Full-face versus regular diving & snorkeling masks

Despite all the raising controversy surrounding the full-face masks, they are clearly becoming more and more trendy in the snorkeling and scuba diving world these days. Some people are calling the full-face masks dangerous while others are loving it… so we thought it would be a good idea to go to the facts and get our readers geared up with an overview of the full-face diving masks!

Our last article about scuba diving masks dates from a few years back, and there are plenty of new models of masks on the market now. Still, our guide on “How to choose a Dive Mask” is totally fit for all that has to do with regular diving masks. That said, today it is the full-face diving and snorkeling masks that we will be talking about.

Let’s first explain the difference between regular diving masks and full-face ones. Regular diving masks are covering your eyes and nose, and you have a mouthpiece with either a tube or a BCD attached to it which supplies you with air.

We discuss the proper fitting and the choice of this type of mask here : How to choose a Dive Mask

Full-face diving and snorkeling masks

The full-face snorkeling mask covers your entire face and has an integrated tuba located at the top of your head which is coming out of the water when you are looking down. 

full face scuba diving mask intégral plongée snorkeling

The pros of full-face snorkeling masks:

  • Beginners don’t need to adapt to a different way of breathing. Indeed, you will be able to breathe normally, through both nose and mouth, with this type of snorkeling mask. 
  • Take away the need to have a mouthpiece inserted in your mouth to breathe. The mouthpiece is at the very least awkward, it takes some time to adjust to having it and for some people, it’s literally painful. 
  • Wider vision: the window is larger and unobstructed.
  • Increased tightness, thus fewer leaks.

The cons of full-face diving masks:

  • Not built for active snorkeling – you will understand why on the next point. Indeed, the full-face diving masks are best to snorkel in lagoons or lakes. In other words, you have to be in calm waters, with no need to swim vigorously or to fight current or waves. You’ll see why just below. 
  • The buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major concern when it comes to full-face snorkeling masks. This is a risk that can be mitigated first by buying a quality mask from a renowned brand, known for testing its products. Indeed, if you prioritize quality over the cheaper price of some brand, you are likely to end up with a mask properly designed to evacuate the CO2, and thus cause no harm. The ‘danger’ resides in the mask not being able to properly circulate the air nor eliminate C02 from the air you breathe. Now, breathing too much CO2 will lead you to feel tired, if not outright dizzy, and loss of consciousness may occur. People that are talking about the ‘dangerous full-face masks’ and giving an alarmist tone to their articles are anticipating long and intense exposition to CO2, which can be deadly. That said, the tone of this paper is not so alarmist, and mostly informative as we believe it’s important to understand the pros and cons of the full-face diving mask, and then make an informed decision.

A safe full-face snorkeling mask should:
– Be from a known and tested brand, with quality prioritized over cost. 
– Be used in proper conditions, therefore in calm waters, where no consistent or elevated effort is required from the snorkeler. 
– Be used at the surface only. Indeed, if you are (like me!) a seasoned snorkeler that likes to dive down to explore the reefs closely, the full-face mask is not a proper fit… simply because it’s much harder to equalize ear pressure as you go down a few meters. 
– Be well cleaned-up and maintained in proper working condition, trip after trip. 

Full-face scuba diving masks – for recreational diving!

The full-face scuba diving mask has been put up to the test for a long while by scientist divers, commercials divers and professional underwater photographers and filmmakers. The major attribute to the full-face diving mask is that you can breathe normally and speak since you don’t have a mouthpiece. Indeed, the first purpose of these masks was to allow team members to communicate while operating underwater. 

 Nowadays, the full-face scuba diving mask is becoming more trendy in the recreational diving industry as its price is lower and more affordable. That said, there are some disadvantages that you may want to take into account before getting a full-face diving mask. 

full face scuba diving mask intégral plongée snorkeling

First, despite the mask being less prone to leaks, water or fog may happen. Thus, if water gets in, you can’t breathe properly, and it is fog, you’re also likely to want to clear your mask, right? It’s doable, but it gets much more complicated to clean your mask when it is also your air source. Food for thoughts.

Secondly, using such a full-face diving mask often will cause divers to forget the basic underwater communicative skills. This can be frustrating when they will dive again with regular diving material, or if they dive with buddies that don’t have a full-face mask with communications-enabled. 

What do you think of the full-face snorkeling masks? Also, what about the scuba diving full-faces?

We are curious to read your opinion in the comment section below! :)

Related Posts

/0 Comments/by

Scuba Diving in Eilat, Israel: Austin’s Experience

Guest post by Austin Tuwiner

In terms of pure aquatic life, Eilat isn’t going to be as diverse as somewhere like Indonesia or Thailand.

But don’t let that stop you from coming here.

Diving in Eilat was an incredible experience filled with thrilling dives and endless history. I came to Eilat with my cousin in August after visiting the other parts of Israel. July and August are the two hottest ( temperature hovers around 100°F or 38°C) and busiest months in Eilat so keep that in mind. In Eilat, you don’t sweat. It evaporates right off of you! 

Interestingly enough, while it was extremely warm outside, the water was colder than expected. If you’re bringing your own wetsuit here, maybe bring a slightly thicker one. I was traveling light and ended up renting most of my gear. The water isn’t crystal clear blue by any means but clears up once you get down.

Dive Centers in Eilat

After browsing popular options on Google, I decided to visit Shulamit’s dive charter. They’re probably the most well known, but Nautilus is another popular option here. I’d recommend touring some of the popular options and seeing which one dive charter you vibe the most with! Most of the dive centers in Eilat will be surrounding the main promenade and along the coastline.

At Shulamit’s, I was able to dive the next morning after texting a WhatsApp number the previous night. This was in peak tourist season too, so I’d assume they always have room for you. While Hebrew is the main language in Israel, you get by just fine with English in popular destinations such as Eilat, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. Many of the dive charters here also spoke common languages like Spanish, French, and German. Shulamit’s was one of the few dive charters that own a boat as move dives can be done from shore.

Best Dives Sites in EIlat

Eilat features dozens of popular dive sites. My two favorite dive sites in Eilat were Sunboat and Neptunes Tables. Satil is another famous dive site, but I didn’t manage to make it there on this trip. More on that later!

Diving at the Sunboat dive site

The Sunboat dive site is a must. It’s a sunken liveaboard close to shore with several other smaller wrecks creating artificial reefs connected by cables. The cables make the site very easy to navigate. If I got lost, I could just follow them back to the main wreck. While venturing off from the main site, I managed to see a scorpionfish for the first time ever.  

scuba diving eilat israel

Covered in infinite lionfish and other reef life, it’s an unbelievable site to dive. While I had an advanced and deep-dive certification at the time allowing me to go to deeper parts, most of this site can be seen by beginner divers. 

One issue I had with this dive site is that it had somewhat poor visibility on the day I went due to the location it rests at.

Diving Satil in Eilat

This is likely the most well-known dive site in Eilat due to the history behind it. This ship is one of the navy boats from the famous Cherbourg project. The short story about the Cherbourg project is that Israel ordered navy boats from the French but after a french embargo the boats were stuck under French control. The Israeli navy launched an operation to bring the boats back to Israel. One of them is sunk in Eilat for you to dive! I wasn’t able to dive this site due to scheduling, but I’ve heard nothing but great things but about it.

scuba diving eilat israel

Diving the Neptunes Tables, Eilat

This was another interesting one and was the first place I dove in Eilat. This site varies in depth a lot but is probably best for advanced divers. After taking a 20-minute boat ride towards the Egyptian border, we were dropped off right on top of this site. From what I remember, there wasn’t much current present. The first thing I noticed at this site was the tables of Acropora littering the site (hence the name Neptunes Tables). It was unlike any other dive site I’ve done before.  

Overall, Eilat is certainly a place I’ll return to. If I were to come back again, I’d make sure to dive the Satil (they offer a night dive for this one) and possibly visit the neighboring countries of Jordan and Egypt. From what I’ve heard, there’s plenty more diving to be done there!

Related Posts

/0 Comments/by

Myanmar (Burma)

travel myanmar diving destination south east asia

Myanmar, which some still call Burma, is an Asian country that should definitely be on that bucket list of yours! Indeed, nestled between India, China, Laos, and Thailand, the country displays its full colors between traditional cities and a beautiful coastal region. In fact, Myanmar has its fair share of coastline as it is bordering the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea on over 1930km (1200m).

The country was closed to tourism for a long time and is only starting to allow foreigners on its land. Indeed, both in terms of culture and activities, such as scuba diving, Myanmar is mostly untouched and ready to be discovered.

Also, as you may know, lots of travelers have posed the ethical question of traveling to Myanmar. We will not engage in any debate and simply say that for us it’s a matter of respect. Respect the country, the people and the nature of the country you visit. This can be done by staying informed on best and ethical practices, activities and habits as a tourist. Plus, in our case, diving responsibly, is what should be done.

In this page you will find practical information to plan a scuba diving trip to Myanmar (Burma):

Table of contents

Myanmar (Burma) Photos

Where to stay?

Myanmar is a very broad and interesting country to visit, but in terms of accommodation, most travelers will go for the big and medium cities. Indeed, Yangoon, Mandalay and Bagan are among the most popular places to find a hostel, cheap hotel or an Airbnb.

In terms of accommodation types, you will have plenty of choices, and often at budget-friendly rates, just like in most Southeast Asian countries. Hotels and hostels are all over the place in the bigger cities, but you will also find lots of guesthouses and homestays in the smaller cities and in the Inle Lake region. Plus, those that wish to could even go camping in lots of places and get the best of Myanmar’s nature!

diving myanmar travel burma

Activities and excursions in Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar is a country worth visiting to discover it’s unique culture and beautiful landscapes. Also, with the offshore islands, such as the Mergui archipelago, being continuously discovered by divers, we can expect Myanmar’s scuba diving scene to attract more scuba divers.

The highlights of a visit to Myanmar include visiting lots of stupas and pagodas, tasting local dishes, exploring bustling cities, but also quiet countryside areas. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the best activities to do in Myanmar.

  • Bagan is known as the world capital of Buddist temples, stupas, and pagodas. Indeed, the old city is a living museum and presents an architecture that dates back from the 11th and 12th centuries.
  • The Inle Lake area is a must-do in order to visit little authentic villages and get your trekking shoes on!
  • Rangoon – Yangoon was the capital of the country before it became Nay Pyi Taw. You will love the cultural feel of this bustling city and find yourself discovering a whole bunch of things between the famous Shwedagon Paya Pagoda, the markets and the colonial architecture.
  • Mandalay is a huge city that many will overlook, but if you choose to stay around for a few days, there are things definitely worth seeing. The Mandalay Hill and all the hilltop stupas around Sagaing are must-dos.

Best time to visit Myanmar (Burma)

Visiting Myanmar is best done when the weather is not to hot as this can get quite uncomfortable in bustling cities. Thus, the best time to visit Myanmar is said to be the winter months, from November to February. On the other hand, this also means that most tourists will visit Myanmar during those months, making it the busiest season with higher prices.

You could also consider visiting Myanmar during the months of March, April and May, which tend to be less busy, but also very hot. The months to avoid would be from July to October as the monsoon will bring heavy rains and could greatly impact your travels with road closures, for example.

inle lake diving myanmar travel burma

Health and Safety

Health care is reportedly generally limited in Myanmar, both for the locals and the visitors. The health care system in Myanmar has a public and a dual private sector – a non-profit branch and a for-profit branch. In all the cases, it might be hard to find care in English, or with English documentation.

You will find all kinds of hospitals and clinics in Myanmar, but the level of care is at best normal, yet limited in terms of population versus health care practitioners numbers. The country has general public hospitals in big cities such as Yangoon and Mandalay general hospitals.

If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Myanmar (Burma), it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could
happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Where is Myanmar (Burma) located in the world?

Myanmar is an Asian country located east of India, south of China and to the northwest of Thailand and Laos. The capital city of the country is Naypyitaw, but the largest city and the one you might have heard of is Rangoon (Yangoon). The city of Bagan and the Inle Lake region are among the best-known and most visited places of Myanmar.

Moreover, Myanmar stretches south and occupies, along with Thailand, the northern part of the Malay peninsula. The Bay of Bengal borders the northern coast, while its the Andaman Sea that lies to the south, surrounding Myanmar’s offshore islands.

How to get to Myanmar (Burma)?

Rangoon International Airport (RGN) is the main gateway into Myanmar by air. There’s also the Mandalay International Aiport which you can fly to from China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, and Thailand. Plus, the capital city of Naypyitaw has a smaller international airport with flights coming in from both China and Thailand.

You can also travel to Myanmar by land, but almost exclusively if you are coming in from India or Thailand. Indeed, the land border with Laos is remote and chances are you won’t be able to cross it, so if coming from Laos, a cheap flight is a way to go. Moreover, the land border crossing to/from China and Bangladesh are apparently not an option for tourists as per the information available online and on forums (2019).

Do I need a visa for Myanmar (Burma)?

Myanmar has an eVisa program, which allows travelers to easily request a visa to enter the country. Once you are granted an eVisa, you will receive an approval letter and you will get the visa stamp once at your entry point in Myanmar. The length of stay allowed by the regular tourist visa is 28 days.

As usual, we recommend that you get all the visa and admissibility information directly from the relevant authority. In this case, the Myanmar Government’s website has all the information about how to apply for the visa and the various information that all travelers should be aware of.

This way: https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/

Getting Around

Getting around in Myanmar is fairly easy and comparable to what is done in neighboring countries such as Thailand and Laos. Indeed, to travel between the cities you will have 3 main options: flight, bus, or train. Of course, you could also rent a motorcycle, perhaps even a car, and go on your own if you are a seasoned traveler.

Traveling between cities by bus is cheap and efficient in Myanmar. The comfort level varies, and there are plenty of bus options, with the overnight buses being fairly popular. Moreover, many travelers report that the best way of seeing the country while getting from one point to another is by train. The trains in Myanmar will sure take you through amazing views of the countryside and they are cheap.

myanmar travel burma train

Regarding transportation within the cities, the options are mostly buses, taxis, and moto-taxis. In Rangoon, you will find taxis and buses, but your best option will often be to walk around the city center as traffic can be intense. In Mandalay, there are moto-taxis, which are cheaper than taxis and will take you efficiently to your destination. Buses and regular taxis are also available. Moreover, in smaller cities, you will often see trishaws, those bicycle-taxis that are overly cheap, yet fun only for short distances.

Scuba diving

You will find all information about sea life, best time to visit, top dive spots, etc. in our review: Myanmar (Burma) Diving

Diving Reviews for this region

Liveaboard Reviews in Myanmar (Burma)

Cruise ship Reviews in Myanmar (Burma)

No review found

/0 Comments/by

Diving Australia – The Ningaloo Reef or the Great Barrier Reef?

We can’t be everywhere at once, and so sometimes we have fellow divers keeping us, and you, informed about the best diving spots, trends and much more. Plus, what is better than having a local diver sharing tips about scuba diving in Australia ? Read below to discover more about scuba diving in Western Australia and Queensland!

Larger than Europe, surrounded by several oceans, known for its Great Barrier Reef, Australia seems to be a perfect host for anyone who wants to Scuba Dive. But where to start? The west coast and the beautiful Ningaloo Reef or the East Coast and the Great Barrier Reef? 

Western Australia 

The main city is Perth, it is home to many dive centers and plenty of diving opportunities. Not only are there numerous shore dives located between Perth and Rockingham in the south but also 1-hour boat ride from Fremantle is Rottnest Island.

Rottnest Island is known for its beautiful turquoise waters and gorgeous Quokkas but also boasts great diving. An island made up of limestone, you will find large swim-throughs teaming with life with interesting structures and beautiful caverns. The most popular but hard to reach spot (because of its location, it often gets smashed by bad weather) is called Shark Cave. Its located west end of Rottnest Island and home to Grey Nurse Sharks. Normally at least 8 Sharks are spotted here year-round and if approached in a calm manner, they often hang around and are curious by divers.

In the South of Western Australia, you will find more great diving such as The Lena wreck in Bunbury, Busselton Jetty, HMAS Swan from Busselton and the HMAS Perth from Albany. All these dive sites are relatively easy dives, however, during winter the visibility drops to less than 1m so it’s best to dive it in summer when its warmer and clear water. If you head north from Perth 1100km you will arrive at the beautiful small coastal town, Coral Bay and the famous Ningaloo Reef. Boasting amazing corals, great marine interaction such as Mantas, Whale Sharks (during mid-March to the end of June) and Humpback whales (end of June to mid-October) to name a few, it’s a perfect spot to spend a week exploring and enjoying a stunning place with great diving and snorkeling opportunities. The best dive site from Coral Bay is Asho’s Gap, a shark cleaning station, where reef sharks come and enjoy getting their teeth cleaned by cleaner wrasse. It’s a truly amazing site. 

If you head from Coral Bay, 1.5hours north you will arrive in Exmouth. Here you have similar diving to Coral Bay but also one of the top shore dive sites in the world, Navy Pier. The Navy Pier is well worth the price tag it is to dive. Massive groupers, grey nurse sharks, reef sharks, octopus, nudibranchs, schooling fish everywhere and even a frogfish. It’s a definite must-do dive when visiting the Ningaloo reef. To dive the Navy pier there is one dive shop that has the license to run the dive. Although it is a shore dive, you cannot access it by yourself as it is in Navy territory. 

bucket list diver australia scuba diving ningaloo reef

Queensland 

Who hasn’t heard of the Great Barrier Reef? Despite all the alarmist reports on the Great Barrier Reef, it is still one of the most beautiful natural wonders and being the longest reef in the world, there is plenty of reefs to explore. Cairns and Port Douglas are both cities from which you can easily access the reef within a few hours. 

bucket list diver australia scuba diving ningaloo reef

If you go between June and July, you may have the opportunity to discover Minke whales. During the winter, these majestic and rather small whales migrate into the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef. The encounter with these creatures is absolutely great because they are curious and come very close to the divers. The best way to enjoy their presence is snorkeling as they approach from below and come and check you out without feeling vulnerable. 

The best spots to dive in the Great Barrier reef are up north in the Ribbon Reefs. They are reachable on Liveaboards and there are a few companies who go there frequently. The best dive sites in the Ribbon reefs are Bommies (large coral mounds) including Steve’s Bommie, Pixie Pinnacle and the famous North Horn at Ospray reef. Another brilliant dive, just over 4 hours south of Cairns is the SS Yongala. A wreck starting at 15m and 29m at the deepest end, it’s a must-do dive in Australia. Protected under the Historic Shipwreck Act, the marine life that calls this wreck home includes gigantic marble rays, gropers, barracuda, turtles, trevally and plenty of life. So much life that the visibility looks bad until you focus your eyes to realize what you are looking at is thousands of fish. 

Whichever coast you discover, you will certainly have some great diving and will not be disappointed.

Related Posts

/0 Comments/by

Diving in Hawaii: Maui and Molokini Crater

Sometimes I get off my computer screen and right into the deep blue, and it was that time of the year a couple of weeks ago. Indeed, I flew to Hawaii for fun vacation time and took this opportunity to do plenty of scuba diving and snorkeling. I’ll talk about the latter in a different post, so let’s focus on scuba diving around Maui for now. 

Of all the islands, I was told that Maui was one of the best islands to scuba dive in Hawaii. Is it true? I can’t tell since it’s the only one around which I dove. But, was it great? Yes, it was, and that’s why I’ll tell you about my short and sweet diving adventure around Maui’s southwest shore. Plus, it involves the Molokini Crater! 

Diving the Molokini Crater, is it worth it? 

The short answer is no, you can only snorkel it and see pretty much the same stuff if you are anywhere inside the crater. The visibility was very good as for me and so I could see the whole group from the surface.

The longer answer would be that it can be worth it depending on sites and on your certification level. Let me explain. Most dive centers I’ve been in touch with were offering only one out of the two dives on Molokini Crater. Thus, let’s say your boat parks at Reef’s End dive site, snorkelers will see pretty much all the same stuff but from above. That being said, divers do get to roam around on the bottom of sites such as Reef’s End, Tako Flatts and Middle Reef on the same dive… 

diving hawaii molokini maui
The Molokini Crater – Free of rights picture from PixaBay

Moreover, perhaps it is worth to be scuba diving if you go with a dive center that hits the Enenue and Shark Condos side of the reef… and that you are at least an advanced diver. Indeed, the sites on the opposite side from Reef’s Ends are going to about 130 feet / 40 meters. Plus, the back wall of Molokini Crater must definitely be worth diving for experienced divers. Can’t tell as I have not done that. 

Diving in Maui: the shoreline

Where to go scuba diving in Hawaii was a puzzle to me since it was not the focus of my trip and so I had merely one day, one shot at diving. Fortunately, I did enjoy plenty of snorkeling on Aloha Land! As for diving, the boat headed back toward Maui’s shoreline after the Molokini snorkel and dive part of the morning!

The site is called White Rock and is a mix of hard coral and sandy patches. The visibility was great and the water calm. I would say it’s a rather simple dive site and easy to get around, which would make sense since I was following a group of discover scuba, which my friend was part of! 

diving maui travel hawaii snorkeling surfing
A shot of a remote surfing site on Maui, Hawaii by Nomadic Mye

The hard corals were home to trumpet fish, many kinds of butterflyfishes, wrasses, triggerfish, unicorn fishes and puffers… only to name a few that I can remember! Unfortunately, I did not run into any turtles. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to tour the best dive sites of Maui this time, both because it wasn’t the focus of my trip (hiking was) and because it’s expensive. That being said, I’m sure there’s plenty of dive sites far more interesting to discover.

Next time, I’ll be looking to do the famous Turtle Town dive site, and perhaps Shark Condos on Molokini! Despite this quick diving adventure on Maui, I’ve spent plenty of time snorkeling and definitely think I saw some of the best spots. Stay tuned for the upcoming posts as I intend to share my best snorkeling spots on Maui with y’all!

Have you been scuba diving on Maui? Or anywhere in Hawaii? I’d love to hear about the most beautiful dives you’ve done, and so would our readers! Please drop us a comment below!

Related Posts

/0 Comments/by