US safety regulators have warned snorkellers to stop using OUSPT full-face snorkel masks after reports of breathing problems that could lead to drowning.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the alert on 5 March, advising consumers to immediately stop using the masks due to the risk of serious injury or death.
The warning covers approximately 84,000 masks sold on Amazon and other online suppliers between March 2019 and February 2026, according to the agency.
In its safety notice, the CPSC said the masks could make breathing difficult and potentially cause dangerous physiological effects while in the water:
The mask can cause consumers to experience labored breathing, causing loss of consciousness or excess fluid in the lungs that can lead to drowning.
In addition, the mask can give rise to increased levels of carbon dioxide which can exacerbate the difficulty of breathing in the mask.
CPSC urges consumers to stop using the full-face snorkel masks and immediately dispose of them. Do not sell or give away these hazardous full-face snorkel masks.
The masks were manufactured in China and can be identified by the ‘OUSPT’ marking on the snorkel tube. The CPSC notes that the warning applies specifically to OUSPT-branded masks and does not cover those produced by other manufacturers.
At the time of writing, the masks are not currently available on the Amazon website.
The agency’s full safety notice can be read on the CPSC website
Full-face snorkel masks became popular in the 2010s, however, safety concerns have been raised about some designs, particularly relating to breathing resistance and the potential for carbon dioxide to accumulate inside the mask.
Researchers have noted that an increase in breathing resistance and ‘dead air space’ could cause Immersion Pulmonary Oedema (IPO or IPE in the US for the spelling ‘Edema’), a potentially fatal condition in which the lungs spontaneously fill with fluid.
Several tourist destinations, including Hawaii, have issued safety advisories following incidents in which snorkellers using full-face masks experienced breathing difficulties while in the water.
A 2023 coroner’s report in the UK ruled that the death of a 63-year-old woman in Hurghada, Egypt, in 2020 was caused by IPO brought on by the use of a full-face snorkel mask.
The Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Watersports issued an advisory against their use in the country following the snorkeller’s death.
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