Hydro Optix Mask worth the $200+?

[D_B]

That people would put contacts in to use one shows how different it is .. the science is there on the website to back up the claims , but ... you have to try it to see how much that really means and how different it is .. I kinda wanted one before, I had to get one after
.. we'll see if it works as well as the mask I have now, that fits so well that I usually do not have to clear it even once during a dive

note on my contacts .. I do not like wearing contacts, I wear glasses so this has some bearing on why I wanted to get this mask .. I use -6 on land .. diving I use less power -4 in one and and -5 in other eye , because of no need to see perfectly a 100 yards away

Jon is a member of ScubaBoard ... http://www.scubaboard.com/member.php?u=19618 ... PM him if you have any questions, or would like a more one on one conversation

 

[Walter]

Try one out at at a scuba show

I did. Not only is it seriously overpriced, it's too big and bulky. It also does not come without a purge valve and the concept of having to have bad eyes to use it is ridiculous.

 

[kyfrogman]

I guess if the benefits out weighed the cost ( which is different for each person) then it may be worth having. I have good vision and personally would not want to put in contacts to get the benefit as this time. however the mask does look intriguing. I would love to dive in Cali, I envy you D_B you ought to come try our quarries lol

 

[D_B]

yeah ... I think so too ... but I have bad eyes anyway

 

[JonKranhouse]

Hi Walter (and everyone),

I truly respect and agree with your many many many postings on SB which lament the dumbing down of quickie scuba training. Obviously, to be under-trained (lack of knowledge, lack of skill-repetition) is all too often the first contributing factor in the cascade of events that culminate in a scuba tragedy.

Just as obvious: to block 75% of your normal field-of-view with a traditional flat mask can only harm, not help, safety. Anything that enhances Situational Awareness (SA) helps safety. Laws prevent people with narrow vision from driving cars, or driving with sunglasses that have very wide temples which likewise block peripheral vision. Here is a good Wikipedia article about SA.

Walter, you more than most people know of instances when instructors lost sight of a student, who then got into trouble. In over 50% of scuba tragedies that start with an underwater "event," the surviving buddy had no idea that the victim was in distress. Only after the survivor surfaced, solo, did he / she begin to grasp what was unfolding. Do anything to improve your Situational Awareness, and you and your buddies will be safer.

Adoption of new technology always has a time-curve, but in recreational scuba in the USA, the time-delay is bizarre. Why did it take from 1956 to 1978 for the SPG to become "required" by the recreational scuba industry? Hmm... the SPG was called a "death-trap" by the insider Skin Diver magazine, and many stores preached "the company line." Meanwhile, insider equipment companies manufactured and profited from J-valves, which were too-often responsible for dive fatalities. Their valve was patented, and they didn't want to share profits with companies that made gauges. After 22 years, countless deaths, and the threat of government intervention, the SPG was finally adopted.

I do not believe the products made by my company are perfect. And no, I never thought everyone would rush to wear contact lenses. But I get angry each time I read an accident report, knowing that poor SA was a contributing factor to the cascade of sad events. I'm the first to know that not everyone's going to wear contact lenses. I'm actually surprised that of the thousands of divers around the world using our mask, almost 900 have 20/20 vision. People trust their own eyes when they do a proper A-to-B comparison.

The form-factor of our first mask, the 4.5DD, will remain optimal for acuity and field of vision, and future masks will be for 20/20 and other-vision divers who are unwilling to take that "leap of faith" to try contacts, or that <10% of the population who, for medical reasons, truly cannot wear contacts. We DO NOT recommend newbie 20/20 divers to use our Double-Dome mask -- learning to wear contacts + basic scuba skills is too much task loading.

With over 100 threads about HydroOptix on SB, these links include factually accurate information, warts and all. There's not a shill in the bunch.

1. Feb_07 A slow-to-adopt retailer bungles his chance + John Chatterton is a 20/20 user.

2. June_04 RoatanMan's comprehensive review + feedback from others.

3. March_05 Newer and more experienced HO users compare notes.

4. August_05 A 20/20 HO diver's comments + responses.

5. November_06 5-page thread with some tech / optical clarifications from me

6. March_07 Diving in PNG - NanoFOG + Magic Bifocal work as advertised

7. March_07 HO has customer service [we're not perfect, but we try]

8. August_07 NanoFOG really does work

 

[D_B]

Interesting ... especially the part about Chatterton
thanks Jon

 

[D_B]

Was a challenging dive for me yesterday, was a good bit of current, 55* , viz was only about 10'-15' ... had to stay close to the Yukon so as not to get blown away
... new mask leaks, and had mask squeeze l am unfamiliar with (painful) , sometimes blowing into nose did not fix, had to pull on mask,and blow forcefully (purge valves?) .. had to stay ahead of the mask squeeze curve to keep it from happening
... some small issue with having to position mask just right to keep mask off bridge of nose
... scuffed left lens when bending over after dive and hit fire extinguisher, looks like it will come out with some wax ... scratches on dome ports for cameras don't seem to be a problem underwater anyway (That'll teach me to be MOF )

I do like how clearly I can see close up, It's way better than with my contacts in ( I dive with less power in one eye , less power contacts overall, just to be able to read my gages .. -6 on land, -5.25 & -4.25 in water
Peripheral vision is very good

... do wish it fit my face better .. just one of those things that you cant tell in the shop

Definitely a learning curve, and will try it again ..

... I also found those two, 1lb weights I couldn't find .. in my weight pouches! .. explains why I felt overweighted, especially on the stops ... SAC was .77 (surprised it's not higher .. felt like a hoover)

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Just a quick note regarding relative cost...

Nearly any diver who has custom ordered a mask with perscription lenses has paid more than $200 for a mask.

Certainly not all folks who wear glasses order custom masks, however, I went to one when I realized that not only was I having trouble reading notes and numbers underwater, but I could not distinguish cave line under reduced ambient light conditions. Corrective lenses in my mask thus became a survival requirement for me, and I bought a Sea Vision mask which has performed very well (but it cost more than $200...)

If you need lenses to see properly underwater, and I suspect that no one would disagree that situational awareness and safety are linked, then if you're going to custom order a mask anyway this would appear to be an interesting option for those divers...

FWIW. YMMV.

 

[kyfrogman]

I think getting that mask out in shops is a start and hopefully this thread has shed light on various aspects of my earlier comment of those who consider it worth the inverstment or not. I will try and get my hands on that mask and take to our local quarry ( all we have here) to show as many divers as I can.

 

[vn800]

Hi guys,
I have two 4.5's (one old skirt and one new skirt), my eyes need a -3.5 and it works beautifully vision wise.

Yes it's expensive(ish) but so's a good BC, regs etc etc etc. Diving's my hobby, along with game shooting (where gold plated triggers don't necessarily improve your shooting, and I don't have any) and motorbikes (170mph Sports bike doesn't help you keep your license, I have a cruiser) so if it suits, go for it.

The claims for its vision are broadly true, I dive for the view and having wide, almost in air, peripheral vision makes me feel safer (particularly in a group) and the massive moray/lobster/seahorse that everyone sees is not as scary (no size/distance distortion).

It does fog up a bit more, it does need careful handling, the original leaked a bit, especially when I smiled/grimaced or yawned, I don't really care what I look like in it, but for me it's worth it.

Over here in the UK it's difficult to try one, so you have to risk it and the £145 ($290) is a bit steep if you can't try it first. Most people who try mine are impressed but it's up to them if they want to buy one.