Snorkelling Masks

A snorkelling mask is potentially your most critical purchase when buying your snorkelling equipment. Your mask creates an airspace in front of your eyes so you can focus. Without your snorkel mask the water is in contact with your eyes and your view will be fuzzy. Read our snorkelling mask advice page for more information. This air space in front of your eyes does cause some problems. As you descend underwater the mask will begin to squeeze against your face. This is easily remedied, just a very small exhalation into the mask equalises the pressure and removes the squeeze. Selected snorkel masks are available with either plus or minus corrective prescription lenses to match your normal glasses prescription. When ordering these you can also add our prescription lens fitting service and we can fit them for you. We have a wide selection of snorkel masks, many seemingly very similar. The best advice is to go for the most expensive you can justify, as the quality of the skirt (the part that sits against your face and seals to keep the water out) has a direct correlation between cost and quality (ie how soft and supple the skirt is). The more supple the snorkel mask the better it will seal against your face. Most quality masks will seal when your face stays in one position but better quality snorkel masks will also remain sealed as your face changes shape, such as when you smile or laugh. The size, shape and position of the lenses in the mask will affect your view. The closer the lens to your eyes or the larger the lenses the wider your view. Often snorkelling masks will have a raked back profile where the bottom of the lenses is angled inwards towards your face, this increases the view down your body. If you are unsure which would be suitable for you please contact us.