Damaged dive mask

[Carib_Diver]

Hi All,

I had an interesting experience recently on a dive in the dominican republic. I was near Bayahibe, the dive site was the Atlantic Princess. I was getting some water in my mask after nearly 15 minutes in the water. I go to clear it and suddenly my mask fills up with a lot more water. I keep trying to clear it and it just won't clear. I can't see anything at this point and can't figure out why my mask won't clear.

Luckily I was right at the ocean floor (40ft) so I could kneel down, calm myself, and remember I could still breathe. I waited for the dive master to come by, I knew he was close and I was the only diver with him that day. He came by, we did an ascent up to the surface. I then learned that the lens in my mask had come off which is why I couldn't clear it. The other lens had a crack near the bottom.

Does anyone know how the mask lens could have just come off? Was my mask on too tight? It was a pretty scary situation for a novice diver like me. I was fortunate I was near the ocean floor and the dive master was close by.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Without knowing what brand of mask it's hard to say. Was this your own mask? Do you keep it in a case? Is it possible it was damaged in transport?
A good way to loosen a mask lens that I have seen is when people try to dive in face first with them while swimming. Or look down when doing a giant stride into the water.

 

[Carib_Diver]

Great questions. It was a Sea Vision mask. About 2 years old. I made the mistake of not carrying it in the case which might have contributed to the damage. I didn't dive down face first this time, although I have in the past. What is a good mask that you would recommend?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

The one that fits. A $150 mask is junk if it doesn't fit you. A $25 dollar one is priceless if it does. Brand is irrelevent as most masks are made by a couple of mfg's and just re-branded for the company that orders them. The same mask I sell under the Edge brand is 25.00-35.00 more in other brands.

 

[Johnoly]

....Does anyone know how the mask lens could have just come off?....

If the mask is inside your gear bag and unprotected with a sturdy mask case, it could be damaged by handling your gear bag (you/DM/baggage handler/etc). The majority of modern masks today have a snap fit retainer plastic outlining the front of the mask that holds the glass in place with a pressure fit under it.

If your mask was loose in your gear bag/backpack/etc and it was tossed or loaded onto a hard surface (or other luggage loaded on top of yours), it usually will be enough pressure to crack the retainer and/or the wedge shaped snaps that hold the retainer tight against the lens. I have cracked my lens retainer on the dive boat by knocking a tank against it at a bad angle. But the best insurance is to remove and replace your mask in a dedicated mask container before and after each dive. Sounds like you handled it very well cause most would have rocketed to the surface causing further injury.

 

[Peter69_56]

My masks live inside my fins when I travel. They get protected there and minimal weight and room lost.

 

[Carib_Diver]

Thanks all, it was quite an experience. Definitely learned something about myself and how to calm down when things go wrong.

 

[Peter69_56]

Thanks all, it was quite an experience. Definitely learned something about myself and how to calm down when things go wrong.

And know that just when you least expect it, they will go wrong. I was doing a training dive at 60m (195') when another of the students swung around kicking my mask off, and ripping my regulator from my mouth. My thought at the time was "Now that's not nice". I recovered my reg and then my mask and surprisingly (or perhaps not so), not one of the group of other 3 divers saw or realised what happened until we were back on the boat. Remaining calm is the key, panic kills.

As a tech diver, you quickly realise that although you have a buddy, you are (for all intent and purpose) diving on your own. There is no shoot to the surface and someone will see me and rescue me.

My philosophy is; "You are at depth, deal with it or become an encrustation on the sea floor. That another diver is there with you (and may help) is a bonus".

My instructor has a philosophy, "When at depth, difficulty is multiplied by depth. So if you are at 60m things are 7 times more difficult than at the surface". Something worth remembering.

 

[Centrals]

I treat both computer and mask as fragile items.
Some divers even keep the mask in its original plastic box when travelling.

 

[Buliwyf]

You can pound on the face of a single plane tempered shower door all day long with a hammer and it won't damage it. But if you barely drop it on it's corner while installing it, the whole thing will fracture and fall apart. The tempering is directional.

Another example, don't ever get upset at your cell phone and toss it at the inside of your cars windshield. You can toss that phone at the outside as much as you want.

Is it possible the the edge of you masks glass was damaged under the silicone/plastic? And once it was compromised, the slight pressure pinch at depth, or temp change, did the rest?