You have reached your dream destination. You are finally here in Curaçao and amidst all your plans to explore the island, you also want to discover what is beneath the surface of that stunning aquamarine blue water. It is time to venture down into the magical underwater realm of the Caribbean Sea! With an amazing array of tropical fish, natural coral reefs and friendly inquisitive sea turtles, it is time to grab your mask and dive in! During your dive water starts coming in, the mask start fogging up, how is this possible? This is all past tense if we look at the future of diving! Ready to try something new? Full Face Mask Diving is the way to go!
A mask is the crucial piece of equipment to dive. It creates a “window” through which we can observe what goes on under the surface of the ocean. If we look at the conventional masks, they force divers to breathe unnaturally through their mouths. Nose breathing and the possibility to communicate are special properties offered by the so-called “full-face mask”. Compare a full-face mask as a combination between a diving helmet and the common dive mask. For many years they were the sole province of the military and commercial divers.
But now on the market for the recreational diver: YOU!
The rise of the Full Face IDM
Since the 1950’s, the full-face mask has undergone a lot of up-grades to satisfy the market’s increasing requirements for comfort and performance. The earliest full-face masks were simply a downward extension of a conventional mask to cover the mouth, where you put the conventional regulator in a special opening of the rubber mask. Nose breathing was not possible and there were increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), which made it less safe. So, when the next upgrade was done, the orinasal pocket was introduced. Still your regulator was put in a similar opening. After that the newest model on the market made a significant change. For the first time the regulator was especially designed for the full face diving mask and the focus was more on the high-performing aspect of the mask, rather than the protectiveness. The next generation of masks took another quality leap forward in terms of the regulator. The regulator was inserted inside the volume of the mask itself, creating a more compact device. But the last generation is the one you want to dive with, the first Integrated Diving Mask!
Try it without any dive experience!
They look good to start with, right? Did you know that you can do a Discover IDM Scuba Dive at Blue Bay Dive without any previous dive experience? This 2-hour program is definitely a fun and memorable experience. One of our PADI professionals will give you a brief theory session, including an explanation about the dive equipment. After a few skills in the shallow water of our protected bay, we will explore one of our stunning house reefs. Here you will see beautiful corals, many different fish, and other underwater creatures and experience how it is to breathe through your nose underwater.
When you are a certified diver you can immediately go for your Padi Ocean Reef Full Face IDM Specialty. During this specialty one of our PADI professionals will do a theory session with you, they will explain all the ins and outs of the mask and everything else you need to know about the full-face IDM mask. After that you will be donning, adjusting and doffing the mask under the guidance of your instructor. In water you will have a confined session, to learn all the new skills involving a full-face mask and finish off with two Open Water Dives. Enjoy the wider view underwater and make equalizing even easier than it was before. After you have done your PADI Ocean Reef Full Face IDM Specialty you can take it up a notch, communicate!
Try communication!
The underwater communication system adds a whole new dimension to your dive safety and enjoyment. Connect with your buddy and even people from the surface! Your PADI professional will explain the communication units and how to work with the PTT system (Push-to-Talk). In water you will have a confined session, to practice communication and understanding each other. Then you can communicate and practice some more during one of the two Open Water Dives. The ability to talk underwater makes it sometimes just a bit easier, then using all those hand signals.
Full Face Snorkeling Mask
If you are not a diver (yet), no need to worry! A new trend has arrived: The Full-Face Snorkel Mask, and it is rapidly becoming more and more popular with snorkelers. The difference is the same: you are able to breathe through your nose as well as through your mouth and the mask will not fog up any more thanks to a special air circulation system. This makes snorkeling far more accessible and far less intimidating to the novice. Especially, when you don’t like water in your face, these masks prevent that completely. Did you forget your mask, you can either rent or buy the mask at the Blue Bay Dive Shop or at one of our other Dive Division Shops. We have well-trained staff in the shops, ready to help you to get the right fit. You can pick from a varied range of different models of Full-Face Masks.
What may be the best feature yet is that the Full-Face Snorkel Masks will never leak again due to a large sealing surface and automatic pressure equalization that keeps the water out.
What if you wear glasses?
Another great feature, which makes these mask complete, is that you have an option for Optical lens support. This frame is engineered with removable, snap in, legs. The frame can be installed in all Ocean Reef snorkel and scuba masks (except for XS size). This frame is a removable and customizable corrective lens option. Conveniently you can wear it as a pair of glasses, when you are done snorkeling and scuba diving. And, it is environmentally friendly! At this point in time corrective lenses are available from diopters -1 up till -4.
So are you ready for a mask that:
- has a wider view
- does not leak
- allows nose breathing
- does not fog
- prevents jaw fatigue
- is safer
- makes communication underwater possible
Come and join us now! Book your IDM Discover Dive, learn that new specialty and have some fun! Everyone is welcome! Stop by the dive shop at Blue Bay Beach or send us an e-mail and start your future of diving or snorkeling!
Full-Face Mask Diving, why is it the Future of diving
It’s all explained in the blog! What do you think?
I fell inlove with freediving last year. It hurts that I mostly see trash underwater. Please be responsible in throwing your garbage please!
Awesome! Debris is indeed a big problem, check out the Project AWARE Adopt A Dive Site project. All the Dive Division Locations and even more dive centers adopted a reef and structurally clean it. They organize Dive Against Debris-dives where the instructors teach divers how to safely remove debris underwater. Since we started this project, the reefs look significantly cleaner!