Black vs. clear skirt

[VeganDiving]

What are the pro's and con's of each and which do you recommend for a newbie?

Thank you!

 

[DiverLS]

I prefer a clear skirt. I live in Reno, NV and do blue water diving on the west coast. Lots of sunshine. On the boats I leave my mask in my bag between dives to protect it but on shore it gets left out. The black skirt would get far too hot in the sun.

By the way - welcome to Scubaboard

 

[Sharky1948]

Black skirts:
- are helpful for photography - they keep light out that makes the display hard to read
- eliminate distractions from the side
- make you look more techie

Clear skirts:
- are more available
- complement dayglo frames

At the end of the day, it's personal preference. That said, when I switched from a Mares ESA with clear skirt and side lens to a black-skirt DiveRite, I really didn't notice much difference. (Except the guage readers were much better, which is an entirely different point.)

 

[RoyN]

Black skirt, it helps block the light from the side of my eyes. And since I dive in waters about 51 degrees, its no big problem about heat in where I dive.

 

[jd950]

In shallow water, or even more so if you also snorkel with your mask, the reflections and glare in a clear skirt can be annoying. I have a hard time finding maskes that fit well with black skirts because the clear is more popular, though. Fit matters most.

I would think a quick dunk would take care of any heat buildup but that is just a guess. Oh, and clear can get grungy looking after awhile, if you care.

 

[texdiveguy]

Black mask.

 

[mynamehere]

i still have (and use) my very first maks that i bought for snorkleing ten years ago -

cressi - black. nothing is wrong wtih the rubber, its not grungy -

and i lived in south florida with it for eight years. and in central florida for two years with out any issues with temperature.

 

[DaleHall]

I have both also.. I use the clear skirt (Edge Panoramic) when I'm helping with students. I can use my peripheral vision to watch them when using it.. When I'm doing my regular diving, I use the black skirt (Dive Rite). I actually prefer the black skirt.

 

[do it easy]

My guidelines are simple- if I wear a mask with a black skirt, then I have to wear a hood. Otherwise, I get that El Bandito feeling.

My primary mask has a black skirt, but my backup has a clear skirt. Although, if I ever had to deploy the backup on a dive, I wouldn't take my hood off.

 

[H2Andy]

only Dork Divers (tm) use clear skirts

everybody knows that black skirts are sexier and chicks dig you

(and if you're a chick, boys dig you)

plus i hate the way snot looks through a clear skirt