Can I dive with a moustache or beard? Be a Moustache Divers

Moustache Diver

Face hair look cool and it is trendy but when it’s time to go on a dive trip your moustache can become a nightmare.
You are at the diveshop trying all the diferent mask available, you pick the one that fit the best and squeeze it nicely on your face.
You notice as you go down that your mask is leaking and getting slowly flooded. This is so frustrating !!
Of course you don’t want shave it all because people around will say you look 15 years old.
Let me help you and see if we can do something to make sure this water stay out of your mask.

Technique 1:Trim

First thing to do is to trim it as short as you feel comfortable with, shorter it is and thiner is the layer of hair breaking that seal.

Technique 2:The musketeer moustache

Trimming will help but will probably not be enough, by shaving the top of your moustache especially close to your nose and making your moustache thinner you will leave room for the rubber skirt of you mask to be in direct contact with your skin and will definitely make a difference. I can keep a fairly long moustache and not having water in my mask at all using this technique and I actually like the style; I’ve been wearing this moustache and diving with for 9 years now!

Technique 2: Vaseline

This is another technique that works, Vaseline (petroleum jelly) will act as a sealant and refrain water to get in that mask. I personally tried it but didn’t really like the feeling. On hot days it as tendency to melt a bit and my face felt greasy. As a dive professional it is not something I added to my routine but it you are diving occasionally you might want to give it a try this could save your dive!

Technique 3: Choosing the right mask:

A long term solution will be to try different mask and pick the one that fit better and buy it so it is one less thing to worry about before each dive trip. I found that masks with very soft skirt fits better on my moustache also the shape of the mask suiting your face shape it’s important.
You can read our article on how to choose the right mask for you: How to choose your dive mask

Technique 4: I don’t care !

One of the above solution might be a miracle for you or maybe not , sometimes it take time to find out what works the best for you. A bit of water in your mask is not problem if you are comfortable with it.

Do not panic or get irritated by this because physics tells us that water level shouldn’t go higher that nose level (moustache is lower that your nose) so you will see that water stop rising after a while and you can just do the dive like this, if it rise higher the problem is not your moustache but a poor seal somewhere else on your mask.
Just don’t breath through you nose and enjoy the marine life.
It is still a wonderfull day diving with or without water in your mask.