Mask Recommendation

[AlistairD]

Hi,

Went for a trial dive with my wife this afternoon. She found that the mask has left marks on her face which 7 hours later have not fully gone. Any recommendations for a mask she should try which would not 'compress' her face so much. She does have sensitive skin and even sunglasses sometimes leave a mark which takes a while to clear?

Thanks.

[Eddie Clamp]

Hi,

Went for a trial dive with my wife this afternoon. She found that the mask has left marks on her face which 7 hours later have not fully gone. Any recommendations for a mask she should try which would not 'compress' her face so much. She does have sensitive skin and even sunglasses sometimes leave a mark which takes a while to clear?

Thanks.

Strap too tight? After 40 years diving I have the crinkles of every dive around my eyes ;)

[Ron MacRae]

Alistair,
There is no right mask for every person. It's down to the shape of the individual face. She needs to go try some on with someone who can advise her from her club. Also some people just prefer different types of mask, e.g. black surround, clear surround, low profile, angled mask, etc etc.

The classic test is to put the mask on without the strap over the head and breath in through the nose. If the mask sticks to the face it should be OK.

Also I suspect from what you describe the mask was too tight? It only needs to be tight enough to stop it falling off. Once in the water it will stay on quite easily. Again a bit of practice under supervision.

Ron.

[ChristianG]

Alistair,

There is no right mask for every person.
What the man said, but let me explain it another way:

1) No one mask is right for everyone, it depends entirely (a) on the individual's facial features and (b) to a significantly lesser extent on the individual's preferences. To emphasise: the overall name of the game when choosing a mask is fit, everything else is secondary.
2) The odds are that your wife's mask strap was way too tight (this also leads to the risk of significant mask leakage). Having said that we all get at least some "pressure points" on our skins. The face, quite obviously, shows them most clearly. Although it doesn't have to be (but that often only comes with experience) a mask outline can almost be considered "normal", particularly amongst novice divers.

[Woz]

Hi,

Went for a trial dive with my wife this afternoon. She found that the mask has left marks on her face which 7 hours later have not fully gone. Any recommendations for a mask she should try which would not 'compress' her face so much. She does have sensitive skin and even sunglasses sometimes leave a mark which takes a while to clear?

Thanks.If it was just a try dive and she was at the bottom of a pool, the water pressure at that depth will be enough to press it onto her face.

During your training (as you both did the try-dive I assume you're not qualified) you will be taught to exhale gently through your nose to relieve the pressure on your face.

Also as with the others, the strap may have been over tight. You should be able to pull it away from your face very easily only starting to "pull" when it's a couple of inches out.

Most masks are silicone which is usually pretty good with sensitive skin.

[Gareth]

Alistair

As everyone else has said the right mask is all about fit.

Masks come in a multitude of styles, sizes, colour & price. This is because no one mask will fit everyone.

A good LDS (Local Dive Store) will assist you in selecting a 'good'[1] mask.
I would suggest you go through all the available masks selecting the ones that fit. The repeat the experience with those you have selected, again going for best fit & comfort. Only then should you worry about price, style & colour.
If you intend to have corrective lens fitted, then you need to confirm this is possible with the mask you select.
I would also suggest that as a final test you repeat the selection test with a regulator in your mouth. Sometimes having a regulator in your mouth changes the shape of your face.

In simple terms, you select a mask by pressing the mask to your face without the retaining strap, it should remain in place without falling off. i.e. you should be able to creat a vaccum between the inside of the mask & your face. If the mask doesn't fit (leaks), you can't creat the vacuum, & the mask will fall off.

As others have said, it sounds like the mask strap was too tight or, as your wife got deeper in the pool she didn't blow out through her nose into the mask reducing the pressure.
Most new divers incorrectly tighten the mask strap to either ensure their mask won't come off or to stop the mask leaking. Tightening the strap seldom (if ever) stops a mask from leaking, if anything it will make the leak worse because it deforms the seal. The strap is designed to retain the mask in place, not to 'bolt' it to your face.

Despite the fact that they are relitively low tech' & low cost, a 'good' [1] mask is one of the most important pieces of kit you will buy. A 'good' mask makes diving an absolute pleasure.
A leaking mask is a product of the devil, spoiling any dive you make, potentially dangerous because it is a constant distraction.
Part of your training will include how to deal with a mask leak. If you dive you will get water in your mask at some point, so being able to deal with it is an important skill.

Most divers have several masks, they normally have a favourite, this is the one that doesn't leak (or leaks the least), & several that they thought would be great but during dives have leaked to verying degrees.

The two pieces of kit that are worth you buying if you are intending to learn to dive are a mask & fins (the third is a simple 'cheap' snorkel). With anything else you can afford to leave it until you are certain that diving is for you.

Best of luck

Gareth


[1] A good mask is the one that fits you & is comfortable.

[Woz]

Saying that, a Beaver Atomic is cheap and good and fits 90% of the people who try it on.

[ChristianG]

Saying that, a Beaver Atomic is cheap and good and fits 90% of the people who try it on.
Woz,

That may be true and correct but it may not be helpful for novice divers. After all, they might think that it nevertheless applies to them when it may not do so at all.

People get (quite unreasonably really) attached to their masks and I, for example, got very annoyed with a fellow diver carrying gear to the boat (I was manning it) and losing my lovely (dioptred) mask in the silly bit of surf then happening. The fact that he'd taken it out of the shoe of my fin. where it was otherwise resting quite happily, had everything to do with it I suppose. That was around '95 IIRC and I haven't changed my Scubapro, black skirted (I like to think that I'm a photographer) mask since although, sob, the dioptre has got progressively stronger.

[AlistairD]

All,

Thanks for the inputs and suggestions. Any view on whether the Mares Liquid Skin works? (Fully accepting that it needs to fit properly...)

Alistair

[ChristianG]

Any view on whether the Mares Liquid Skin works? (Fully accepting that it needs to fit properly...)
AIUI, yes, it does. Speaking entirely personally, without any direct knowledge of the liquid skin technology and its values, I question whether such a thing is worth it in the long run when the vast majority of divers have been perfectly happy with conventional silicone. Heck, some of us can even remember rubber products. :eek:

YMMV. :D

From what I gather about your situation I actually also question whether you should commit, as this stage of your diving "career", to purchasing anything at all given that you (forgive me) have little to no real idea of this diving malarkey. If I were you I would beg, borrow, steal, hire equipment at this juncture of your diving life until you (a) have a reasonable idea that you will continue with this activity and, more importantly, (b) have an idea of how your diving might progress, something you quite possibly have no clue about at this stage. My own bag, for example, is photography whereas yours might (eventually) be wrecks - whose to know? Do remember to keep careful notes of what you have used, otherwise it will become a jumble in your mind's eye.

Sadly what you might buy for photography is not necessarily going to be optimal for wrecks and, no, I am not referring to cameras.

[Woz]

All,

Thanks for the inputs and suggestions. Any view on whether the Mares Liquid Skin works? (Fully accepting that it needs to fit properly...)

AlistairFor a bit. I used to have one but it didn't fit as well as an Atomic and was over double the cost. Bit of a no brainer really.

Go to your LDS and start at the cheap end and work to the expensive end until one fits. Go with someoene who know what they are doing and if you can, wear a hood and snorkel as your face shape changes when you put these on.

[PeteM]

Go to your LDS and start at the cheap end and work to the expensive end until one fits.

To expand on that this is a link (http://www.bsacforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=141571#poststop) to my guide for buying a mask a few months ago

[Woz]

Top Tip- stick the new mask in the dishwasher on a normal cycle with your dishes to remove the mould release that makes new masks steam up.

[Woz]

And another tip- black silicone may give you the feeling of tunnel vision but you get used to it. The big advantage is it doesn't turn yellow with age and you can't see the grot that builds up in the corners, just before you dishwasher it again.

[Richard Whitcombe]

Top Tip- stick the new mask in the dishwasher on a normal cycle with your dishes to remove the mould release that makes new masks steam up.

Or if you don't own a dishwasher carefully heat it with the flame of a lighter then rub off the black residue.

Both work better than toothpaste.

[MattV]

I've had several masks, but at least for me Atomic subframe and frameless are perfect. The silicone rubber is very soft and the double skirting makes a goos seal (even on lots of facial hair). Very comfy to wear, I managed lots of dives/day without a sign on my face. Is also very light.

I had it fitted with corrective lenses (-2) and it works like a charm. Bought another one for reserve and a frameless one when I go in murkier water where perfect long distance vision is not essential.