Are masks overpriced ?

[southernblue]

Hi all, i recently bought a couple of masks to try out doing my OWC.
I went with the Cressi Big eyes, and also just got an Oceanic Shadow mask.

My Cressi's after a couple of toothpaste treatments showed no signs of fogging for the whole day in the pool, i was using Sea drops.

My Oceanics Shadow on the other hand, performed very poorly and fogged as soon as they were in the water, they too were subjected to the toothpaste treatment but failed when it came to being useable.

My question is this, if we spend big dollars to purchase these masks, surely the manufacturer should be doing all the scrubbing before throwing these onto the market and charging the retailers the price they do, and considering this manufacturing gunk left over in the process is well known about, is it not a failure in customer service and quality control?

I mean could you imagine having to scrub the car windscreen before use, or filling the diff and engine with oil before driving away and using it.

I think that if i must scrub my new mask, then my time and effort in doing this should be reflective in the price, and where is the gunk remover that should come with the mask if the manufacturer won't clean it?


Anyways, just my 2 cents for the day, off to go scrub the Shadows again.

 

[dsteding]

Take a lighter to the glass on the Shadow before toothpasting it . . . guranteed no more fogging issues . . .

I've done this with many masks, including a Shadow, and I've never had a mask fog on me.

 

[mike_s]

Take a lighter to the glass on the Shadow before toothpasting it . . . guranteed no more fogging issues . . .

I've done this with many masks, including a Shadow, and I've never had a mask fog on me.

Can you explain that a little more?

do you mean a cigarette lighter? What do you do? heat the lens a little?

 

[dsteding]

Yes, basically burn the surface of the lens (inside, obviously) with a cigarette lighter-hold the mask facing up, strike the lighter, then look through the mask while moving the tip of the flame around underneath. This burns off the silicone grease that is often the cause of fogging . . .

You'll end up with black soot on the lens, then use toothpaste (the abrasive, non-gel kind) to clean the mask.

I've thought about whether this removes any temper in the glass, but I don't think it gets the glass hot enough. Besides, if you get whacked in the face hard enough to break that glass you got issues anyways . . .

 

[joewr]

Hi,

I always use toothpaste or Softscrub on my mask before a dive trip. That seems to do the trick. I also use brand X no tears shampoo for my defog. Betwixt the two, no fog for lo these many years.

Now for the BIG news. My wife had problems with mask fits for years until she tried a "snorkle mask" from a dive shop on Cozumel. It was 1/3 the price of any regular scuba mask and it works perfectly. Let's see...I think she got it 3 years and 300 dives ago...

Now, what was that question about over-priced masks? Of course, I could not part with my Samurai, but when it comes time to replace it...

joewr--thinking cheap

 

[RICHinNC]

Most dive gear is overpriced IMHO.

I bought a Cressi mask in El Paso TX one day from an lds and found the same mask a week later on the internet for over $100 less.

But we have had this discussion many times on here huh y'all.....

 

[Walter]

I paid $18 for my last mask at a tent sale. A tad overpriced perhaps, but not too bad.

 

[Richesb]

The price of a mask is not a sign of a good mask. Fit and adjustment is all that counts.
Other than glitz there is no reason manufacturers make as many models. Different sizes for different size faces, yes. Lens color, optix, yes. Most other "features" are B/S.
The silicone coating on a new lens is important to the manufacturer as a means of protection before ownership by consumer.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Unfortunately I have trouble finding a mask that fits. Fortunatlt the ones that do are usually the cheap ones.

I keep at least two masks on hand because I nee my prescroption to see but I think I paid about $15 each for my masks. I was a dealer at the time so I didn't pay retail but, even at retail, it would still be an inexpensive mask.

 

[DiveMaven]

The Shadow is notorious for chronic fogging. I followed Oceanic's recommendation and ran mine through the dishwasher (no dry cycle), not only once, but twice. I also toothpasted it twice, and it still fogs. I'm very unhappy with it. The dive shop even had the audacity to tell me that it's a manufacturer's problem so I should send it to them!! (Any questions why it seems like they're going out of business?) ARGH! Fortunately Doug Krause said he'd deal with it for me, so we'll see.