 20 minutes into the dive the beard is fully saturated?

 

[Walter]

You use a mask?

Seriously, you just need a better fitting mask. A mask that fits without a beard is not necessarily one that fits with a beard. I never trip to stop a mask from leaking. I wear a beard because I hate shaving. I'm not going to shart shaving above my mustache and I'm sure as hell not going to smear something in it. I try to clean stuff out of it at the end of my dives. I have noticed that my mask often rests on my lower lip. Hair doesn't actually grown on the lip, so it's less of an issue.

 

[tarponchik]

My husband has a goatee and he simply shaves the top bit (under his nose) and applies silicone grease to the top of his mustache. Many folks say vaseline isn't good for your mask skirt

I do the same.

 

[LarryHinDC]

I'm with Hawkwood and Walter. I have a full beard and never do anything special and I rarely notice a leakage problem. I imagine as someone above says that getting a mask that fits with your beard is the key.

 

[mdb]

I join those who say find a mask that seals with your beard. I hate shaving and have had some beard/stubble for 22+ yrs. I know that chapstick/Vaseline are used by my other hirsute friends
and I have tried it myself. It does work. I'm kind of with Walter on this issue.

 

[sabbath999]

You use a mask?

Visibility is for wimps.

 

[Tamas]

... getting a mask that fits with your beard is the key.

That is the key, try looking for a black skirt mask as the silicone on those tends to be softer confirming better to the whiskers -- but it that doesn't work, small dap of chapstick is your next best thing.

 

[Hoomi]

Funny; my wife is annoyed when I DON'T have a beard.

She loves it when my beard is full and untrimmed. I shaved it a couple of months ago for the dermatologist (need to make sure from time to time there are no skin cancers hiding under it), and it's slowly coming back.

For diving, I trim back just the top portion of the 'stache, and since the whiskers grow fairly high on my cheeks, I trim the beard so that it stays predominately on the jaw. I get a good seal that way, while not spoiling the look.

 

[ocbeachbum]

I've found it's a function of beard length. If you keep it trimmed close for that 'Yasser Arafat' look then your mask is going to leak, as the hairs are rigid and prickly. Proveded it is thick enough, a longer beard will soak up water and seal after a few minutes into the dive. I've never used vaseline or chapstick as a sealant, and I agree getting crap out of the beard after a dive is a pain, but shaving is still worse. try experimenting with different lengths over a couple weeks and see what seals best. You might also try using a small dab of conditioner on the 'stache to get it to soften up and lay flatter.

 

[Splash-X]

That is the key, try looking for a black skirt mask as the silicone on those tends to be softer confirming better to the whiskers -- but it that doesn't work, small dap of chapstick is your next best thing.

I switched from a clear skirted mask to a mask that has a much softer black skirt for two reasons:

1.) I was sick of the clear one freaking me out that someone was swimming up on my (my wife or a friend) to screw with me when it was really just a reflection of myself

2.) I moved to a lense called Tru View and it only comes with a black skirt.


I use to get leaks with the clear skirt on any mask I used if I hadn't shaved that morning. The plus of all this is now my mask no longer leaks due to my lack of shaving. I don't grow a full beard but I use a beard trimmer maybe once a week so there is always something there.