The Mask That Saved Our Diving: Our Life With the OCEAN REEF Full-Face Mask

Most divers have at least one piece of gear they’ve quietly battled with over the years.
For some it’s fins.
For others, it’s buoyancy.

For us?
It was masks.

Or more specifically — it was J versus every traditional mask on earth.

I didn’t realize how rare it was for someone to not find a single mask that sealed properly.
Different manufacturers.
Different materials.
Different skirt shapes.
Low volume.
High volume.
Frameless.
Clear skirt.
Black skirt.

We tried them all.

Every. Single. One.
Leaked.

And not a gentle “eh, I’ll clear it later” leak — we’re talking constant clearing, burning eyes, swollen lids, and entire dives spent focusing more on the mask than the actual dive.

It stopped being a nuisance and started becoming a problem.
A big problem.

So when we tried the OCEAN REEF Full-Face Mask, it wasn’t a gimmick or a “cool tech” moment.

It was a lifeline.

🤿 Why We Made the Switch

Full-face masks weren’t even on our radar at first.
They’re bold.
They look different.
They draw attention.
They’re very much a “try it and see” type of gear.

But when your dive buddy is spending every single dive half-blind and half-miserable, you start rethinking everything.

Add in my own issues — breaking mask seal every time I laugh (which is often), or having a single piece of hair cause a slow, infuriating leak — and suddenly the idea didn’t seem strange at all.

But for J?

It wasn’t optional.
It was necessary.

💡 The First Thing We Noticed Underwater

Silence.

Not literal silence — but the silence of no leaking.

No fogging.
No flooding.
No clearing.
No fiddling.
No “hold on, give me a second.”
No burning, irritated eyes.
No swelling.

Just… diving.

It felt like someone finally turned off the background noise we’d gotten so used to tolerating.

😅 Things I Didn’t Love at First

Let’s be honest — full-face masks have quirks.

You can’t talk on the surface without removing them.

That sounds minor until something exciting happens underwater and you pop up absolutely bursting to tell your buddy…

With a traditional mask, you spit out the reg and immediately blurt:
“Did you SEE that octopus?!”

With a full-face mask?

You just… stare at each other through the visor.
In silence.
Until the boat gets closer.

Eventually you both take them off and talk all at once.

It’s a vibe. 😂

😆 Do We Get Looks on the Dive Boat? Absolutely.

People stare.
People whisper.
People point.

Some are curious.
Some are fascinated.
Some are amused.

And then there are a few who are… let’s call them “opinionated.”

They read one forum post in 2014 and now believe they are the international ambassador of full-face-mask criticism.

They give us the classic:
“Oh… those divers.”

And honestly?

We don’t care.

Because we’re underwater having the time of our lives.
And his mask isn’t leaking.

💦 Clearing and Flooding: It Basically Doesn’t Happen

The OCEAN REEF masks are positive pressure, which means:

• They don’t leak

• They don’t flood

• They don’t fog

• You don’t clear them

• You don’t even think about them

Ever.

I’ll write a separate post about the one time mine flooded — it absolutely deserves its own story — but the short version is:

It only flooded because I was stranded on a reef.
Under normal use?

They’re as close to leak-free as a mask can get.

🪢 Skills Still Matter (Yes, We Practice)

Full-face masks don’t replace training.

We regularly practice:

• Doffing the mask

• Donning the mask

• Switching to a backup mask

• Switching to a backup snorkel

• Doing it all calmly and underwater

This is why I always wear my SCUBAPRO tech shorts — one pocket holds my spare mask and snorkel, the other carries my DSMB and reel.

If we ever have to bail out of the FFM in an emergency, muscle memory takes over.

It’s important.
And we take it seriously.

🧡 Final Thoughts

Switching to the OCEAN REEF Full-Face Mask changed everything for us.

For J, it meant:

• No more leaks

• No more burning eyes

• No more swelling

• No more constant clearing

• No more frustration every dive

For me, it meant:

• No more seal breaks when I smile

• No more stray-hair leaks

• No more losing the mask seal every time I laugh at an octopus

• Comfortable, clear vision on every dive

For both of us, it meant:
Finally being able to focus on the dive — not the mask.

Do people stare?
Yes.

Do people judge?
Sometimes.

Do we care?
Not even a little.

Because this mask didn’t just improve our dives —
It saved them.

And once you’ve experienced that kind of difference, you’ll never look at a traditional mask the same way again.