Choosing a mask (Masks, Snorkels and Defoggers)

Member Name: scuba_angel

Product:	Masks, Snorkels and Defoggers
Date:	16/10/08 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: almost an colour, shape or fit

Disadvantages: daunting

As one or two people may have noticed I like scuba, and recently I managed to get myself a new job, working in my local dive shop, so for the last couple of months I seem to have spent my spare time with my head buried in manfacturers spec sheets and catalogues while learning as much as I can about the kit we stock. This weekend I got lucky(?) and was sent out of the shop to dive with some students, on my return I had several of those students looking to me for advice on what masks and snorkels to buy for their continuing course.

So I thought it may be worth writing down my suggestions for how to try on and select a dive mask for yourself. Choosing a mask is an important thing to get right, as you and your mask will be planning to spend many happy hours together in the future and this relationship can last for many years (I still use my first mask 10 years on from buying it).

Firstly that rack of masks on the wall over there looks quite scary, loads of the things all different shapes and sizes, so it is very tempting to just buy the one you like the look of. Dont.

Ignore the colours, I can assure you that those masks come in a full range of colours so we can get the one you want in the colour you want even if we dont carry it in stock.

So the basic differences on first sight are that some have a single piece of glass so are single lens masks, others have two pieces resembling more closely swimming goggles (of a rather over grown variety). Some people have a strong aversion to the twin lens'd masks (as shown in dooyoo's picture) others to the single lens, its all down to personal choice. Some have clear silicon skirts, others black or occasionally silver, and even rarer coloured versions can be found. Most masks have the same type of silicon used, though there are softer varients made by at least one popular manufacturer.

So you've picked up two or three different masks you like the look of. Put them on your face and just hold it in place. Breathe in through your nose slightly, can you feel the mask sticking to your face? No? Check you dont have any hair stuck in the skirt, still not sticking? Its too big then. Thry the next one - that sticks, good, shake your head a few times, still sticking? That fits.

Now please dont take this personally but do you have a big nose? Or a particularly small one? If you have a big nose the nose pocket on the mask might be too small for you, and on a dive this can be very uncomfortable not to mention a potential place the mask could let water in. So does the silicon pocket touch your nose anywhere? No thats great.

If your nose is small you need to make sure you can pinch the end in order to equlise your ears successfully, so can you pinch the nose pocket and your nose easily. Sounds a silly thing to check doesnt it?
But you're trying this with your bare hands at the moment, when you're diving in colder water and wearing neoprene gloves you'll find this harder.

Dont worry about getting the strap over your head, it'll fit just fine.

So next up snorkel? Honestly these dont take much choosing, all manufacturers of masks will make snorkels in a range of colours to match the mask colour. But for simplicity things I personally think a snorkel needs to have are

a purge valve at the lowest point - this simply makes the snorkel easier to drain of water when swopping between regulator and snorkel or after duck diving when snorkelling.

a splash guard on the top - if you're having to surface swim through water which is even slightly wavey you'll appreciate that a splash guard will minimise the amount of water which can get in to the tube.

a bendy 'neck' - usually a corrugated silicon section which allows the snorkel to mold its shape to be comfortable to use as well as dropping it away from your mouth when its not in use.

The prices of snorkels can be utterly silly, personally I cant see that spending £25 on a snorkel is going to make it any better than the £12 one which has the same basic features.

So mask and snorkel chosen.

Accessories I would recommend as spares are an extra mask strap, and a couple of snorkel clips, these are the things which if you're anything like me you'll snap or lose just before the dive on which your group see dolphins, or sharks. A non essential but nice piece of kit to get is a strap cover. These are usually neoprene and simply slide over the silicon strap, the both protect the silicon from damage (I'm forever bouncing my head off things, particularly the boat ladder after a dive) and make it much easier to pull the strap over your head - top tip for training, if you know you're going to do mask removal drills it makes it so much quicker.

Dooyoo mentions in the category title defoggers. Most of the divers I know are classy souls and simply spit in to the mask, saliva contains enzymes which stop the mask fogging during the dive. But you can buy defogging gels, one we stock in my shop is Sea Buff Mask Pre Cleaner & Slate Cleaner, it costs around £2.50 for a 37ml bottle.

As far as the cost of your snorkel, mask and accessories goes it really is a case of how longs that piece of string over there. The majority of the masks we sell retail at between £30 and £50 while snorkels range from £10 to £25. Straps and spare clips are a couple of quid each and if you want a strap cover they cost around £6.

But the priority has to be the fit of the mask and not the cost.

Summary: Choose carefully, as discomfort can seriously spoil a dive