How many masks did you go through to find one that works?

[crzyfish]

Two
I've own many masks from my Snorkeling days, they all fit great. Scuba, however, is a different story. Snorkeling doesn't contorts your face and you're not at depth. The mask that leaks like a sieve on me is the Sea Vision. I wanted color correction but the silicone skirt is too soft and every movement or pressure change breaks the seal. I dive with the Cressi Big Eyes and have never changed mask. I have only one back up mask and it's an old one, big, heavy, panoramic sideview, but it's an old faithful. I take it with me all the time, even though it never gets used unless I'm snorkeling.

 

[drakcheslav]

I've only both two masks. But tried quite a lot. I've been searching for a frameless mask but haven't found a single one that fits.
On the other hand, Cressi calibro fits even when I don't position it correctly, while not hugging like mad on the surface.

They do have really thick and hard silicone, and basically it digs into my face (it's not painful) and leave a mark, but in no way it will ever leak.
Shaven or not.

 

[boulderjohn]

and basically it digs into my face (it's not painful) and leave a mark, but in no way it will ever leak.

It's possible the mask is on too tight. A mask that is too tight will leak. Unless a mask is very loose, tightening it will not help.

At the beginning of OW pool sessions, I used to talk to students about masks and leaking while wearing mine. While talking to them, I would slide the strap up to the top of my head, and the mask would not come off. I was once setting some equipment up before a dive, and on the surface the mask hanging from my side got caught on some equipment, and the strap hinge broke. I then did the entire setup dive, using a full AL80 of air, without a mask strap.

 

[jonhall]

I have seemed to luck out. When I was was teaching swimming, I used all types of cheap masks in the pool and it didn't make much difference, as they all worked with some adjustment. Once I started SCUBA in 1998, I purchased a mask at the dive shop during the OW course, popped some prescription lenses in (well, the shop did) and have used that mask ever since. Same lenses and have replaced the strap only once. Been a good mask!!

 

[_Ralph]

I went through dozens...

My tip, especially if you vacation dive, is to buy a bunch of masks and bring them with you. If they don’t work, you can usually sell them to local DM’s.

I’ve had several that were ‘perfect’ on land, but as soon as you get underwater, your face changes and seals don’t seal, or work too well!

A friends cheap (~$25) backup mask was my ticket... I can only find them advertised sparsely online (very budget ‘offshore’ brand), and buy I buy (3) at a time ....haven’t lost a mask in surf/carelessness/ghosts in a while.....


_R


_R

 

[hedonist222]

zero

I purchased the Scubapro Crystal VU Mask

Worked perfectly and continues to do so

I then picked up two beauchat max lux S masks

Fit wise they are great but fog-wise still arbitrarily fogging up

But I didn't need to go through masks for fit. They all fit.

 

[drakcheslav]

It's possible the mask is on too tight. A mask that is too tight will leak. Unless a mask is very loose, tightening it will not help.

At the beginning of OW pool sessions, I used to talk to students about masks and leaking while wearing mine. While talking to them, I would slide the strap up to the top of my head, and the mask would not come off. I was once setting some equipment up before a dive, and on the surface the mask hanging from my side got caught on some equipment, and the strap hinge broke. I then did the entire setup dive, using a full AL80 of air, without a mask strap.

Nope. I use a neoprene strap. Which is non streachable, if it's too tight I wouldn't be able to put it over my head. It's just that the silicone is hard and my face skin is soft and it digs in.

It's one of the few masks that don't squeeze me and fit like a glove.

I'd do wish I find a good frameless mask so I can have a bit better vision.

I might try the Xdeep one.
Apparently it fits a lot of different faces

 

[Paul M]

Before I started diving my LDS helped me get it right the first time (may be I was just lucky)
They had about 20 different masks on display for fitting. I narrowed my choices down to a few based on appearance and zero experience.
They asked me to do the 'suction' test but not before asking me to put a snorkel mouthpiece in mouth first. This simulated the change in my face shape caused by a reg/snorkel.
Ended up with a Hollis M1 and fortunately it's been the only mask(s) that I have needed. It even works fine, with just a little bit of leaking, when I have the winter facial hair and I am ice diving.

 

[Silt Life]

One~!

Although I have recently purchased a backup that fits my fat head well. It's just a cheap Hog.

 

[Scuba Client]

I'm on my third mask right now, trying to find one that works.

So far, I've used the Atomic Frameless 2, the Scubapro Synergy 2 Twin, and the Tusa CEOS.

Out of the water, they all fit well. They suck my face like the critter in Alien, no air flow, good seal.

As soon as I get them in the water, they all leak at the nose. The window/lenses don't flood, but the nose fills up with water. I can still dive with them, but it's not optimal. I have a big head, and the Atomic was a size large. Didn't seem to make much difference. (Tried my wife's medium size Atomic, with the same result.)

Is there a method to finding a mask that works for you other than just buying mask after mask and trying them out in the water?

At the rate things are going, I'm going to have a lot of barely used masks on eBay by the time this process is over, I can tell.

I like the frame-less Hollis. Try putting food-grade silicone grease around the lip section. Low volume masks prevent mask squeeze. Black skirting is the best for your eyes.