Just realized I disagree about full face masks being safer than half masks on shallow dives

I was at a dive shop in Norfolk last week and overheard a guy telling a new diver that full face masks are always the safer choice. I've been doing this work for 15 years and I think that's bad advice for certain jobs. On shallow harbor work under 30 feet, a full face mask can give you a false sense of security and makes communication harder if something goes wrong. Has anyone else noticed older divers preferring half masks for inshore work, or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura2111mo ago

Oh absolutely, I've seen the same thing. I remember being on a wreck salvage job off the coast of Cornwall a few years back, and this older fella with 30 years experience insisted on a half mask even when we were only at 25 feet. He said the full face just gets in the way when you need to talk to someone quick, like if a line snags. I've found on shallow dives, the simpler setup lets you focus on the actual work instead of fussing with gear that's overkill for the depth.

david_henderson61mo ago

That older fella with 30 years experience, did he ever have a close call where the half mask actually saved him compared to a full face? I saw a guy on a lobster boat off Portland once who swears by the half mask because he had a full face fog up bad on a 40 foot dive and he missed a fouled prop line until it was too late. He said the mask was useless in that moment and he could have had a real bad time. I'm curious if your guy had a specific story like that or if it's more just a general preference thing from years of doing it his way.