clgsamson:
Chip tried it in the last DOR. He said "it sucks". I suggest you glue an antennae to make you look cool.
:rofl: :lol3: man, Caloy, that's definitely one of your better witty statements!
Actually I did try it, but I told the dive shop owner who loaned it to me that I couldn't make an honest opinion about it because I only tried it for one dive (I was already trying 2 other new toys that day so didn’t want to task load).
And yes, those are my words exactly about it (even have it written in my dive log!).
But there's one thing I should add other than the fact that I only tried it for one dive: I don't have equalization problems or any type of ear problems nor do I feel uncomfortable with water contact on my ears, which (IMO) are the kind of consumers this mask is targeted for.
How this mask works:
Just to let people know, the stand out feature of this mask is that the ears are “muffled” by ear muffs. These ear muffs are connected to the conventional mask area by tubes.
This in effect creates a closed circuit pressure system for your ears where you can adjust the change in pressure by blowing out through your nose. Please see these pics:
single lens version
Twin lens version (I tried this)
In summary, as you go deeper, you equalize the ear pressure by blowing out through your nose
(VERY GENTLY!)
my review based on my experience…
I did a 55 min multilevel dive: 96 ft / 20 mins, 60 ft / 25 mins, 20 ft / 10 mins. Overall I found the mask awkward but I’m sure using this product repeatedly will eliminate any awkwardness.
The product is well built – never was there any leakage into the system.
As for blowing out while descending, it worked like a charm. However, if you over-blow then you will overpressurize the ears. To rectify this you have to go deeper (no big deal when descending).
But sometimes I naturally breathe through my nose (unknowingly) which over-pressurized my ears when I was levelled off. So I’d have to swim down a bit to adjust.
This happened multiple times during the dive, which became a nuisance, especially an ear ache! The hardest depth to use the product was at the shallower depths where I am more sensitive to the pressure change. Easier to use when deeper. I am sure, however, with practice using the mask over-pressurizing won’t happen as often.
As for improving hearing, the mask did the complete opposite - it
amplified the annoying sound of bubbles blowing. No wonder sharks are afraid of divers! We sound hideous! But what I liked is that
you can distinguish clearly which direction a sound is coming from (you can hear a boat going left to right).
If you’re wondering about the
clearing/removing mask exercises: no prob. The system is under the same ambient pressure. I tried the drills at 20ft without any problems. However, it was a slight enviroshock when the ears became exposed to water. Also, blowing the water out of the mask and ear muffs was fine but once no more water was present I once again over-pressurized my ears a bit.
So all in all, just what Rascal said: the IST Pro Ear works. But I’ll just add that I cannot see why anyone who already dives fine with a regular mask will want to change to this Pro Ear mask. It is perfect for people with ear issues.
For people who are interested in using this product, I can’t stress enough how important it is to
practice, practice, and practice first with this mask in a safe setting (ex. pool) before venturing out to use it. Some might not like the extra task load it gives.
Why I said “it sucks”:
* I only tried it for one dive and was not used to it
* I didn’t like the amplified sound of my bubbles
* Since I unknowingly breathe out through my nose, I overpressurized my ears quite a bit. And this hurts.
Hope this helps people.
My best suggestion is to try it for yourself. Here’s my disclaimer:
I’m not affiliated with IST in any way nor do I work for any dive shop. A dive shop owner was kind enough to feed my curiousity and loaned me this mask to see if I liked it or not.
Ps sorry pao, never saw this thread so I didn’t reply sooner. How did you find the mask?
