We receive a lot of phone calls and we actually write the questions, so we can share the answer with you. One question that we receive frequently is if they can snorkel with a beard. I like to shock the guys and tell them no and listen to them freak… dont worry I quickly tell them that they do not have to shave their beard.

The beard will not affect the performance of the snorkel. The mustache may however affect how the snorkeling mask will seal.

A person’s first reaction when they get leakage into the mask is to tighten the strap. You should, however, try loosening the strap to create a better seal. Most snorkeling masks (well at least the ones that we sell) are made with a soft silicone skirt that conforms to the face better if it is worn looser rather than tighter. The positioning of the strap is also important. Have the mask strap higher on the back of your head rather than lower toward the neck. This will apply a little more pressure toward the seal around the lip area.

Trimming the mustache lower is an option but I always disliked the “Hitler” look. If your mustache is thick try thinning it.

A last resort before shaving is getting a food grade silicone gel, found at scuba dive stores and dabbing a bit into the mustache. This will help a lot. Do not use any petroleum based gels such as Vaseline as this will break down the silicone in the mask. The downside to the silicone gel is that it can be a bit troublesome getting it out of the mustache.

So save the beard and test the mustache to see if it works in the pool before vacation, without shaving or thinning it first.

Tags: snorkeling

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 1:21 am and is filed under Human Interest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.