Glare is real. On really bright, high-viz days, I've definitely noticed it and had to shield my eyes while using a clear-skirt mask. Also, an older clear-skirt mask I have is showing some mold spores between the glass and the skirt, and while I'm sure it happens with black skirts too, I'm all the happier not having to see it. Along with the obvious yellowing with age of the clear silicone, I do prefer black, but it's a very minor issue when compared to fit. Get a mask that fits like a glove (sorry) and doesn't leak, and don't worry about the color of the silicone.
Black vs. clear silicone mask
- Thread starter steelfish
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marcienko
Contributor
I have both and prefer the black skirt.Started with cear and ended up with black as my favorite.
Regards
Marcin
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Marcin
ingoderdaucher
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I had a black before, now I have a clear one - both worked fine...
Dry_Diver
Contributor
I started out with a clear skirt and eventually went to a black one. I prefer the black one myself. I have 3 Atomic Sub frame masks. One Black skirt ARC and one clear. After diving the two of them I ended up buying a third with prescription lenses in it and went with the black.
As far as the skirts getting yellow tints to them, My experience is that the chlorine from the pools seem to cause that. My Atomic Split fins Clear/Blue one have turned a bit of yellow after being in the pool for about 6 months, 3-4 night a week. My girlfriend has the same fins that I do and has used them for over a year and they are not turning yellow.
As far as the skirts getting yellow tints to them, My experience is that the chlorine from the pools seem to cause that. My Atomic Split fins Clear/Blue one have turned a bit of yellow after being in the pool for about 6 months, 3-4 night a week. My girlfriend has the same fins that I do and has used them for over a year and they are not turning yellow.
Noob@40
Registered
Thanks for this thread.
I sometimes have minor nosebleeds at depth. Its nothing serious (according to my DR) and not very often. When this happens it tends to freak people out and for this reason I have been considering a black mask. I was worried about the tunnel vision thing but now I think I will give it a try.
I sometimes have minor nosebleeds at depth. Its nothing serious (according to my DR) and not very often. When this happens it tends to freak people out and for this reason I have been considering a black mask. I was worried about the tunnel vision thing but now I think I will give it a try.
Damselfish
Contributor
It's a preference. I prefer clear for the more open feeling and ambient light. (I also think black looks dorky which wouldn't be a good criteria, but fortunately I don't have to choose based on that. :cool2: ) So many people talk about less glare in a black mask but I've used both and don't have less glare in a black mask because, well I don't have any issues with glare in a clear mask so can't have less in black. Some will say a black mask won't turn yellow. But I store my clear masks in boxes, and they don't turn yellow either.
And I can make the same statement someone else did, my photographer husband also prefers clear never mind what everyone says. I also don't know that people necessarily migrate to black masks when they're more experienced, since we've been diving for close to 20 years.
And I can make the same statement someone else did, my photographer husband also prefers clear never mind what everyone says. I also don't know that people necessarily migrate to black masks when they're more experienced, since we've been diving for close to 20 years.
Me too, I have both types and use them interchangeably. I like that I can see motion in my clear masks. Some of the new masks that have coated lenses or ultra clear glass don't seem to have as much glare. As to black vs clear lasting longer, I have a clear Dacor that is 26 years old and is still soft, it did yellow a little but is is still a very soft and still one of my go to masks.
N
Todays opaque skirts are much better than the old ones that got yellow and brittle. Can you abuse them enough that they look and preform bad(?): of course, even a black skirt will not be great if you never rinse it off and leave it in a milk crate in the back of your truck.
Quality modern equipment will last a long time with the proper up-keep, even the opaque skirt masks. I know of many cheap rentals with thousands of dives that look and work just fine. For myself I have 3 Big Eyes and a couple other low volume masks, all with black skirts. I've ended up with quite a few opaque skirt masks (like the pink frame one waiting for my cinderella mermaid) for use by friends and students.
Quality modern equipment will last a long time with the proper up-keep, even the opaque skirt masks. I know of many cheap rentals with thousands of dives that look and work just fine. For myself I have 3 Big Eyes and a couple other low volume masks, all with black skirts. I've ended up with quite a few opaque skirt masks (like the pink frame one waiting for my cinderella mermaid) for use by friends and students.
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