A covering for the
face, intended to be worn while in the
water. Diving
masks, also called "swim masks", usually cover the
eyes and
nose, and seal securely to the face so water doesn't
leak in, trapping a pocket of
air next to the face. Jeez, is it
pitch black in there? No, because a diving mask will have a large
lens or
window in front made of
glass or some other
transparent material. By keeping water out of the eyes, a diving mask allows the wearer to see
underwater things clearly, without the
blurriness that would be present if one just opens one's eyes underwater. As the name suggests, diving masks are worn while
scuba diving. They are also worn while
snorkeling, or anytime someone wants to see things really well underwater.