MASKS

[RenaB]

Ok, so I am going to bring up something that may cause some contention. Please don't fight.

I hate my mask. It's a cheap one, so I understand why I hate it, but I am trying to find something and I can't figure out what it is I don't like about mine. LOL. That sounds ridiculous when I type it. Anyway, I am noticing that they have frameless ones. I also remember that OW doesn't recommend these. I am sure it has something to do with safety. HELP ME figure out what it is I don't like about mine. Well, besides the stupid fog feature before I am even in the water. My instructor keeps saying it's because I am breathing through my nose. RIGHT. I want to wear nose plugs just to prove he's not correct. OR prove he is. It's difficult to clear. I feel like I might need a black silicone one, because I try to look peripherially and the clear irriates me. Maybe I just don't like not seeing out the sides... Like I said I don't know why I don't like it. I found one that I really did like. 145 bucks. YIKES! Will have to save up. LOL

[Jeremy]

Frameless is the way to go imo

[RenaB]

Are they safe?

[Jeremy]

Yes, and easier to clear due to their low profile.

[Penopolypants]

I am baffled by the notion that frameless masks aren't safe. A low profile, frameless mask with a black skirt is ideal IMHO because for me, the view is better, I agree that they are easier to clear, and I found the visual noise to be distracting through the clear skirt.

The HOG mask is super cheap, but price is a moot point if your mask doesn't fit.
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog ... -2812.html

If your mask is fogging before you get in the water, try simply waiting until you get in to the water to put it on.

Very few things are more frustrating than a mask that doesn't work for you. You have my sympathy!

[BillZ]

I can't understand why a frameless mask would be a safety issue. I think the bull shit meter is in pegged in the red. Could it be because the dive shop your instructor works for doesn't sell them?

I have the Hog frameless - It's probably the best mask I've ever owned. But as Penopoly mentioned the mask has to fit you.

[Jeff Pack]

and as far as fogging, you can use a 50% solution water/Johnsons baby shampoo, or this stuff called "spit" if you have an industrial fogging problem.

[Alaska-Herb]

I am baffled by the notion that frameless masks aren't safe. A low profile, frameless mask with a black skirt is ideal IMHO because for me, the view is better, I agree that they are easier to clear, and I found the visual noise to be distracting through the clear skirt.

The HOG mask is super cheap, but price is a moot point if your mask doesn't fit.
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog ... -2812.html

If your mask is fogging before you get in the water, try simply waiting until you get in to the water to put it on.

Very few things are more frustrating than a mask that doesn't work for you. You have my sympathy!

I use this HOG mask and it is beyond my favorite. Key to a new mask is get it cleaned i used soft scrub which worked great. For defog nothing works better than spit and rinse.
my 2 psi
Herb

[fmerkel]

Fit, Fit, Fit...most important criteria. Lots of people, including shops, fit masks poorly.
http://www.caribinn.com/maskfitting.html

Spit works for some but not well for others. Some actual performance tests rate it pretty low. Aquaseal gold is fantastic. 500PSI is also good once you figure out the routine.

[CaptnJack]

Seems like a basic question but what shape is your face? Broad and flatter? Narrow and pointy? Large, small? etc.

Certain brands definitely fit certain facial types better than others. I think they put different types and shapes of glass in the same basic skirt shape which came out of the same mold. So despite looking drastically different glass/ frame-wise a given brand tends to fit particular faces and not others. If nothing else try lots of different brands and don't worry so much about trying every model within a given brand. This may require lots of different shops to expand the brand options.

I have never heard of an accident of any type associated with a frameless mask. I call BS on that.

[mpenders]

Excessive nose exhalation can be a fog-creating factor. If your mask doesn't fit right (causing leaking), the constant clearing (and nose exhalation), can also be an issue. Biggest thing with new masks is removing the post-manufacturing residues off the lens, or fog will always be an issue.

Huh? Residues? Yep, most likely you have some. Part of the curing process of the skirt can release agents that adhere to the lens. Try this test:

Take mask to sink, and run cold water into it - get the lens nice and cold. Shake out water (no need to dry it), and exhale onto the inside of the lens like you're trying to fog up a pair of glasses. See any fog? You've got residue, and need to clean it out. Defog alone will not cure your ills.

Several cleaning methods available, usually polishing the inside of the lens with some kind of agent, such as: soft scrub (as mentioned above), sea buff (at LDS), or even toothpaste (old fashioned white kind, not gel). Some have burned it off using a lighter (I've never had the guts to try on a new $100+ mask).

Once you've cleaned off the residue, test the mask again in the sink. The area's that you "missed" will still show fog. Lather, rinse and repeat until fog is gone.

NOW use a little defog of choice, go dive and "see" what you've been missing!

Here' the kicker: your new-ish mask skirt may still be off-gassing - and could re-coat the lens with more residue. If fog starts to become an issue again, you probably need to polish/clean the lens again.

[mpenders]

BTW - cheap vs. expensive means very little. I have one of each - the expensive one has been my backup ever since I tried the cheaper one, which fits me perfectly. If only I had found the cheap one first...

[LCF]

Masks are one of those weird things. They're extremely idiosyncratic. They HAVE to fit, but what you might think would fit someone often doesn't. I thought, since I have a long, narrow face, that small or narrow masks would work, and they don't. The mask I currently use, which is the best one I've ever owned, I found by being bored in a dive shop during fills one day, and wandering around and trying on all the masks . . . which is a habit I've gotten into over the years. Price seems to have very little to do with whether a mask works, and you have to pay as much, or as little, as it takes to get one that fits and suits you.

I loathe clear skirted masks, but my husband prefers them.

And fmerkel nailed it on fogging. My husband exhales almost every breath, or every other breath, through his nose, and his masks don't fog. If you get all the residue off the glass, and you defog the mask effectively (thank God I have good spit) then exhaling through your nose won't fog your mask.

[RenaB]

Thanks everyone, yes, I was told about the residue when I bought the mask and never did clear it off the surface. I am sure that is part of the issue. I will try all of these things. The mask does fit, normally doesn't leak, unless it's interferring with my hood, which is another sore spot.

Thank you

[BillZ]

Thanks everyone, yes, I was told about the residue when I bought the mask and never did clear it off the surface. I am sure that is part of the issue. I will try all of these things. The mask does fit, normally doesn't leak, unless it's interferring with my hood, which is another sore spot.

Thank you

If the lip of your mask catches your hood you can always trim your hood a bit.

[ljjames]

Find someone who knows how to burn the film off the inside of your mask without destroying said mask... you'll still need to spit in it, or use defog solution, but it makes a massive difference.

[LCF]

If you are having problems with mask and hood, make sure your mask strap isn't too tight. They're often adjusted on the head without the hood, and become much too tight when the hood is added.