Black silicone skirts

[LI Diver]

I've read a couple of times that masks with black silicone skirts are more flexible and conform to your face better. Is this fact or fiction? An urban legend if you will or any scientific substance?? I have a heck of a time getting masks to fit and was wondering??:06:

 

[MarkUK]

Hmmm... Dunno about that.

I have tried alsorts of masks and in a range of clear and black skirts, and I have noticed no difference between the softness or flexibility of the materials used. In fact, I've tried the same mask in both black and clear and they fitted exactly the same.

I dare say there might be the odd manufacturer that uses a different mix of materials (as with the grey and black Twin Jets), but I've never heard of it.

I used a black skirted mask because I like the look of it and it fits well.

Mark

 

[dirthead]

I have 3 masks from different manufacturers that have black silicone skirts and they are much softer than the other ones I have with clear skirts. The manufacturers are ScubaPro, Sea Vision, and Deep Sea. All the black skirted masks (that I have tried anyway) leak severely on my face, regardless of how tight or loose I have the straps adjusted. This is just my observation of the masks I own.

 

[wunat]

I personally don't feel that black silicone conform better to my faces when compared to a clear ones. But for color preference, I have been using a black silicone mask since my first mask broke.

 

[texdiveguy]

Yep the black skirt is softer and a bit thinner allowing some better fit,,,I wear black skirted masks.

 

[BigTuna]

I have a cloudy silicone mask and a black silicone mask, and they both seal fine around my hard to fit face. I have another cloudy silicone mask (famous brand) that seems to fit everybody but me. Dunno what that tells you....

 

[lars2005]

Think about it man!! Given the cost to make a mask mold, do you really think they make specials molds just for black silicone vs clear, or do they just use the same mold with the color factor added???

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I think some people are perhaps confusing clear silicone with acrylic. There are some less expensive masks now available that use an acrylic skirt rather than clear silicone and they are in my opinion less flexible. It's a matter of getting what you pay for.

As for masks made of the same design made in both black and clear silicone versions, I can't tell the differenc in how they seal or in the flex of the silicone used.

 

[dirthead]

My scubapro fino, seavision, and deep see masks are all exactly the same, black skirt and all. I mean, I think they came out of the SAME mold. The are absolutely identical, other than the name stamped on them.

 

[RockyHeap]

Oceanic Shadow mask is also a low profile black skirt. I like it for the tunnel vision it provides by focusing your eyes forward. I tried and didn't like the clear skirts and multipane scubapro mask and gave it away after 2 dives.