Unpopular opinion: a full face mask is safer than a half mask for most gas jobs

Had my regulator fail at 60 feet on a wastewater tank dive two months ago in Portland. I was running a half mask and got a face full of sludge water before I could surface. My buddy swears by full face masks for hazmat because they keep your eyes clear. So which do you guys prefer for contaminated water dives half mask with a good seal or full face setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbaraw1616d ago

Yeah, I'm with @karen_hart on this one, even if I hate looking like a spaceman on deck. That half mask seal thing is nice in theory until you're eyeball-deep in that Portland special and your regulator decides to take a vacation. I've had my eyes water up on a clean water job with bad seals, so I can't even imagine dealing with hydrogen sulfide fogging. The full face might feel like you're wearing a bike helmet on your face, but at least you aren't tasting the job site later. Pretty sure my buddy Larry still smells like that Tacoma lift station and it's been a year.

karen_hart16d ago

I did a deep clean on a sewer lift station in Tacoma last year and switched to a full face mask after the first ten minutes. That job had hydrogen sulfide readings that spiked every time we stirred up the bottom sludge, and I remember my eyes watering like crazy through the half mask even with good seal checks. Full face kept everything out, no fogging issues since I used a good defogger and a neck dam. The regulator failure at 60 feet is the real nightmare though, I had a similar scare on a river outfall dive when my demand valve froze open and the full face let me keep breathing while I cleared it. Seems like for anything with sewage or chemical exposure the full face is just a better bet even if it feels bulkier topside.