August 2012    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 27, No. 8   What's this?

Behind the Masks

what to buy for your face shape, vision, even color preference

from the August, 2012 issue of Undercurrent  

Subscriber Content Preview
Only active subscribers can view the whole article

When I pioneered equipment-comparison tests in the 1980s, there were a lot fewer choices for divers in the shops. Since then, we've had the consumer excesses of the noughties, and there are more brands in all categories to choose from, and more diving products bearing those brands. If you want to replace your mask, it can be rather confusing. Like shoes, a mask is a personal item, and there is no single example that will outshine the rest. No wonder experienced divers simply want to replace their favorite mask, when the time comes, with another that's exactly the same.

Masks that are undamaged rarely leak, but faces often do! When you're in a shop, inhaling through the nose so that the mask will stick in place by air pressure alone, keep in mind that a perfect fit in the shop may not be so perfect once you bite down on your regulator mouthpiece and it alters the shape of your face.

This is especially true for rebreather divers. Rebreather mouthpieces can need more of a firm grip, due to the weight of the hoses and peripheral displays that may be attached. Often, a new rebreather diver finds that a favorite mask mysteriously leaks water when it did not with open-circuit gear, and of course, clearing a leaking mask can be a problem for a closed-circuit diver.

Color Makes a Difference

Clear silicone skirts had a tendency to go yellow with time, but that is less true due to the latest silicone technology. Underwater photographers and technical divers prefer an opaque skirt, believing there are fewer internal reflections to disturb their view. I can guess that a lot of techies will go for the retro-look of the AquaLung Teknika ( $85 list price; www.aqualung.com )...