To: Snorkel Industry
Save a life - Stop the use of full-face snorkel masks
In the last week, three people have died off of Maui waters. The common thread has been the use of full face snorkel masks. There are many issues with leaking, difficulty to get off during a panic, CO2 build-up, and the flap that keeps water out and air in getting stuck. Many people die using all types of snorkel gear, but the evidence against these full face snorkel masks just keep piling up
Why is this important?
Ocean Safety is a priority for me. I have consulted with an expert in this industry and here is what they have to say: "I was approached by a sales representative to carry full face snorkel masks when they first came out so I tried the product. After using it for about 10 minutes I decided to start "testing it" as it was fine for normal surface swimming. I dove down 5' in relatively calm waters. Upon surfacing, the valve stuck shut on the snorkel so I had to rip the unit off my face to get a breath of air... kinda scary if you're a beginner or not in shape. Then while surface snorkeling, I put my chin down to my chest to see what would happen if the snorkel went underwater... same result; the valve stayed stuck in the closed position, so I again had to rip the unit off my face to breathe. By then I was getting horrible issues with fogging, so I left some water in the mask to "wash the lens" and due to the design, I kept getting water up my nostrils (causing me to gag). Finally, I decided to exhale through my nose into the mask to see if the build-up of CO2 (carbon dioxide) would or could be an issue... within 2 minutes or so I was feeling light-headed and knew there was absolutely no way I would be selling this mask. This was before they became popular and it was being hyped as the greatest new mask for snorkeling. I gave the sales rep a call the very next day and gave him my thoughts and it didn't deter him from moving on to the next potential dealer. These masks are a horrible design and we will continue to get more deaths by asphyxia ( I wouldn't call it drowning because you are being deprived of oxygen and polluted by excessive CO2 due to the product design and not necessarily by the user being "out of shape" or inexperienced). I spoke with a first responder who went on three of the calls this weekend, and the common denominator was a full face masked being used. Perhaps it is time to consider having this product removed from stores? I never sold them and never will."