Masks

The single greatest difference between the masks used by recreational divers and those used by cave divers is the snorkel. Cave divers don’t use them. Snorkels serve no purpose in a cave, cause unnecessary drag and create a substantial risk of guideline entanglement.

Some recreational divers use multi-paned, high-volume “wraparound” masks. Cave divers avoid these because of the drag such masks create in high-flow passageways.

Many cave divers prefer masks with opaque (solid black) skirts. These help divers avoid the distraction sometimes cause by light leaking in the side of the mask.

Because cave divers do not use snorkels, they can wear their mask straps inside their hoods. Doing so makes it easier for the mask skirt to avoid getting caught on the edge of the hood.

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