Tribord Easybreath Snorkeling Mask

I recently got to test out my new Tribord easybreath snorkeling mask on a cruise to Mexico and Belize and it was as amazing as I hoped it would be.  I did a lot of research before finally pulling the trigger on this purchase I mean $99 isn’t just pocket change though now you can get it on Amazon for $75.  After reading a bunch of reviews I figured what the heck it’s different but let’s give it a whirl.

So I got the L/XL mask because I have a big head and the fit was great.  It doesn’t feel too tight but fits snug enough to keep the water out.  One of the big bonuses with this mask over a traditional snorkel mask is that since it covers your full face you get a better seal for people who have facial hair.  That was always a problem for me with normal masks and the Easybreath takes care of that perfectly. The mouth and nose section is separated from your field of vision area and this helps two fold.  First off it makes it so the mask does not fog over in front of your eyes.  TRUE ENOUGH THERE WAS NO FOG.  This alone was awesome because let’s face it who likes taking their mask off in the middle of a swim to spit in it and rinse it out hoping it won’t fog back up in five minutes.  But on top of the fact that this design keeps it from fogging it also has space just below the mouth that collects water that may get in to the mask.

Any water that gets in from any means will pool at the bottom of the mask.  I had times where water did get in but just tiny amounts.  It collects at the bottom of the mask and kind of makes a cool sound as you are breathing.  It doesn’t get in your mouth or anything but all you have to do is lift your head slightly out of the water and anything in the bottom of the mask will run out.

The DryTop technology is also pretty awesome and works as advertised.  I had a total of 8 hours snorkeling on this last trip and never once did water come down the snorkel.  There were a couple other people on this trip that were fighting taking gulps of water as a wave would come over their snorkel but I didn’t have to give it a second thought.  If you go under the water the top seals off right away and you can tell because there is a little bit of shock the first time you try sucking in air and there is no air to be had.  Still pretty awesome though when you don’t have to worry about gulping down sea water unexpectedly.

Another big plus over a traditional snorkel mask is the field of vision.  With the easybreath you get a full 180 degrees’ field of vision which if you are snorkeling with a group it did help keep track of our guide as it would swim off in a different direction allowing me to catch him out of the corner of my eye.

The only downside to this mask comes when duck diving.  Now be aware that the manufacture does say to not do this and that you are not supposed to dive with this mask on.  I do like duck diving and I did test this out in the pool before going to Mexico.  Unlike a normal mask and due to the fact it covers your full face you can’t equalize the pressure when diving under the water.   The whole area around your face is filled with air and you can feel the pressure build quick going under water.  Now I had no problem with that pressure going down about 8 feet but for any length of time it is uncomfortable, once you get beyond 8 the pressure builds fast.

NOTE: IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO DUCK DIVE OR FREE DIVE WHILE WEARING THIS MASK

Final Thoughts: For anyone who just likes to snorkel and is not looking to free dive this is a great purchase.  Even if you have a pool in your backyard and you have kids I would recommend this product.