All good advice, save the purge mask as a last resort.
Mustache causing a slow leak in mask...
- Thread starter Bluesky65RS
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CamG
Contributor
Greetings Skipp and I have had the very same problem. And I felt like a dork as well when clean shaven. I usually had a full beard 8 months out of a year and a mustache, etc. the rest of the time. I tried the other stuff to get around the leaky mask but in the end it was very irritating. I chose to shave it off and give that a try.
I felt like a junior higher but my mask did not leak and my wife loved the smooth face!
Win! Win! The rest is history as is the facial hair it really is no big deal anymore.
I do miss the warmth in the winter but like the cold water diving more.
Good luck and try the others suggestions and as a last resort just ponder my suggestion. Good luck and safe diving.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!
I felt like a junior higher but my mask did not leak and my wife loved the smooth face!
Win! Win! The rest is history as is the facial hair it really is no big deal anymore.
I do miss the warmth in the winter but like the cold water diving more.
Good luck and try the others suggestions and as a last resort just ponder my suggestion. Good luck and safe diving.
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!
Papa_Bear
Contributor
You all couldn't be more wrong! Ever held a cup upside down underwater? Hair on the head causes leaks, wrinkles, bad seal on you forehead cause leaks! But something on the bottom of the cup / mask won't cause a leak! I have been diving with some kind of facial hair for 37 years! So unless you swim upside down all the time don't blame your hair!
So how does this cause a leak? The only way to leak is to have Air escape from the top of the mask!
So how does this cause a leak? The only way to leak is to have Air escape from the top of the mask!
Papa_Bear
Contributor
OP
Bluesky65RS
Guest
Thanks for all the good advice everyone I will try a few of the remidies.
Anti-Hero
Contributor
chapstick works well. I would never wear a mustache myself, but I frequently dive without shaving for several days and a little rub of chapstick on the upper lip seals perfectly.
OP
Bluesky65RS
Guest
You all couldn't be more wrong! Ever held a cup upside down underwater? Hair on the head causes leaks, wrinkles, bad seal on you forehead cause leaks! But something on the bottom of the cup / mask won't cause a leak! I have been diving with some kind of facial hair for 37 years! So unless you swim upside down all the time don't blame your hair!
So how does this cause a leak? The only way to leak is to have Air escape from the top of the mask!
Papa Bear, you make a very good arguement. But I can actually feel it trickling into my mask where it makes contact with my mustache. Only a little water leaks in barely enough to fill a thimble but enough to be annoying. Like someone else said it is good for clearing your mask if needed. Thanks again for your input.
Well there sure was some good reading on this thread. First off, if your mask leaks because of your facial hair, just clear it. Use the water leakage to clear the lens and then get rid of it.
The stuff with trimming the the mustache back. Hey, if you like the Ronald Coleman look and are comfortable with looking like a suave, dapper Englishman who enjoys the company of other men, go for it dude!
I remember the old days of commercial divers who had full beards but shaved off the mustache. Jeez, did they ever look gay. I haven't seen that look for many, many years now. No great loss there.
Slicking the 'stach down with Vaseline is also quite debonair, especially if you have trimmed it
under the nose. Again, I'm sure that this is an acceptable option for many men. Especially those who do not mind the petroleum-distallate Vaseline dissolving the rubber/silicon skirt of their mask.
Now I just have to look at this post by "tarponchik". This "I shave a bit right under the nose, then apply some silicon grease. This has been discussed couple of times already, so you can use search option."
Well damn, I never ran into too many chiks who shaved right under their nose. If they were shaving right under my nose, they weren't shaving right under their own nose.
I can't deal with that reality right now. Nothing wrong with that though. I worked in a dive shop with the nicest lady who kinda had to shave about every other day. She was the nicest, sweetest person, but none of us could get past that 5 o'clock shadow.
So to sum up my $.02 - don't mess with slop on your mustache - just clear the mask.
The stuff with trimming the the mustache back. Hey, if you like the Ronald Coleman look and are comfortable with looking like a suave, dapper Englishman who enjoys the company of other men, go for it dude!
I remember the old days of commercial divers who had full beards but shaved off the mustache. Jeez, did they ever look gay. I haven't seen that look for many, many years now. No great loss there.
Slicking the 'stach down with Vaseline is also quite debonair, especially if you have trimmed it
under the nose. Again, I'm sure that this is an acceptable option for many men. Especially those who do not mind the petroleum-distallate Vaseline dissolving the rubber/silicon skirt of their mask.
Now I just have to look at this post by "tarponchik". This "I shave a bit right under the nose, then apply some silicon grease. This has been discussed couple of times already, so you can use search option."
Well damn, I never ran into too many chiks who shaved right under their nose. If they were shaving right under my nose, they weren't shaving right under their own nose.
I can't deal with that reality right now. Nothing wrong with that though. I worked in a dive shop with the nicest lady who kinda had to shave about every other day. She was the nicest, sweetest person, but none of us could get past that 5 o'clock shadow.
So to sum up my $.02 - don't mess with slop on your mustache - just clear the mask.
Papa_Bear
Contributor
Just like the upside down cup water can't get in if air doesn't get out! Masks leak from the highest point! If they leak air water will come in to fill the space! So if you stop the air form getting out no water will come in, simple physics! A soft skirt helps or Cologne or Botocs might help? Certainly more than trimming your Mustache!
LoboMX
Registered
That works well if the cup/mask is always level with the ground. But tilt your head a little and some water will seep in. The mask won't flood but the little water can be a nuisance.
So it all comes down to personal preferance. Deal with it, shave a little, use vasaline (will break down the mask faster), use chapstick, or use a silicon grease. I myself have not tried the silicon grease, but maybe I'll try it someday. I subscribe to the shave a little school. I took a couple pictures and you can't really tell that I did it unless I show if off. Sorry that you'll have to put up with my ugly mug for the demonstration.
Try a couple different things and see what works for you.
LoboMX
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