Regardless of what you plan on doing, making sure that you have the right kind of equipment is vital for success, and this is true with scuba diving as well. One of the most important types of equipment for any diver are the scuba masks. These masks are specifically designed to allow you to see clearly underwater, which in turn makes your experience that much more memorable, as well as improving your safety.
What are Scuba Masks
Before we can delve any deeper into this very special piece of equipment, we’ll first need to understand what scuba masks are. A scuba mask, also called diving mask, is a type of eyewear that divers use to see better underwater. What makes this special compared to other types of eyewear is that it keeps a pocket of air between a person’s eyes and the actual water itself. The reason why dive masks are designed this way is because human eyes aren’t able to focus clearly when it’s in direct contact with water. Our eyes can only focus in light if it’s in the air, not refracted by water, and scuba masks provide this sort of environment with its unique design.
There are two common types of dive masks: the half mask, which covers only the eyes and the nose, and the full scuba masks, which covers the eyes, nose and the mouth, which has a component where the breathing apparatus is supposed to fit into. Scuba masks are made up of four primary parts: the lenses, the skirt, the mouthpiece, if it’s a full mask, and the strap.
Choosing the Right Scuba Mask
Given the amount of choices available in the market, choosing the right scuba masks can be very overwhelming. You’ll first need to familiarize yourself with the different components of the mask, what materials you should focus on, and how well it should fit. You’ll also need to put into account how deep you plan on going with the scuba masks, since the pressure will have a significant effect on how tight it would feel.
Here are a few things you’ll need to consider when you’re choosing your scuba masks:
1. Buying vs. Renting
Depending on whether you plan on diving just once or multiple times, or if you plan on scuba diving only for leisure or as an actual hobby, you’ll need to consider whether you should buy or simply rent a diving mask. It’s highly recommended that avid divers get their own masks, ones that would actually fit them and their needs specifically. Renting is only a good idea if you’re not planning on sticking around long for the hobby or if you’ve forgotten or lost your mask for some reason. In the long run, you’ll be spending more money on renting anyway, so you might as well buy your own if you want to make diving a regular hobby of yours.
2. Choose the Right Fit
If the mask you’ve been looking at doesn’t fit well, it’s not the right mask for you. People tend to put a lot of stock as to how pretty or cool a mask looks, but no matter how good scuba masks look, they’re useless if they don’t fit. Being able to force the mask on your face isn’t enough, either. If it barely fits when you are above water, then the underwater pressure will certainly make it more uncomfortable to wear.
Try looking for scuba masks that can provide you a perfect seal all throughout the skirt without it rubbing or pressing against your face uncomfortably. Make sure that the frame and the lenses also envelop the entirety of your face without leaving areas where the water would come in.
3. The Mask Skirt
The mask’s skirt helps maintain a good, watertight seal around your face. The only way scuba masks could ever do what it was meant to do is if the skirts do their job at keeping the water out. Skirts are generally made of silicone and are designed to rest comfortably on your skin. The thickness and softness of each skirt varies from mask to mask, and the only way for you to find the right one for you is to try them on. There’s no real metric of knowing what a mask with a good skirt is, except for you to personally wear them and gauge for yourself.
Some models would mold unto your face like a second skin, and you’d soon forget that it’s even there, while scuba masks whose skirts don’t fit, however, would chafe and irritate you, and sometimes wouldn’t even form a tight seal. There are manufacturers out there that create mask skirts with varying textures that could further enhance the comfort you’d feel when you’re underwater.
Different masks also have varying colors on each of their skirts. While this may seem like something that is of little importance, the skirt’s color could actually come in handy in blocking out reflective glare, especially if you’re using darker colors. Lighter toned skirts tend to reflect light more and can be a bit uncomfortable given the right situation.
Another thing you should watch out for is masks with plastic skirts. Plastics tend to be rigid, and don’t conform well with your skin, unlike silicone does. You can use scuba masks with plastic skirts if you’re not doing a deep dive, or if you’re just having a quick swim, but if you’re serious about scuba diving, give plastic skirts a wide berth.
4. Your Field of View
Another thing to watch out for when you’re looking at a good mask is checking its field of view. You’d want scuba masks that would allow you to look horizontally and vertically with as few obstructions as possible. If you find yourself checking out masks at a physical store, you’ll notice that some scuba masks vary from one another on how much you can see from side to side or up and down. This is what your field of view is.
A good field of view means you’d be more aware of your immediate surroundings, and you’d also be able to check your various gauges, buckles, pockets and other important bits of equipment. If you’re the claustrophobic sort, having a viewport where you wouldn’t feel hemmed in while you’re underwater will help you deal with any anxiety you might feel otherwise.
5. Low Volume vs. High Volume
When you’re looking into getting scuba masks, you may have encountered the term “mask volume”. Mask volume basically refers to how much air space is inside your mask. Having high volume scuba masks mean that you have a wider view of the world around you, though the downside to this is that they may take a while to clear out if water ever gets in. If you’re the type who likes to take their time with descending and equalizing the pressure, then high volume masks are definitely the way to go.
If you prefer masks that are easier to clear of water, or ones that sit closer to your face, then low volume scuba masks are for you. Because of their shorter profile, low volume scuba masks tend to have lesser drag when you’re swimming about, making it easy to get to speed. More experienced divers prefer low profile masks because they give a wider field of view, since they’re closer to your eyes than high volume masks are.
6. Single Lenses vs. Multi Lenses
Scuba masks come in different number of lenses, from one, two, three and four window versions, each with its unique characteristics. One-window masks, as the name would suggest, come with a single pane of tempered glass to cover your face. Two window masks have two glass panes that join together at the bridge of your nose. The three-window version comes with one large pane in the front, much like the one window version, and one piece of glass on either side of the face. Lastly, the four-window version comes with two panes of glass in front, joined at the bridge of the nose and one glass on either side.
The choice of how many lenses on your mask should be ultimately depends on your preferences and the style of diving you do. Masks with multiple lenses tend to have lower volume, because they’re usually designed to be closer to the diver’s face. Scuba masks with side lenses tend to put in more light, which can be helpful for your vision, but too much light can cause significant glare. The segmenting on the front where the front panels meet may also create a blind spot for you, which can significantly reduce your field of vision.
Final Thoughts
With so many features to put into consideration, and with so many mask models out there, it’s no wonder that many people get overwhelmed with something as simple as eyewear. Ultimately, however, what makes a good mask depends greatly on your own preferences, and how you do your dives. Never forget to do a dry test in the store when you’re looking for one. Choose one that works well for you.
