One of the hardest or easiest things to do is dive with a beard or a mustache. I say it that way because, like most things, if you practice doing it, you will get better. There are a few things you can do that are going to help when diving with facial hair. I am going to cover some of the gear and other tricks and also repost a video that I found, and I think they are good.

First, you need to have the right mask. Depending on the size of your face and facial hair will help determine the mask you need. But honestly, you should still be able to use the same mask you always have unless you have gone full bigfoot. Here are a few of the better masks out there for dive with hair.

I have tried to pick low volume masks that are good for combat swimmer operations.

The SCUBAPRO Synergy 2 Mask is excellent for people with beards because of its unique two-skirt system. The flexible skirts fit tightly against your face, with the outer skirt providing additional support and rigidity. Combined, they provide superior comfort and resistance to leaking compared to other masks. When people are diving, and their mask starts to leak, the first thing you try and do to fix it is to pull it tighter, and if that doesn’t work you pull it tighter again, if this isn’t working, you do it again. If no matter what you do, your mask keeps leaking, try losing it up a little, when it is tight the mask will get ripples, like if you were to put a rubber band over your shirt sleeve. The Synergy 2 mask is suitable for people with a smaller face. If you have a beard or mustache and want a solid mask, you can’t go wrong with this one.

If you are looking for a mask that is good for beards and mustaches, the SCUBAPRO Solo is a good fit. The double-sealed silicone skirt conforms to almost every face, giving you an excellent leak-free seal. The SCUBAPRO Solo features a frameless, single tempered glass lens that is specifically designed to provide a wide field of view. Because of how close it sits to your face, the Solo has a low volume fit and easy clearing. Other notable features include a wide-split style, non-slip strap with adjustable buckles, a silicone skirt that comes with double-feathered edge sealing that is effective even against facial hair, and a nose-pocket that allows you to pinch your nose to clear.

The SCUBAPRO Crystal Vu Plus is a single lens mask, which some people like because it can provide a more precise, unobstructed view underwater. It comes with a purge valve, and this makes it easy to clear and rarely fogs up. Should water enter the mask because the mask didn’t seal properly around your beard or mustache, exhale air through your nose to clear the water. You can breathe out through your nose, and the water is vented out. The purge valve can fit a little tight for some people, but most people love this mask once they try it. 

Another feature of this mask is the side viewing windows, which provide excellent peripheral vision in the water. It has an excellent seal that should allow it to fit snug and tight on about 90% of people, even with facial hair.

In the video, Richie Denmark talks about using a razor to help trim a little bit of your facial hair away. I just wanted to point out the Schick Silk Touch-up multipurpose exfoliation tool. It is excellent for fine-tuning your hair.

Richie, Thank you for letting me post your video.

There are a lot of good masks out there besides the ones I mentioned. Atomic makes some really good high-end masks. Like everything you do, you need to make sure you practice. Even if it’s just getting in the pool a couple of times, it is easy to say it is the gear’s fault that you can do something. Lastly, remember if you are diving a rebreather and you are going to put something on your mustache to help it seal, do not use petroleum produces.      

SCUBAPRO’s FRAMELESS mask is diving’s original frameless mask. The Frameless was the first mask to use the lens as its structural support, which significantly increased the field of vision for divers. Twenty-one years later, it is still the first choice of military and technical divers.

Its distinctive rectangular single-lens shape is classic, providing an excellent field of view on the periphery as well as straight ahead. By eliminating the frame, you create a mask that sits closer to your eyes. This provides a broader field of view to better take in the underwater sights, plus it reduces volume, which makes it easier to clear. Also, since there is no frame, the buckles attach directly to the skirt. This enables the mask to fold relatively flat for packing or for slipping into a BC cargo pocket. The soft silicone skirt on the FRAMELESS is comfortable yet durable, and the double-edge seal feels good against the skin. Buckles attach to flexible tabs on the skirt; this optimizes strap angle when dialing in the fit.

SCUBAPRO wanted to give it an update without taking away from its already iconic features. We also wanted it to work with our newest dive computer, the Galileo HUD. So, we develop a way to mount the HUD to the mask as the mount needs a hole drilled through the lens, which can only be done before the glass is tempered.  

SCUBAPRO is always trying to innovate for the working divers and set the standard for new gear. The latest features for the Frameless/ Frameless Gorilla mask are the addition of the comfort strap adapter. They can be added onto existing masks, and this allows the user to add several new features to one of the most iconic masks ever made. We have new accessories for the classic Frameless mask. The latest version of the Frameless that is available with an integrated HUD Arm that allows you to mount the SCUBAPRO HUD hands-free dive compute.  

SCUBAPRO has also been working with some military units to make the Frameless mask non-magnetic. To do this, we decide to develop a conversion kit so it could use our comfort straps. With this, we removed the springs and pins in the mask straps. QR kit Part Number 24.340.039

The Frameless adapter kit includes two quick clips and the roll pins. The adapters also allow you to use the SCUBAPRO Odin Helmet Straps. Ops-Core is the primer brand when it comes to helmet innovation. The Odin system allows any mask with quick clips to be attached to any helmet that has the Ops-Core ARC rail systems. The Odin straps are perfect for any time you have to wear a helmet when diving or in the water. Like using a DPV, Wearing Jet-boots, Search and Rescue Operations, or working in Fast Moving Water. The Comfort Strap is similar to a ski goggle strap in design. It clips right into the mask buckle adapter and offers a wide adjustment range. It also is a lot less likely to break mid-dive as it is a nylon strap and not rubber or silicone. The adapter also makes the mask non-magnetic for EOD use, as it removes all metal parts.  

The SCUBAPRO Seawing Nova turns ten years old. The Seawing Nova appeared in 2009 and
immediately turned heads with its clean sheet streamlined design. The original Seawing fin inspired it with its radical blade profile.

This innovative fin caught the attention of designers and engineers worldwide. It won Popular Science magazine’s “Best of What’s New in 2009” award. Then it won the ScubaLab Testers Choice award for the best performing new fin of 2010. In 2011 the Seawing Nova won the prestigious, internationally- recognized Red Dot Award for product design, then in 2013, when a full-foot version came out, it won the Testers Choice for the best full-foot fin of the year. And in 2015, after benefitting from several upgrades to make a great fin even greater, the improved Seawing Nova won the Testers Choice award for the best fin of the year once again.

Built with a space-age Monprene elastomer that is virtually indestructible. (The Seawing Gorilla includes a special additive to enhance stiffness and increase feedback.) Spotlighting its proprietary G4 (4th Generation) articulated hinge with enlarged Pivot Control notches that enables the entire wing-shaped blade to pivot and generate thrust, the Seawing Nova produces a propulsive snap that can rocket you through open water at top speed or propel you along reefs or in and out of tight spots with total control—all with little to no ankle or leg strain. Pivot Control technology ensures that the most efficient 45-degree angle of attack is maintained no matter how easy, or hard you kick.

The Seawing Nova also excels in low-speed maneuvering, including frog kicks, reverse kicks, and turtle backing. Offers improved handling when making small directional adjustments. This is due in large part to a slight increase in rigidity across the trailing edge of the blade, which has ratcheted up responsiveness and thrust at full power while requiring no increased kicking effort in cruising mode. 

The fin features a well-engineered footplate that extends all the way to the back of the heel, maximizing power transmission while minimizing stress on legs and ankles. Co-molded Grip Pads provide efficient non-skid footing on wet surfaces. The famous bungee straps have been redesigned and updated, reducing overall weight and providing enhanced durability.

• Monprene Shroud is 35% lighter.

• Re-engineered with the injection gate relocated to provide enhanced durability.

• More flex means improved comfort.

• It’s the same bulletproof 8mm marine-grade bungee as in existing Seawing Nova Straps.

The fin also features the popular self-adjusting heel strap made of marine-grade bungee. This bungee is highly elastic, resistant to the elements, and the soft heel pad with an over-sized finger loop is comfortable and simplifies doffing and donning. It can also be fitted with a steel spring strap  that also fits on the twin jet fins

SEAWING NOVA FAMILY OF FINS

• Seawing Nova Open Heel This high-performance fin delivers the power, acceleration, and maneuverability of a blade fin, with the kicking comfort and efficiency of a split fin. Available in five sizes (XS-XL).  

• Seawing Gorilla Open Heel
While identical in design to the Seawing Nova, the Seawing Gorilla uses a special additive in its compound to provide more stiffness and snap to the blade. This results in more power, speed, and control for divers who like a stiffer fin with more feedback in their kicks. The more rigid blade also allows for more effective sculling, frog-kicking, and reverse-kicking, making it an excellent choice for tech divers. Available in five sizes (XS-XL) Graphite (while supplies last) Black is available by special order.

THE SEAWING NOVA ADVANTAGE

On a traditional paddle fin, during a typical kick stroke, as water flow hits the fin, the blade will curve along its length. This means that the blade’s angle of attack, relative to the water flow, is going to be different at different points on the blade. In such a case, the leading edge remains too flat to generate efficient thrust, while the trailing edge flexes too much. Consequently, only the midsection can produce dynamic thrust.  

The Downfalls of traditional fins

The Seawing Nova will always maintain the most efficient angle of attack along the entire length of its blade because instead of the gradual curve of a traditional blade, the Seawing Nova’s blade stays relatively flat due to the G4 articulated joint that allows the entire blade to pivot (like the tail joint of a whale or dolphin). Also, the blade is longitudinally reinforced by pronounced rails that help prevent curvature (this is supported by the monocoque effect that takes place when the Variable Blade Geometry wing tips arc upwards).

On a traditional paddle fin, the harder you kick, the more the blade bends. That means a soft fin will achieve the ideal 45-degree angle when it’s kicked gently but will over-bend and lose thrust when it’s kicked hard. Stiffer fins, on the other hand, achieve that ideal 45-degree angle when kicked hard but remain too flat to be efficient when kicked gently. Consequently, both types require the diver to compromise his or her kicking style to get any efficiency out of the fin.

On the Seawing Nova, by creating a fixed angle of attack, the unique G4 hinge also allows the blade to flex easily to that ideal 45-degree angle but prevents it from flexing further as kicking strength increases. Therefore, the angle of attack is close to the optimal 45 degrees at all times, regardless of kicking strength. Kicking easy or kicking hard, the Seawing Nova lets you always maintain the optimum angle of attack for maximum performance.

On a traditional paddle fin, that non-productive or “dead” section where foot pocket and blade meet creates a lot of drag without generating any thrust.

On the Seawing Nova, engineers eliminated this section, creating a “Clean Water Blade” where water flows cleanly onto the working part of the blade, reducing drag and increasing thrust. 

The ‘dead’ section between the foot pocket and the blade of a traditional fin generates drag but not thrust. We removed it! This means that water is free to flow cleanly onto the working section of the blade. Drag is reduced, and thrust is increased.

MATBOCK Skins, SCUBAPRO, has been working with MATBOCK to develop Skins for SCUBAPRO fins that will help you adapt your fins to every environment. Perfect for Over the Beach or River and Stream crossing. The patent Pending MATBOCK Skins is a multi-layer adhesive/ fabric laminate designed to give the user the ability to camouflage any surface desired. The Skins are waterproof, and oil resistant can be reused mutable times. Skins are designed and laser-cut specifically for the following fins, Seawing Nova’s, Gorilla, and SCUBAPRO Jet fins.