With the concerns about lack of availability of disposable respirator masks during the COVID-19 pandemic rising, Ocean Reef, which produces full-face diving and snorkeling masks, is working on a viable solution. Ocean Reef is expected to offer a newly created adaptor that will fit in place of the snorkel extension on the top of any Ocean Reef-produced snorkel mask.
This will transform the mask into an effective COVID-19 protection respirator mask. Once in place the adaptor can accept any type and brand filter with the 40mm threading. To reduce the exhalation effort, Ocean Reef advises you can just push out the exhalation valve cover of the mask.
With much of the single-use protective respirator masks still in very short supply, equipment like Ocean Reef full-face snorkel masks can be easily cleaned and sanitized for continued use.
An additional benefit over most disposable masks is that the full-face snorkeling mask provides a full-frontal barrier for the nose, mouth and eyes against contagious droplets.
Creating something like this is nothing new for Ocean Reef Group’s Mestel Safety equipment division, which for the past 58 years has been producing products from respiratory PPE protection equipment for the Military, as well as other medical products.
Note: Mestel Diving Equipment is distributed under the Registered Trademark, OCEAN REEF. The Military and Respiratory PPE is known under the brand Mestel Safety brand, which also goes by the name SAFETY PROTECTION EQUIPMENT.
Currently Ocean Reef’s full-face snorkeling mask product line, which encompasses the Aria QR+, Aria Classic, Aria Una, Aria Jr., Original Aria, as well as Head SeaVuDry and Sport, and Tusa Sport, will accept this new adaptor. In addition to their own line, the project is ready to be modified to work on other full-face snorkeling mask brands, like Easybreath, Aqua Lung and many more, increasing the number of possible transformable protection equipment to 2+ million.
First 3D printed prototypes have already been tested over the past three weeks and full industrial production is scheduled to begin on 31 March. Initial output will be 1,000 units per day. Consumer pricing for the adaptor is planned to be purposely low to help current owners convert their snorkeling masks as inexpensively as possible.
Scuba Diver Magazine, along with its US publication Destinations magazine will update this post as soon as we receive the adaptors pricing and exact availability.
