Full Face Mask

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

barbara

Guest
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Location
florida
I am almost ready to purchase a full face mask due to TMJ difficulties. I wonder if anyone knows of an affordable mask which will allow you to breathe through both your nose and mouth. Communication is not my goal but I would think that since your mouth is free of a regulator that you would be able to talk at limited distances. Has anyone tried this?
 
There are any number of full face masks out there, a lot depends on what you intend to do, Cressi & Scuba Pro have a FFM that takes any regulator which is fairly inexpensive and allows you to easily equalize by pinching your nose, (I have a brand new Scuba Pro that I am selling fo $200) For a wider range of vision you might want to look at the AGA or Ocean reef these are all readily available masks that you should have no trouble finding or getting spares for. As far as communicating if you can get somebody to listen to you underwater you can talk:D
 
The Cressi masks go for about $75 and are simple, work well and fit a wide variety of faces, but the field of view is more limited than the Scubapro mask and the Cressi has no separate oral/nasal cavity with a consequently larger internal air space and the potential for more CO2 retention.
 
Hi Barbara, here's information on the Ocean Reef FFM. WWW.Oceanreefgroup.com. This is a high end FFM with 2nd stage. It definately allows you to breath through your nose, and can be fitted with a communications system (also available through Ocean Reef) as well.
 
Another vote for the Cressi/IST FFMs, You get around the CO2 problem by leaving the mouthpiece on the reg, you just let it dangle from your mouth & try to get most of your air that way. Makes clearing a non-issue as well.
Check the classifieds (hint hint): http://www.scubaboard.com/t44403.html
 
Scubakevdm:
Hi Barbara, here's information on the Ocean Reef FFM. WWW.Oceanreefgroup.com. This is a high end FFM with 2nd stage. It definately allows you to breath through your nose, and can be fitted with a communications system (also available through Ocean Reef) as well.

Sorry, I forgot to tell you, what you're looking for is called "The Neptune".
 
A good one and will allow nose/mouthbreathing is the AGA. It has an oral nasal over your mouth and nose. The nose clearing device sucks but I don't use it anyway. The built in reg is awesome. Can get it all for around $800. Think about it. You get a great reg AND a mask.
 
DFC5343:
A good one and will allow nose/mouthbreathing is the AGA. It has an oral nasal over your mouth and nose. The nose clearing device sucks but I don't use it anyway. The built in reg is awesome. Can get it all for around $800. Think about it. You get a great reg AND a mask.


In fact I was pricing them with Ocean Technology Systems today and you can get the semi-positive pressure for about $500.

Another great and very versatile mask is the Kirby Morgan M-48...

Jeff Lane
 
I think I have personally dove them all and my assesment is as follows.

The cressi while cheap is not really a good choice for ongoing use.

The Scuba Pro is slightly better.

The Ocean Reef I was not impressed with at all

The Aga Mask worked great for me in the Arctic last year but I needed to purchase a Kirby Morgan nose block to be able to effectively clear without pulling the mask free from my face.

Poseidon now makes a Aga Copy that for my $ is a better mask than the AGA. They seem to have improved upon the AGA and the regulator is top notch.

But my all time favorite is the Kirby Morgan Balanced EXO BR. While this is considered a "Commercial" mask they retail for a similar price to the AGA/Poseidon and are a true workhorse mask with external communications already taken into consideration. The Oral/nasal cavitiy is sectioned off above the nose allowing for easy nose breathing and the mask is designed to keep itself clear (not fogged up) during use.

Important side note.
The addition of either a kirby morgan manifold block or a Sartec RSV valve to the AGA/Poseidon/Kirby Morgan with a redundant air source is reccommended due to divers difficulty with wanting to "bail out" of a full face mask.

Bail out proceedures should be practiced until they are second nature however and the diver should carry a spare "regular" mask that they can put on in case "bail out" is necessary with a regular Octopus for an air source...

Kevin Parkhurst
IDEA Instructor 3402
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom