Slap Strap Neoprene Mask Strap

Leaking Mask? Loosen The Strap!

If your mask is leaking, try loosening the strap, not tightening it. All mask straps, regardless of the type, are there just to keep the mask from falling off your face, not to make the seal. The thin feather edge of the silicone mask skirt is what makes the watertight seal with the face. If the strap is too tight, the skirt and that feather seal will become warped and misshapen which can cause the mask to leak. If the mask is leaking slightly, tightening the strap even more will usually make the leak worse. With a properly set strap, some types of water entries might dislodge the strap, so make a habit of reaching back behind your head with one hand to steady the strap (not the mask) during entry. Any diver who exits and has a 'mask ring' indentation in their face probably has too tight a mask strap.

A nice feature of the Slap Strap is the Velco tabs make it easy to change the strap length and you can even do it during the dive by feel. If your mask is leaking don't hesitate to try loosening the strap during the dive to see if it solves the problem. Of course you can also tighten it during the dive. Sometimes on deep dives the water is very cold on the bottom and requires a hood, yet the water is very warm near the surface which can cause uncomfortable overheating on the shallow deco stops. Some technical divers like to wear a hood during the cold part of the dive, then during their warmer long deco stops they pull the hood off and tighten the mask strap to compensate.

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