? For all you problem solvers out there....Atomic Subframe Mask

[tjmills]

Ok, for all you part time myth busters out there.

I have one of the Atomic Sub Frame Masks. Love the mask. Not much bad to say about it but....

I am a volunteer in the local Aquarium in Denver and when I dive with this mask, it has a tendency to crush the front of my forehead (over the nose, between the eyes) about 30-40 minutes into the dive. Our depth is about 20-24 feet if we dig into the rocks at the bottom. It will actually leave a mark there by the time I get out 1:45 to 2:00+ hours into the dive. Just to check, there is also a mark there, and painful crush even after 20-30 minutes.

Now in the nice warm ocean down south in the islands, no issue even with dives in the 1:30 mark in even deeper water. At dives between 60-110' there is also no issues. Not even a little mark.

Just so you know I am always exhaling through my nose to make sure the mask is equalized. In the few times (and I mean few) that I noticed even the slightest bit of mask squeeze in the ocean I exhaled immediately and still no issues. In the Aquarium it doesn't seem to matter how much I equalize the mask, same problem.

Both are salt water. Temp in the Aquarium is about 73 and ocean is +/- 5 degrees from that if it even matters.

Thoughts?

 

[rakkis]

Are you wearing a hood in the aquarium? Have you tried loosening the strap?

 

[cap_bert]

I agreee with rakkis.
Loosen the strap for the hood.

 

[PerroneFord]

2 questions

1. Are you using the same regulators in the aquarium and the ocean?

2. Are you working as hard in the ocean as you are in the aquarium?


Different regulators and mouthpieces tend to cause us to hold our mouths differently which affects facial shape. This could easily manifest itself in your facial shape being different

To the second point, ever see a picture of someone when they are concentrating intently on doing something? Versus when they are relaxed? Facial shape is very different. Especially along the browline.

 

[kamfan]

Stop swimming into the glass??

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Try to keep the mask as loose as posssible, the mask should hold itself on very gently, feel no pressure

 

[JMcD]

Stop swimming into the glass??

OK now this was funny....

 

[tjmills]

Ah, good choices but no. Same mask pressure. I wear a hood which is one of the Aeroskin hoods in both. Paper thin.

 

[tjmills]

Stop swimming into the glass??

Also a good guess but this rarely happens......

 

[tjmills]

2 questions

1. Are you using the same regulators in the aquarium and the ocean?

2. Are you working as hard in the ocean as you are in the aquarium?


Different regulators and mouthpieces tend to cause us to hold our mouths differently which affects facial shape. This could easily manifest itself in your facial shape being different

To the second point, ever see a picture of someone when they are concentrating intently on doing something? Versus when they are relaxed? Facial shape is very different. Especially along the browline.

These are also good questions.

1. Exact same Regulator

2. I could be working a little harder in the Aquarium but not by much if at all. Most of the time I am standing on the bottom sucking up rocks. Not much work to this. In the ocean I am swimming all the time, sometimes into current. I do see the point on concentrating on something but I am very relaxed doing both. I will check this but I would be surprized if this were the culprit.