 Back in February of this year Tracy Adcock tried the Ocean Reef Aria QR+ in the pool and wrote us a few words about her experience, which can be seen here After here pool experience, she decided to make a purchase, ready for the Dive Rutland Club trip to the Philippines and here is her follow up report, thanks Tracy Out on the boat for the first day I was a little apprehensive as this was my first time snorkelling in the big open sea, but in I went. Once in the sea , mask placed and adjusted it was heads down and away I went, it was like being in a giant aquarium, all apprehension disappeared. The mask was comfortable and gave a wider field of vision than a normal mask would have done. It is more pleasant to be able to breathe through your nose and not have a snorkel stuck in your mouth. No water leaked into the mask and the mask did not fog up once in the 2 weeks of using it. The other benefits were that I did not swallow gallons of saltwater or get jaw ache as I probably would of done with a normal snorkel. (The jaw ache came from when I came up to talk about what I had seen!). On occasion that I did remove the mask whilst still in the sea, water inevitably got inside the mask, but this soon drains out through the drain valve when the mask is put back on. If on occasion the sea lapped over the snorkel or I went under the water in my enthusiasm to get closer to see something, the ball valve closed to stop the water entering the snorkel. The only problem I had was that as it was on average 38 degrees C with excessive humidity and the mask could get very warm which was not pleasant to initially put on, I found that if I waited until in the water, and ready to go, you put on the mask and placed face immediately in the sea this would cool instantly, so was not a major problem. The masks did give amusement to the local Philippine people who came to collect the marine fees when the boat moored up, there seemed to be a lot of discussion chuckling and pointing going on. This experience has given me an insight as to why people love to scuba dive, it is an amazing and beautiful world under the oceans. I also feel that diving may be easier than snorkelling in some instances, as divers can launch their SMB and along the boat pops to pick them up, us mere snorkellers have been bimbling along, and then realise that they have been going along with the current, and the way back to the boat is against the current! A lesson learnt. All in all a fabulous 2 weeks of snorkelling that I feel was enhanced by the use of the Ocean Reef full face mask. Roll on the next trip, maybe I will be diving by then??!
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