It is a summer ritual. You drive to the coast. You stop at a supermarket or a petrol station. You grab a forty dollar snorkel set for the weekend. 

You get in the water. You put your face down. Cold salt water rushes into your nose. You clear it. You tighten the strap. You try again. It leaks again. 

Your snorkeling trip turns into a battle to breathe. 

Most people blame the fit. They pull the strap tighter until it leaves a mark on their head. But the problem is rarely the size of your head. It is the material of the mask. 

The plastic trap 

Cheap masks are made of materials like Silitex or PVC. These are essentially soft plastics. 

In the packet, they feel rubbery. On your face, they are rigid. 

A human face is not flat. It moves. You smile. You clench your jaw on the snorkel mouthpiece. You squint against the sun. 

When your face moves, a plastic skirt cannot follow it. It creates tiny gaps at your temples or under your nose. Water rushes in. No amount of tightening will fix a material that refuses to flex. 

The silicone difference 

Professional divers use 100% Liquid Silicone. 

This is what you find in a dive shop. It feels different. It is soft. It is hypoallergenic. It behaves more like skin than plastic. 

When you put a silicone mask on, the skirt moulds to your unique facial contours. When you smile or move your jaw, the silicone moves with you. It maintains the seal. 

This is why spearfishing gear is so popular with general snorkelers. Spearfishers spend hours in the water. They cannot tolerate leaks. The mask, snorkel and fin sets designed for them use high-grade black silicone that is incredibly soft and stays sealed for hours. 

The sun destroys plastic 

There is a second issue with supermarket sets. They have a lifespan of about one week. 

The UV radiation in Australia is intense. Cheap PVC masks degrade rapidly in the sun. They become brittle. They warp. The clear skirt turns yellow and hard. 

You might get one decent swim out of it. If you leave it in the car boot until next summer, it will be useless. 

A silicone mask is chemically stable. You can leave it in the sun. You can leave it in salt water. It will stay soft and flexible for ten years or more. 

Safety matters 

A leaking mask is annoying for an adult. It is dangerous for a child or a weak swimmer. 

If you inhale water, you panic. You stop swimming. You lift your head. You get tired. 

A mask is not a toy. It is a piece of safety equipment. It separates your airway from the ocean. When you buy a "toy" version, you are compromising that safety. 

Buy it once 

We see it every January. People come in after wasting money on two or three cheap sets. They finally upgrade to a proper silicone mask. 

The difference is instant. They stop fighting the gear. They start watching the fish. 

You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars. But you do need to move away from the plastic aisle at the supermarket. Your lungs will thank you. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do I know if it is silicone? Check the label. It should say "100% Silicone" or "Liquid Silicone". If it just says "soft material" or "Silitex", it is plastic. Also, feel it. Silicone feels silky, not rubbery. 

Why does my mask fog up? New glass lenses have a protective film from the factory. You need to scrub the inside of the lens with toothpaste or a commercial "pre-cleaner" to remove this film before your first swim. 

Should I tighten the strap more? No. This is the most common mistake. Over-tightening warps the skirt and creates leaks. The water pressure should hold the mask to your face, not the strap. 

Can I wear glasses under a mask? No. The arms of the glasses will break the seal. You need a prescription mask or contact lenses.