I have two Opera Masks. The Tech Black which has the black silicone skirt, and a yellow and black with a clear silicone skirt. Both are new masks and I havent had any performance problems with either yet. I have noticed that the silver accents on the tech black mask have already started wearing off. Unlike the standard Opera Masks, the accents on the Tech Black are surface only, not through colored. Thats just a cosmetic problem though so its not really a problem. Now that I am aware of the potential, I will be more careful when putting any kind of stress on the caps.