A purge valve is a simple one-way valve that helps to expel water they may have gotten into the snorkel mask. It is located at the base of the nose piece of the mask skirt. It is activated by simply exhaling through the nose while the snorkel mask with purge valve is in place. The air that rises to the top of the snorkel mask and ends up pushing the water out.  Avoid forceful exhalation when using the purge valve because air can also escape or break the seal at the top of mask. If you find that your exhaling too hard, hold the snorkel mask firmly to your face with one hand.  A snorkel mask with purge valve is a nice feature that really is not necessary for snorkeling. Scuba divers actually are the ones that find purge valves more beneficial.

The better quality snorkel masks all have “tempered glass” lenses. The reason for this is that tempered glass is more scratch resistant than plastic and when it breaks, it shatters in relatively harmless pieces of glass rather than larger jagged pieces. A snorkel mask with tempered glass lenses is also suitable for scuba diving because it is more resistant to water pressure. Use of tempered glass is not solely restricted to a snorkel mask but can also be found in car windshields, glass shower enclosures, as well as many other household products.

When it comes to selecting a snorkel mask the styles that are available are almost infinite. The most obvious differences in the styles out there is the number of lenses or windows that a mask has.
The most common choices for a snorkel mask can include a single lens up to and including a four lens mask. (and yes there is a single lens and three lens snorkel mask, although we dont talk about them in this article.)

The number of lenses can affect the amount of light that enters the viewing area on the snorkel mask as well as having an affect on peripheral vision. Three and four window masks are usually larger masks over all because the side windows are added. This configuration increases adds additional peripheral vision. This could also be a benefit to those people with a higher nose bridge because the front of the lens is farther away from the face.

U.S. Divers Snorkel Mask offers a Pivot-Fit buckle design that is on their more updated snorkel masks such as the Diva Mask, Sideview Mask, Malibu,  Admiral Snorkel Mask and the Grande Vista Purge Snorkeling Mask.

The Pivot-Fit buckle on the snorkel mask is a one hand easy to “pinch & pull” design. The pivoting buckle allows you to fine turn the positioning of the mask strap.

The snorkel mask sometimes offer a purge in some of their style masks, like the Oceanic Mako 1 Purge Snorkeling Mask. Most snorkeler will ask, what is a purge? A purge is a one-way release valve that well, will release the water that has leaked in the mask.

Now my opinion, I seriously do not think it is needed for a snorkeler because being able to use the purge, you need to be in a vertical position and most snorkelers are always in a horizontal position they usually just release the water. If you are a scuba diver or wannabee diver, sure, go for the purge snorkel mask. But just remember that the purge valve is a thin piece of plastic and can easily break and not be replaced.

Here is a video that will show you what & how a purge is on a snorkel mask.

I love getting new gear for the store and being the buyer for SnorkelingOnline.com it seems like it is Christmas every day.

Our newest product is the Cressi snorkel equipment but the snorkeling gear that I want to talk about today is the Cressi snorkeling travel package. The Cressi snorkel gear includes the Cressi Palau SAF Fins, Sky II Mask & Gamma Snorkel with an awesome travel bag.

The size of the fins might have some fooled but they work great in the water and perfect size for the traveler. The Sky II mask has a silicone skirt with tempered glass and the Gamma Snorkel has a replaceable silicone mouthpiece and is semi-dry.

The snorkeling equipment can be purchased as a package or can be purchased individually for just the snorkel, snorkeling fins or snorkel mask. The fins come in 3 colors and 3 sizes.

I came across this picture and thought I would share. Isnt the puppy adorable? If you dont have a puppy and never had the opportunity to put a snorkeling mask & snorkel on your pet, check out this picture.

Thank you MNFX for this adorable picture and sharing what a dog looks like with snorkel equipment.

The first tip is to get a snorkel mask with a soft silicone skirt and avoid any snorkel mask that is not silicone. Snorkeling Masks that have silicone skirts will conform to the face better than the inexpensive masks found in the seasonal aisles of the “Mart” stores. Silicone can be more expensive than PVC or Siltech materials, but it is more resistant to the elements such as Ultra-violet rays. Silicone will also have a better life value. If you are unsure if the mask is silicone, see if the snorkel mask has tempered glass lenses. The lenses will have “tempered” written right on the glass. Manufacturer’s who spend the money on tempered glass are more likely to use silicone for the skirt as well. All snorkel mask skirts should have what is called a double seal, which will create a more effective barrier than masks without. You will find that all snorkel masks on SnorkelingOnline.com are silicone with tempered glass lenses.

For more information, read our snorkeling guide, Snorkeling Masks – Select the Right One.

With having a brick & mortar snorkeling & scuba diving location, we have been asked a thousand times, how can we stop our snorkel mask to stop leaking when we have a mustache. I LOVE telling the guys, SHAVE IT OFF. Off course I am laughing when I suggest that because the look on the guys face when I say that, is priceless! You would think I asked them to cut off a limb.

So not having a mustache, I asked fellow snorkeler, Roy, to give us some times on how to get around this “hairy” dilemma.

• Get a good snorkel mask with a soft silicone skirt. Avoid any mask that is not silicone because the silicone will conform to the face better than the inexpensive masks.

• If it leaks tighten it. While this may work with faucets and such, tightening the snorkeling mask strap will only serve to reduce the silicone skirt’s ability to conform to the face. The simple act of smiling or taking out the snorkel will cause leakage from other areas. You may have to play with how tight or loose the mask strap needs to be, but the position of the mask strap on the back of the head may solve a lot more problems than you might think. Positioning the mask strap higher on the back of the head, will pull the bottom of the skirt tighter to the lip but will still allow the rest of the mask skirt to conform the other facial features.

• You may have heard people suggest putting petroleum gels on the mustache to create a better seal. While this does actually work, using petroleum gels such as Vaseline will deteriorate the silicone over time and is therefore not advised. Using a food grade silicone gel will work and will not affect the silicone skirt. While this is a very viable means of taking care of leakage due to mustaches, it is really a bite getting the silicone gel out of the mustache when you are done snorkeling.

• If you have a very thick mustache, thinning it out will help. I have known guys to go so far as to trim their mustaches to create a wider space between the nose and the upper lip. This allows the inner seal of the mask skirt to seal directly to skin of the upper lip.

These are a few suggestions and they may or may not work for those with mustaches. If you have tried these and have not succeeded then it is time to kiss that mustache goodbye.

Product reviews, including snorkeling gear, are an important part of shopping in todays world. Though SnorkelingOnline does not have a review program at this time, we still do have reviews from customers. We sell online, not only on our website, but we do have a presence on Amazon. Here is one of our top most popular snorkeling fins and a few customer reviews that have purchased the U.S. Divers Sideview Mask, Paradise Dry Snorkel, Trek Fins, Strap & Bag.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice quality snokel gear
By Catherine W. “CW” (Dayton, Ohio)
We bought these for a trip to the Caribbean so we would not have to rent equipment. Glad we did since this is very nice quality gear. Comes in travel bag that is ventilated so equipment can dry out even when stowed in the bag. Mask is nice 1-piece glass (better viewing under water), snorkel is terrific and does not let in water if you dive below water level, and fins are compact for travel, but work very well. Highly recommend purchasing this equipment rather than renting junk if you go on vacation!