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How Scuba Diving Works

by Mihai Pinzariu on September 24, 2019

Scuba diving is one of mankind’s most amazing feats. We take the activity for granted these days – like it’s just a leisurely holiday adventure – but the fact that we have created an apparatus that allows humans to breathe underwater for extended amounts of time is simply incredible. Us mere mortals were designed for land, yet we’ve created a piece of equipment that lets us explore beyond the land to the depths of the sea. Yep… amazing. Without scuba diving, a lot of our oceans would have remained unexplored and undiscovered. We would never have been able to unearth incredible history from shipwrecks like the Titanic, or do amazing underwater work like install cables and pipelines. Much of the ocean’s creatures would have remained a mystery to us, and we would have had to enjoy tropical islands from the land only! If you’re curious how mankind managed to create such a piece of equipment that defies science, read on. We’re going to explain how scuba diving works, for the curious, the nervous, and the newbie!

How scuba works: in short

For the lazy, here’s a brief description of how scuba works. Scuba stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, which essentially means a device that has all you need to breathe underwater. A scuba includes metal tanks which hold compressed air (or a special mix of breathing gases), a regulator to reduce the tank air pressure to breathable air, and a hose that carries the breathable air into the diver’s mouth. When a diver exhales, air is released into the water and creates little bubbles. To go scuba diving, you’ll also need other equipment like a dive mask, wetsuit, and buoyancy control device.

How scuba diving works

To understand how scuba diving works, we’ll look at the underwater environment, what equipment you will need, and how our bodies react when underwater. If you’re interested in taking up scuba diving (and who wouldn’t be), we’ll also talk about what you need to do to get started!

The underwater environment

Humans aren’t designed to be underwater, and it can be a hostile environment for people to go in (when they don’t have the right gear). Scuba diving equipment needs to tackle a number of underwater challenges, from breathing to temperature control, buoyancy, and visibility. Luckily, some amazing people out there have got to work and designed scuba diving gear that allows us to cope with all the risks of being underwater. Every piece of equipment is essential for scuba diving to happen safely. Let’s look at how scuba diving equipment works in more detail.

Scuba diving equipment

1. Wet or dry suits

The deeper you go underwater, the colder it gets. To stay warm, scuba divers need to wear insulating suits. This could either be a wetsuit or a drysuit. A wetsuit is designed to trap a thin layer of water between your body and the suit rubber. Your body will warm up the trapped water, and in turn it will keep your body warm. Wetsuits are designed to fit tightly on your body, and come in full-body lengths and short lengths that only cover your arms and torso. Drysuits, on the other hand, feature double-walled material with air insulation between the layers. Since air is a better insulator than water, drysuits tend to keep you warmer – you can also wear underwear with them for extra warmth! Drysuits tend to have tight fitting necks, wrists, and ankles to stop water from getting in. If you’re going seriously deep underwater, then you can also add accessories to your wet & drysuits, like hoods, gloves, boots, and vests.

2. Buoyancy control

Here’s where scuba diving starts to get a little tricky. When you’re underwater, you need to control how deep you are going. Generally, you will have a dive plan with predetermined levels planned for your adventure. To make sure you are able to control which depths you are diving, you will need to be able to control your buoyancy. Buoyancy is your body’s natural ability to float in the water. To make sure your body is able to stay below water – and not keep floating back up to the surface – you will need to control your buoyancy with a buoyancy control device (BCD – also sometimes called a buoyancy compensator [BC] or lead weights). A BCD is a backpack-type vest with a rubber bladder that can be filled with air to keep you floating at your ideal depth. You will also need to add additional weights to your BCD to help counter your wetsuit’s natural buoyancy. These can be placed in the pockets of your BCD or attached to a separate belt, depending on what’s more comfortable for you. Some newer BCDs come with built-in weights as well.

3. Scuba gas cylinders

Now, for the breathing! This is the part of scuba that scares people the most, so understanding how breathing works when scuba diving is a big part of easing your mind before heading out underwater. When scuba diving, you will typically breathe in either compressed air (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen), or Nitrox (an oxygen-enriched combination of 64-68% nitrogen, 32-36% oxygen). This air will be held in aluminium cylinders that will be carried on your back while diving. Generally, the cylinders will weigh 14 kg when empty and hold around 3.2 kg of gas – enough to fill a phone booth!

4. Scuba regulator

So, you now have a gas cylinder full of compressed air. Unfortunately, you can’t breathe directly out of that cylinder as the high pressure would damage your lungs – so you need another piece of equipment. Your cylinder will be fitted with a regulator that converts the high-pressure oxygen into breathable air that you can take in on-demand. There are two stages to a regulator: The first stage attaches to the cylinder and converts high-pressure air into intermediate-pressure, and the second stage attaches to your mouth with a hose, converting the intermediate-pressure air into breathable air. You can read more about how scuba regulators work in our article here.

5. Diving mask

To protect your eyes from the underwater pressure, and to help you see all the amazing sea life, you’ll need to wear a mask that closes your nose and eyes from the water. You can get scuba diving masks in single or double face plates, and they are designed with stringent regulations to ensure safety and durability underwater.

6. Other scuba diving equipment

The equipment above is all you need to head out there and enjoy some fun scuba diving. If you’re looking to get more serious about your diving trips, though, you might want to invest in a few extra pieces of equipment to enhance your dives.

1. Gauges – To keep a close eye on your air pressure, depth, and location, divers can carry different gauges that clip onto your BCD. These could include a compass, pressure gauge for the gas cylinder, and a depth gauge.

2. Dive computer – This is a tiny computer worn on your wrist that can help you keep track of your depth and allowable bottom times. You can program your dive computer with your dive plan to help control your depths and times to make sure your scuba diving trip is going on track.

3. Fins – You could go finless, but on a scuba diving trip you’ll be easily exhausted! Fins will help you swim faster and easier, for smoother ascents and descents, and are a must on any diving trip.

4. Dive knife – Worried about getting tangled up in seagrass, coral, or pieces of your equipment? You can carry a dive knife to help cut yourself free from any underwater entanglements.

5. Slate board – Going diving with a friend? It can be lonely when you can’t talk underwater. Scuba divers like to use slate boards to communicate with each other, sort of like magna doodles that can be used underwater.

6. Dive light – The deeper you go underwater, the darker it gets. A dive light helps you see underwater, get a closer look at that tiny fish, or illuminate those mysterious night dives.

7. Safety float – Worried about boats passing over you while scuba diving? A safety float is designed to make divers visible from above the water’s surface and consists of a float with a line and dive flag. This helps warn passing boats and let them know that there are divers underwater.

How to get started scuba diving

Now you know how scuba diving works, and all the pieces of equipment that are required, you can see that it’s not as difficult as might appear! If you’d like to get into scuba diving, then the training involved will help ease any remaining worries or concerns and make sure you’re confident and comfortable before heading out underwater. You do want to be in fit physical condition before going for scuba diving training. Your equipment will weigh around 27 – 34 kg alone, and you want a healthy heart and lungs to be able to withstand the changing water pressure. If you feel physically up for it and are over 10 years old, then your first step will be to take an open water certification course by PADI or NAUI. A scuba diving open water certification course will teach you:

1. Introduction to scuba diving – although now that you’ve read this article, you should be well ahead of the class!

2. Training in diving physiology and the risks & hazards of diving, how to use scuba equipment & dive tables, creating a dive plan, and emergency procedures,

3. Practical training in all important dive skills like how to expel water from your dive masks, recover a regulator that’s fallen out of your mouth, do controlled emergency ascent, breathe from a friend’s air supply, and more.

As part of your training you will make at least four open-water dives before receiving your certification. After your open-water training you can advance to higher levels like rescue training, master training, instructor training, and dive master. And don’t think about heading out scuba diving without taking the open-water course… you won’t be able to rent or buy dive equipment without your certification card!

Scuba diving alternatives

Feel like this is all a bit too complicated, or lack the physical strength to take the open-water course? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the incredible scenery underwater. The world is still yours to explore with snorkelling, the easier, more comfortable version of diving. With snorkelling you’ll still get to enjoy an up-close and personal look at the diverse sea life, without having to strap on heavy equipment and take courses. It’s also a much calmer, safer, and more relaxing activity for those who aren’t physically fit. All you need is a snorkel mask, the ability to float, and off you go!

How many people dream of snorkelling but don't feel comfortable wearing a snorkel mask?

The answer is: too many! Traditional snorkel masks can be uncomfortable and scary for many people, so the beauty of snorkelling goes undiscovered and unexperienced. Whether it's breathing difficulties, choking on sea water, or foggy goggles, there's a lot that prevents people from enjoying the wonderful sport of snorkelling. And that thought makes us sad.

We think everyone should be able to enjoy the underwater world - safely, comfortably, and easily. That's why we created Ninja Shark and our revolutionary line of full face snorkel masks. They're designed to be super comfy, easy-to-use, and make snorkelling accessible for all. Because nobody should miss out on discovering what's under the sea.

The Influencer @lud.around is a NINJASHARK lover!

NINJASHARK is the sound of a revolution in snorkeling. Whereas other water equipments companies are constantly adding poor quality products, we listen to your feedback and constantly improve our products to fit for all of your needs.


While other water equipments companies offer just a way to look under the water, NINJASHARK wants to create an amazing experience for water enthusiasts. That's why we listen to your feedbacks and we develop products based on them.

 
"I'm not leaving my room without the mask. The full face snorkeling mask from Australia is comfortable and fit me perfectly! Love how easy it is to breath out your nose and mouth when you snorkeling and even has earplugs!"

“The mask include GOPRO mounts, so you can easily film and photograph underwater scenery! I highly recommend especially to people who have a fear of snorkeling! This mask is really easy to use and is safe!” said @lud.around. “I can’t wait for my next trip with my new mask!”

The Ninja Shark full face snorkel masks makes your experiences the best they can be. They are exclusively sold on the Ninja Shark website.

The Ninja Shark full face snorkel masks comes equipped with advanced Anti-Fog technology, automatic drainage, no CO2 Buildup with improved uni-directional valves, and a revolutionary breathe flow system so you can breathe through both your nose and mouth.
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“If you thought we’re just here to sell you products, think again. You’re part of the Ninja Shark family, and your feedback matters! We’re constantly working to improve our products and deliver the full face snorkel mask that exists only in our dreams!”

What customers are saying about us…

“Awesome set.

Loved the complete set. I even used the waterproof phone pouch to take photos and videos underwater. It made my Fiji experience so much better than using the free snorkel set that hurt your face after 2hours and leaving a sun/mask mark. The ninja leaves no marks and gives great vision under water in comparison. It did take some getting used to but it definitely paid off! Only frustration is that the tightening straps are quite basic; they should be much simpler to loosen and tighten both in and out of water.” – Jock

Try our line of snorkelling and swimming gear
by Ninja Shark! You’ll love it.

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All Ninja Shark Products are tailor-made
with medical silicone.

We care about making our products safe and healthy for you—and our planet.
That’s why the Ninja Shark Full Face Snorkelling Masks are made from a non-toxic and environmentally friendly anti-allergic medical grade silicone, that’s not only safer for your kids but safer for you too.
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Based on 1513 reviews
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Optical Lenses for Full Face Snorkel Masks
Leanne G. (Newcastle, AU)
Prescription Lens for full face snorkel

Recently we went on a cruise to the South Pacific with lots of opportunities to snorkel. I was asked so many times "are they prescription lenses in there" & "where did you get them from".

The lenses were awesome, I was able to see and enjoy the snorkelling. Others tried mine and were amazed how good they were. As they were suctioned to the mask it made sure the mask was in the correct position on you face (not too high/low). Initially my lenses were a little tight to put together but they went in alright in the end :)

It was easy to find out what level (prescription/strength) was needed, I just went to my optometrist with the options and they told me which ones I needed.

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Optical Lenses for Full Face Snorkel Masks
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Diane K. (Melbourne, AU)
The Ninja Shark Snorkel mask is awesome!

We bought these snorkel masks as we were going on a tropical holiday which included snorkelling tours and we both hated breathing through traditional plastic snorkels shoved in our mouths. My partner in particular did not want to snorkel because of this. These snorkel masks are FANTASTIC and were GAME CHANGERS. We did several lots of snorkelling on our holiday and every time, we were able to lie in the water, breathe normally and focus on looking underwater without worrying about breathing. Even if you dive underwater with these masks, the valve blocks water from coming into your snorkel mask. I bought the premium Equaliser Pro with the ability to pinch your nose if diving and my partner bought the basic model. Both are fantastic products - comfortable, easy to wear and highly recommended. You need to fit it tightly but it's really comfortable in the water and doesn't leak. Even when you come up you don't need to take it off, just keep breathing normally. I loved snorkelling with this product and even my anti-snorkelling partner really enjoyed it and felt this mask was a game changer.

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Lifetime Warranty
Tom P. (Melbourne, AU)
Recommended

Great product and even better customer service

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Package : Air Adults (Mask + Fins + Bag)
JEANNIE O. (Piara Waters, AU)
Bloody love this!

Never snorkelled in my life. Petrified of putting my head under water. But now my neck is bad - if I don't alter the way I swim - then no more swimming for me. This has opened 'a whole new world' - (haha -that songs stuck in your head now) - to me. I'm just using my ninja gear in my gym outdoor pool atm. My legs are getting so strong - and my lungs too - as I'm doing some great breathing. I have huge surgery coming up soon - and i believe this is allowing me to get to a great level of fitness - in preparation. Honestly - i can't go on enough about this product enough. My friend bought a cheaper version. She's given it away already... say no more 🤿🤿🤿

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Electra - Full Face Snorkel Mask
Bolang C. (Perth, AU)
Great design

This is the best snorkel mask I’ve ever had. Very comfortable on face, easy to breathe. I am not a good swimmer, it makes me feel safe and enjoy snorkelling without distraction. Thank you ninjiashark.

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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
Holly C. (Perth, AU)
Best snorkel ever!!

Got one of these for me and my 7 year old daughter for Xmas. We’ve used them twice already and love them!! So much easier to breathe, can see so much and just makes the whole snorkelling experience better! Would highly recommend!

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Air Adults - Full Face Snorkel Mask for Adults
Michael S. (Adelaide, AU)
Clear as day

Clear to see and easy to breathe,
Whole family loves the NinjaShark Snorkel mask.

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Robyn H. (Adelaide, AU)
Amazing

The best snorkel and mask combination. No going back now! I could snorkel for over an hour easily. So glad I made this purchase

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(DRAFT) Package: Dry Snorkel (Set + Fins + Bag)
Maureen R. (Townsville, AU)
Mermaid

While travelling in Timor leste l met a fellow snorkeller. We snorkelled for 10 days together the food was shit but the water was stunning. The friend was using Ninja Shark fins and mask mine were steaming up, letting in water and heavy. On arriving back in Australia l ordered straight away.
I was a little bit anxious on receiving my order as the mask was quite different to my old one and the fins were short and adjustable ( l wanted them to be my size ! ) well to my luck the weather was beautiful ( yes mid winter in Mackay ) and perfect for boating so off we scooted to Cockermouth ( don't laugh it's a real place ) jumping in and WOW I'm now a mermaid 🧜‍♀️ the mask and fins felt like part of me. I actually cried as not only was the equipment allowing me to explore as l wanted but the reef was STUNNING. So lm indepted to Ninja Shark for making me the mermaid l always aspired to be 🧜‍♀️

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Package: Electra (Mask + Fins + Bag)
Rod M. (Brisbane, AU)
Took it to Tahiti

I wasn’t quite sure about getting a full face mask but bought mine (Electra package) before a trip to Tahiti which we got home from yesterday - absolutely LOVED it!!! I’ll be getting one for my wife before our next trip to a similar destination. BTW I make LOTS of crazy videos with lots of toys.

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Package : Air Adults (Mask + Fins + Bag)
Hattie A. (Urunga, AU)
Life changing

I do love my full face snorkel.. the freedom of nose breathing under the water.. the meditative and relaxative effect of this snorkeling is unexpected and great. Fits so well.. comfy to wear for long time.. highly recommend

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(DRAFT) Diving Dry Snorkel Set with GoPro mount
Joanne T. (Brisbane, AU)
Super quality & fit

So happy we got Ninja shark, perfect for Great barrier reef snorkel day.
Flippers, mask, dry wallet, carry bag (good quality bag), anti fog spray, happy days.

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(DRAFT) Diving Dry Snorkel Set with GoPro mount
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Package: Longer Tube (Mask + Fins + Bag) 3-11 Years
Sara M. (Adelaide, AU)
Ninja Shark Kids Mask

We recently brought the Ninja Shark Kids 3-11 Mask + Fins + Bag package for our 7 year old who absolutely loves it! Will be buying three more for the rest of the family. 😊

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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
BIANCA R. (Canberra, AU)
Even better than expected!

I saw the kids full face snorkel masks online, and thought they looked pretty cool. I ordered two for Christmas, for my 3 and 6 year olds. Wow, did they have a great time with them!

I wasn't sure how the 3 year old would go with it, but he was comfortable in it almost immediately, and spent hours swimming around and seeing a whole new world of underwater scenery.

They were easy to fit, zero issues with them staying on. No leaks or fog.

They can't wait to get back to the water!

Highly recommend this product :)

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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
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Electra - Full Face Snorkel Mask
Nick J. (Brisbane, AU)
mask swimming

The mask did exactly what was stated. I was very happy and will get another mask for my daughter.

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Electra - Full Face Snorkel Mask
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Electra - Full Face Snorkel Mask
Raffaele S. (Perth, AU)
Great way to swim

I have NEVER been able to snorkel but love swimming. These full face snorkels are an absolute game changer in my life. Now I try to swim around 5 kms a week in the local pool. The Ninja mask makes it easy to do laps. I’ve been using the Ninja Shark for a quite few years and find the new Electra the best full face mask ever. No leaks, no fog and really easy to use and great quality. I’ve noticed my regular chats with other swimmers at the pool have encouraged many of them to purchase one of their own. I’ve given my older models to my grandkids and they love them too.

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Electra - Full Face Snorkel Mask
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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
Vanessa (Brisbane, AU)
Fabulous

I got one for the 3 year old and one for the 5 year old, I thought maybe the 3 year old would get the hang of it eventually but they both loved it and mastered it pretty quickly. We’ve only used in the swimming pool, excited to go snorkeling in the ocean soon. Great product.

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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
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Lifetime Warranty
Sarah B. (Surfers Paradise, AU)
Love it!

Amazing product ! Have the electra package, kids love it. So easy to use. Highly recommend

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(DRAFT) Diving Dry Snorkel Set with GoPro mount
Jen M. (Brisbane, AU)
Love it

Bought these for myself and my husband after getting the full face masks for the kids, and they were so good we’re getting them for the rest of the extended family for Xmas. The fact u can dive down and not get water down ur snorkel is a brilliant bonus! Makes our family holidays much easier and better without snorkel dramas!

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(DRAFT) Diving Dry Snorkel Set with GoPro mount
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Package: Equaliser PRO (Mask + Fins + Bag)
Barry D. (Brisbane, AU)
This made our holiday

The product itself was amazing, but the service we received allowed us to get our 2 sets of masks for our cruise. We took them with us and used them multiple times for snorkelling on our cruise to Nouméa and New Caledonia. It was amazing snorkelling and being able to breathe easily, and the fins were the most comfortable I've ever used. I've got size 13 feet, and not only were they completely adjustable, but they were THE most comfortable fins ever invented. A massive shoutout to Colleen Zamora from your support staff who helped me out and made it possible to take our gear on holidays! Thanks Colleen!
The photo is us snorkelling off Amadee Island looking for turtles!

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Package: Equaliser PRO (Mask + Fins + Bag)
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Electra Kids Full Face Snorkel Mask
Peter B. (Manila, PH)
My kids love them

I’ve got three of these masks for my younger kids, however the oldest wants one too as the young ones rave about how good the are.

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Electra Kids Full Face Snorkel Mask
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Air Adults - Full Face Snorkel Mask for Adults
Jill B. (Melbourne, AU)
Summer Family Fun

Our Ninja masks have made snorkelling as a whole family very easy and enjoyable. The kids (and parents) find them super easy to use and have allowed us as a family of five to snorkel for longer than we ever could using traditional snorkel gear. I would highly recommend these masks.

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Lifetime Warranty
Geri D. (Sydney, AU)
Lifetime warranty

Glad I have but haven’t needed to use .. yet

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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
Tara H. (Melbourne, AU)
Great Mask

Love this mask. Kids find it so much easier snorkelling with the Ninja Shark. The snorkel mask is super clear and doesn’t fog up. The adjustable straps are great and easy to loosen and tighten. Very happy that we made the decision to get these for the kids.

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Longer Tube Full Face Snorkel Mask for Kids (3-11 Years)
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Package: Equaliser PRO (Mask + Fins + Bag)
Doreen S. (Sydney, AU)
A must for snorkelers!

Recently purchased the Equaliser Pro Mask, Finns and bag. 🤿 🐠🐡🐟🦈 Had an amazing time snorkeling off Fitzroy Island, the Pro mask allowed me to explore for over 7 hours. Higly recommend! Planning must next snorkeling trip! 🤿💦🌴☀️

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Package: Equaliser PRO (Mask + Fins + Bag)