Changed my mind about using a full face mask for shallow inspections

For years I stuck with a standard mask and separate regulator for any job under 30 feet, thinking the full face setup was overkill and a hassle to clean. Then I got a contract doing intake structure inspections at a pulp mill on the Fraser River. The water was full of fine silt and organic junk. After the first two dives, I was spitting out grit for hours and my eyes were burning. My dive partner, an older guy named Carl, lent me his spare full face mask for the third dive. The difference was night and day. I could talk clearly to topside, my face was protected, and I didn't swallow a single bit of that nasty water. It added maybe ten minutes to my gear prep, but it made the whole six hour shift way more bearable. I bought my own the next week. For anyone else doing dirty water work, is there a specific full face model you'd recommend for high particulate environments?

3 comments

3 Comments

terryj4518d ago

Did you guys ever see that study about the Fraser River having some of the highest suspended sediment levels of any major river in North America? I read something about it in a diving safety newsletter a while back, and it said the water can carry over 20 million tonnes of silt and sand every year. That sounds like exactly the kind of stuff you were dealing with, no wonder it got in your eyes and mouth. Makes me wonder how many other divers just tough it out with standard gear when a full face mask could save them a lot of misery.

noah7532mo ago

Remember watching a guy try to clean out a clogged sump pump in a flooded basement. He was just using a regular shop vac and a bandana over his face, coughing up a storm. Sometimes the right gear just saves you a world of hurt, even for a quick job. What was the worst gunk you've had to deal with down there?

craig.grace2mo ago

Wait, you were spitting grit for HOURS after just two dives? That river water sounds absolutely brutal, like diving in a thick soup of mud and leaves. I can't believe you put up with that for so long before switching gear.