I can see my feet! (Masks, Snorkels and Defoggers)

Member Name: huddro

Product:	Masks, Snorkels and Defoggers
Date:	25/10/01 (943 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: clear vision, comfortable, good seal

Disadvantages: none so far

What do you look for when buying a Dive mask?

For me it was a comfortable fit, a good seal, and low internal volume. Mind you doing the nose test in the middle of a crowded shop did make me feel a bit stupid! For those of you who are non-divers and looking to buy your first mask let me explain the nose test.

Place your chosen mask onto your face but do not put the strap round your head. Inhale through your nose and let go of the mask with your hands. If the seal is correct the mask will remain on your face. This basically means it will not fill with water every time you submerge.

The reason we consider the internal volume of the mask is that in the event that the mask does fill with water the way to clear it is to exhale thorough your nose forcing water out of the lower edge of the skirt. So a lower volume means less water to shift and the less water the easier it is to clear the mask.

Allow me to explain the construction of a dive mask. A mask is made up of four basic components:

The frame
Generally constructed from rigid plastic that not only holds the lens in place but also provides the outer shape of the skirt

The Skirt
This is the soft part of the mask that provides the seal to your face and keeps the water out. This used to be made from rubber but most manufacturers now use a silicon product, as silicon has proved more resistant to corrosion from seawater, direct sunlight, and any other abuse from divers!

The Lens
The lens can be either a single glass lens or two individual lenses. Preference is down to individual choice but if you want to use corrective lenses in your mask you will need to choose a mask with twin lenses. I have used both and do not notice and difference in vision.

The Strap
This does exactly what you would think and holds the mask onto your head. Now we have endless fun watching novice divers tightening their straps so the skirt digs into their
face.……. the resulting red outline can remain for hours!! You don’t need to over tighten the strap, as external water pressure will push the mask onto your face as you dive helping to create a good seal.

Once attached to your face you look down and if lucky you can see the tips of your fins but to find any of the numerous gauges, instruments, and other dive paraphernalia attached to your BCD at chest height it was just a case of feeling for what you want but……

A revolution has taken place in the mask-manufacturing world the: Cressi Big Eyes.
Finally after years of not being able to see our feet Cressi have bought out a mask that not only gives great peripheral vision but also gives great downwards vision as well. This means with this mask you can now see your air gauge, your second stage, and anything clipped to the D rings on your BCD.

At first glance the Cressi does look very different to other masks on the market. The main factor being elongated lenses that finish almost half way down your cheeks. I was very self-conscious putting this mask on for the first time and noticed other divers looking, what was nice was that most other divers wanted to try it! These lenses allow fantastic peripheral vision along with good downward vision. That means I can now see where everything is.

Now you would think that bigger lenses equal greater internal volume, but Cressi have thought of this too, and have tilted the lenses at an angle of 18 degrees so at the top of the mask the lens is about the same distance from your face as a standard mask but at the bottom the lenses almost touch your cheeks which really reduces the internal volume. At my last visit to Stoney Cove I flooded the mask and found it extremely easy to clear.

The improved vision due to the tilt is not limited to just finding your gauges easily but also means when descending down a line you have a greater field of vision below
you, very important when watching trainee divers who are ascending as you descend! A concern was the loss of upward vision but if anything I have found this mask just as good as any other for this. The top of the mask acts as a kind of sun visor when on the surface giving a little shade to your eyes.

The next innovative design on this mask is the skirt. Cressi have finished the skirt with a double edge this gives, in effect, two contacts with the face providing a much better seal than a standard mask. One word of warning the skirt on this mask is very soft and over-tightening the strap means the skirt tends to collapse resulting in a mask full of water. As I mentioned before, though, the skirt is so good that a relatively loose fit still provides a great seal.

As with all good quality masks the strap incorporates a spreader at the back giving a nice wide area in contact with your head rather than a narrow strap that can feel uncomfortable. The spreader also prevents the strap from twisting when placing it over your head.

This improved vision of this mask is not apparent when looking at distant objects but up close is far superior to any previous mask I have tried. Cressi claim an all round increase of 30% in a divers field of vision and I would have to agree with this.

To suit all styles the Cressi Big Eyes comes with a blue or yellow frame and a clear or black skirt and is a one size fits all mask.

Overall the mask is very comfortable, provides good vision, a good watertight seal, and a very low volume. For those who need corrective lenses these are available. I would recommend this mask to everyone.

I would also recommend shopping around. Prices range from RRP of £69 to £29.99. I purchased mine from Divemaster Scuba Ltd for £29.99 and as there were three of us buying masks they offered a reduction in posting costs. Divemaster can be contacted on 0870 900 7707 or 01246 470707

My recommend
ation for corrective lenses is Dive Optrix and lenses cost £34 per pair. To order or for further information call DCM Sales on 0208 399 7049

The full range of Cressi products can be found at
http://www.cressi-sub.it/uk/

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