Adventures in finding a mask that doesn't leak

[Marie13]

I'll be doing the last pool dive of the winter tomorrow, so I went down to DRIS after work to get another mask or two to try. They were out of the Halcyon H-view that had been recommended to me by someone with the same face shape/smile lines issues I have. They did have the Hollis M-4, which seems similar. It fit incredibly well in the store. I didn't have a snorkel with me, but I made all sorts of facial contortions and it stayed in place and didn't have the movement at the bottom to cause smile line issues.

Hollis M-4 Mask | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

The Mares X-Vu Liquidskin mask also seems like it might work better.

Mares X Vu Liquidskin Mask | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

The Hollis was on sale (25% off), so I ended up taking both home. Gave them the baby shampoo treatment and we'll see how they work tomorrow.

 

[diver0008]

Gave them the baby shampoo treatment

Isn't that something that you do just before going under to prevent fogging?

 

[UFOrb]

Isn't that something that you do just before going under to prevent fogging?

Yeah, they may need the toothpaste treatment first (preferably overnight), then a little shampoo just before each dive.

 

[Marie13]

Hollis M4 worked really well. Tried clearing my ears other ways (valsava or whatever it's called is what I always do), but nothing else works. I'll live. At first Hollis leaked a bit, but then I moved it so mask sits lower under nose (recommended by someone with same issues). Bingo! Moving the Cressi lower didn't work as I still got a lot of water in mask when equalizing.

Now it gets the toothpaste treatment. We'll see how it works on a real dive out at the quarry on opening day in two weeks.

 

[UFOrb]

I hope the new mask(s) work our for you.

I think I mentioned that I love my Hollis M1!

 

[Marie13]

For whatever reason, the masks with a rounded bottom (similar to Hollis M1) to the lens leak really badly with me. The squared off ones work better.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Marie,
As a ship wreck aficionado and an aspiring ship wreck diver you probably realize that the unsinkable great ship Titanic struck and ice berg and sunk in 160 minutes...

It has taken you approximately 20 days to find a suitable mask that fits .

I question how long would be required to locate a life preserver that would fit your torso if you had been on the Titanic ?

It has been an adventure reading about your quest for the perfect mask.
I eagerly await your decision .

Then we go on an adventure as to clear of colored mask -- What color ? to match your eyes or your dive costume or the color of the lake..

Please keep the diving world informed

Cheers from SoCal where it all began

SAM

 

[dmaziuk]

I question how long would be required to locate a life preserver that would fit your torso if you had been on the Titanic ?

As my OW instructor put it when describing CESA "you will be highly motivated to reach the big blue airtank above". Similarly, I would think non-leaking mask is a luxury item with relatively low urgency to it. A life jacket, OTOH, falls into highly motivated category...

 

[Marie13]

Sam, my search has been going on since my OW checkout dives the first weekend in October. My original mask had leaked all throughout pool work but on dive 3 it really flooded.

I don't know if I would call a non-leaking mask a luxury item. Having to constantly clear my mask is more than annoying. It's stressful.

 

[Marie13]

Oh, and mask is black.