Hi folks ! Here’s the story of my experience diving this mask. Hope you’ll enjoy.
I’ve been considering diving a vintage mask for quite a while. I got myself this Beuchat Super Compensator in May, by sheer chance : I needed a new mask, chose one and next to it was the Super Compensator, tried it on, and it fit ! It’s a silicone one, rubber would have been closer to the original from the past, but as it’s less durable I preferred silicone.
But why on earth did I want such a mask, would you ask ? Well, part of the explanation is nostalgia : my very first underwater memories date back from the early 70s at the beach : I was a very young lad, about 4 or 5, brought up in front of a TV set playing Jacques Cousteau, stealing my father’s mask (way too big for me, it covered my mouth, and had to hold it both hands so it won’t come away) and diving under the waves, although my swimming skills were quite basic.
The last part of the explanation has more to do with comfort : I wanted a larger field of vision and more light.
I tried the mask on 14 dives, in the Med, while on holidays in Villefranche-sur-Mer, no deeper than 45m, with my Triton rebreather (I’m currently limited to air diluent), diving from an inflatable boat, and starting every dive with a back roll entry. Maximum diving time 70’, maximum deco 8’.
From my very 1st dive with this mask, my goal was reached : wider field of vision, more light, and the rebreather HUD is less obstructing the view. I was very satisfied and pleased.
Some drawbacks though :
- the mask is a bit trickier to put on than a regular one, I had to be very careful to set the band in the right position, otherwise, the mask tends to slip and water gets in,
- it’s too large to fit in any fin foot pocket (unless you have Force Fins, like me), so it must be carried around the neck all the time,
- as it’s less close to the face, it tends to come away a bit too easily, in case of shock (a fin kick in the face for example),
- I had to use both hands to compensate, each forefinger pressing on my nose, but I think the true reason for that were the breathing tubes of my rebreather, with a regulator, you should be able to use one hand only, I guess.
I was very satisfied with this mask, but I won’t take it on deeper and much complex dives (rougher sea for example), at least for now, because of its tendency to slip. But maybe some old timers who dive/dove this kind of max on a regular basis can give me some tips to better adjust the mask.
Hope you liked my post, any comments welcome !
