Can I wear a scuba mask with a moustache or beard?

The good news is that you do not HAVE to be clean shaven to scuba dive, snorkel or freedive! However, as every diver knows, there is nothing worse than having to cope with a leaky mask underwater. It can be distracting and frustrating to have to keep clearing your mask throughout a dive and has a big impact on your enjoyment.

Why do scuba masks leak?

The main reason that your dive mask might leak is down to fit. The tiniest of spaces can let in water, so it’s really important when you are choosing and buying your mask to check that you have a good seal between your face and the silicon of the dive mask skirt (we have a handy blog here to help with this). Therefore, having a beard or moustache may not be an issue if you have a high quality mask with a soft silicon skirt that fits your face shape properly.

How to prevent leaking with a beard of moustache

If you find your facial hair is compromising the seal between your mask skirt and your face, there are things you can do to prevent this without removing your moustache or beard altogether.

Can i dive with a beard? yes! Tip 1

Shave under your nose

You don’t need to shave your entire moustache but you may have room between your nose and upper lip for a line of clear skin AND a great moustache! Alternatively, play around with trimming – try shortening the hair or thinning it out.

Try mask seal

Try mask seal – applying silicon grease to the part of the dive mask skirt that touches your moustache or beard can help seal tiny gaps and stop leaks. It takes some practice to use the right amount but stick with it. A word of warning though – don’t use Vaseline or other petroleum-based grease as these can weaken the silicon and damage your mask.

Hopefully, by following these tips, you should find that you can enjoy a scuba dive, snorkel or freedive without any leaks in your dive mask. However, if you are going on a dive vacation or if you are diving frequently, and applying silicon grease each dive or constantly clearing your mask underwater doesn’t appeal, you may have to make that choice – which do you love more, your moustache or your diving?!!!