Summer is starting and we all know what that means: hitting the beach! If your perfect holiday involves exploring the amazing Australian beaches and underwater world, then it’s time to pick the best snorkelling mask!
Do you have any previous experience with masks for snorkelling? Do you prefer half or full snorkelling face masks? Do you plan on using the mask on your own, or would you like to share it with your friends and family?
These are just some of the questions you’ll need to answer in order to find a perfect-fit mask.
At first glance, these masks may all seem the same, but as you take a closer look, you’ll notice that there’s a wide variety of choices: full and half face, frameless, adjustable, and non-adjustable masks, with or without water leak and fog protection.
In this article, we’ll share with you our experience-based opinions on the top 8 snorkelling masks to use on the Australian coast!
Table of Contents
Top Snorkel Masks to Buy
Here are the 8 best snorkel mask brands according to user reviews and our experience. Materials used, vision width, adjustability, lens quality… we analyzed it all to help you pick your favourite under-water gear.
1. Cressi Scuba Snorkeling Mask
Cressi is a high-quality Italian swimming and diving equipment brand with many years of tradition, so you can absolutely relax when purchasing their products.
Cressi frameless mask has a single lens design with tempered glass lens for extra durability and a wide field of view. The ultra-clear lenses allow you to enjoy the best possible underwater world experience, and the mask itself comes in 11 different colours so you can perfectly match it with your suit and fins.
Mask skirt is ultra-soft and comfortable, because it’s made of high-skirt silicone relying on a low volume design, plus it has easy-to-adjust straps that go around your head. With this level of comfort you’ll quickly forget that the mask is even there: after all, there’s nothing worse than a mask that feels like a burden on your face.
This amazing mask has a dry top snorkel design with an anti-splash top and a quick release snorkel keeper. In addition, it has an essay clear purge valve.
Pros
- Highly adjustable
- Professional lenses
- A variety of colours to choose from
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Cons
- Slightly more expensive.
If you feel like you’re ready to take your scuba diving on a pro-level and choose the best snorkel mask, then Cressi is a perfect choice!
2. Aomais Dry Snorkel Mask and Foldable Snorkel Set
Aomais dry snorkel mask can be transformed to a wet snorkel mask and it also has a removable float valve for professional divers who want to move faster and go deeper underwater.
The whole kit is easy to pack, making it ideal for traveling, as you can simply fold the mask and snorkel with your bare hands.
It’s built in one-piece, using ergonomic silicone and anti-fog, shockproof glass lenses, that provide you with a panoramic seaview 180°.
Pros
- Can be used for both dry and wet snorkelling
- Ideal for travelling
- Ergonomic mask
- You can share it with friends and family.
Cons
- Comes in only one colour.
Due to the highly adjustable buckle and silicone band, Aomais is a snorkelling mask that fits almost any head size, making it appropriate for both youth and adults. It has an easily replaceable mouthpiece in case you want to share this snorkeling mask with your friends.
3. WACOOL Snorkelling Package for Kids
If you’re looking for the best snorkel masks for kids, you need to check out WACOOL’s snorkelling package. The mask comes with highly adjustable head straps, high-grade soft silicone face skirt, and watertight seal, making it the perfectly fitting mask for children 6-12 years old.
The mask has a wide viewing area, and you don’t have to worry about mask fogging thanks to the anti-fog coated tempered glass that will provide your child with crystal clear underwater visibility.
Pros
- Child-friendly
- Highly adjustable so the child can keep using the same mask despite their growth.
Cons
- A slightly higher price-quality ratio.
An anti-splash system won’t allow water to enter the snorkel, and high-quality materials will prevent you from spending money on new masks for quite some time.
4. OMGear Snorkel
OMGear’s snorkel set is an excellent choice for travellers looking for a good price-quality ratio when buying snorkelling masks.
The snorkel mask is made of ergonomic, anti-leak, high-grade silicone that fits any facial shape and it has anti-fog glasses for the best possible snorkelling experience.
You can use these for snorkelling, scuba diving, freediving, or spearfishing: all in one!
Pros
- Good quality for the price
- Multi-use mask.
Cons
- The field of vision could be wider.
The OMGear snorkel gear is made of quality waterproof neoprene, so you can expect it to last a couple of seasons. It also has adjustable straps in case you want to share your mask with friends and family.
5. Gintenco Kids Full Dry Snorkel Masks
If you’re looking for a good snorkel mask for your kids, this may be a fine choice. It’s slightly worse in quality than WACOOL, yet it’s still one of the best snorkel masks for children in the Australian market.
Designed for dry snorkelling, this mask has a one-way inhalation valve with a mobile ball on the top that prevents water from entering the tube. It has a flexible food-grade, anti-allergen silicone skirt that allows no leaking, nor odours, making this mask super-safe for children.
The brand uses tempered anti-fog glass for the goggles that prevent ultraviolet rays, and the design that supports a 180° field of view.
Pros
- Good price
- Very safe for kids’ use.
Cons
- Non-adjustable.
This is maybe not the best snorkel mask for kids, however, it’s an excellent price-quality ratio.
6. Cressi Onda Scuba Diving Mask
If you liked previous products by the Italian producer, then you’re going to love this great quality snorkel mask. This is one of the best tempered glass single lens masks, made of 100% hypoallergenic soft silicone.
Pros
- Great scuba mask
- Adjustable buckles that hold the mask are a good fit for any head size.
Cons
- You need to have your own snorkel.
Its double edge skirt provides a good seal and quick-adjusting buckles make it a perfect fit for a wide range of head sizes. This quality mask won’t block your peripheral vision so you can enjoy the water world at the fullest. Possible downside: it doesn’t come with a tube.
7. Dive Ace Oval Single Lens Snorkel Mask
Dive Ace is a bit of a low profile water equipment producer, however, you can fully rely on the quality of their products. This one, in particular, is a full face snorkel mask with an oval 6’’ wide single lens. It’s excellent for in-depth vision, spearfishing, or underwater photography.
Pros
- Timeless style
- A full-face snorkelling mask can be used for other underwater activities
- Covers both nose and mouth.
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a snorkel
- A bit more expensive.
It’s made of supple silicone, very comfortable to wear, and adaptable to most faces thanks to a highly adjustable buckle. We also must mention that this mask styling is timeless, so you can use this full face mask for snorkelling, diving, as a pool toy, or even for costuming!
8. Mares Snorkel Set
This frameless snorkel, low volume mask is an excellent choice for everyone who prioritizes a wide vision field while snorkelling. Tempered glass lens provides fantastic underwater clarity, while the soft skirt with adjustable buckles fit the mask to your face perfectly.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- A frameless snorkel mask can provide a wide vision angle and good clarity.
Cons
- Costs more.
If you want a long-lasting under-water fun mask, then paying a bit more money for the great quality silicone shouldn’t be that much of an expense. This snorkel mask comes with a tube, so you needn’t worry about that: you get the whole snorkel kit.
Related posts
What to Look for When Buying a Snorkel Mask
When buying a snorkel mask, make sure to look for the following features:
- Lenses made of tempered glass;
- Silicone skirts (double and soft);
- Wide, comfortable head straps;
- Adjustable buckles to fit every head;
- Proper seal;
- Anti-fog system.
| What is a summer holiday without exploring the underwater beauties? And is there a better companion than a smooth-fit snorkel mask with a proper-quality lens!? |
Types of Snorkels and Masks
There are two regular types of snorkel masks: half-mask and full face. We’ll now shortly explain the pros and cons of each.
- Half-Mask Snorkel Mask
Half-mask snorkel mask usually means goggles and the snorkel. It’s the most common image anyone imagines when someone mentioned masks for snorkeling.
Half-mask covers only half of the diver’s face, leaving their mouth and cheeks unprotected. For amateur-level scuba dive, freedive, or snorkelling, this can be a good fit. However, the best way to practice safe scuba dive is to use the full face snorkel mask.
- Full Face Snorkel Mask
Most professional divers use full-face masks for snorkelling or other underwater activities. If the mask is made of proper materials, this is the safest option, especially if you plan on visiting some unknown, or rather dangerous underwater areas.
