Mares in Maui

[Adrian_london]

Hi everyone

I'm about to take my Open Water Diving Certificate in Maui (Lahaina to be precise) and am looking at buying a prescription mask.

When I was at home in London I was recommended a mask by Mares (aparently the Mares X-Vision or the Mares X-Vision Liquid Skin models are good)

Can anyone tell me where I might be able to purchase this in Maui (preferably in Lahaina or Kihei but if I need to go else on the island then so be it).

If it is not possible to purchase this item, can anyone recommend a mask which I can have made into a prescription of -3.5?

 

[TSandM]

I don't know if they carry that specific mask, but B&B Scuba in Kihei carries Mares products.

 

[friscuba]

One little thing. If you didn't try it on, it may have been recommended more because it's "cool" than because it fits. I've got a friend who's got wide cheekbones and temples and fits most of the larger frameless masks just great, he got talked into one of the liquid skin masks and it leaked on him like mad, simply because it wasn't a good fitting mask for him..... always go for fit first.

 

[kidspot]

If you are looking for an Rx mask there are a few places in Lahaina to check, just remember that most of them will only have 1 or 2 choices for Rx (it took me a stop at most of these places before I found one that fit me)

To make it easy 3 of them are on the same street (Dickenson - 1-2 blocks from Front street)

Pacific Dive
Lahaina Divers (right across the street)
Snorkel Bob's (the place that had the best fit for me - if on a budget ask for a used mask - they sell rental stock sometimes)

Maui dive shop - in the new shopping center across the highway from the Cannery Mall
Dive Maui - front street just before you get to the cannery mall

As Steve said above, unless you actually tried the Mares x-vision on and it fit, you may be better off ignoring brand.

btw - who are you doing your training with in Lahaina?

Aloha, Tim

 

[Adrian_london]

Firstly, thank you for all of your advice. I had trouble finding an RX mask at B&B Scuba in Kihei.

It would appear to me that there are three types of masks to buy:-

1) A regualar mask (which is no good for me)
2) A mask with an RX which cannot be changed (both lenses will be -3 or -4 etc)
3) A mask which can have different lenses in each eye (-3 in one eye and -3.5 in the other)

B&B Scuba only sold numbers 1 & 2 on my list.

Personally I found Snorkel Bobs to be very expensive (they wanted Ž£146 for a mask - number 2 on my list)

I was able to buy a mask which i think fitted nicely with option 3 on my list for $91

I bought the mask from a shop on Dickenson street. I'll let you know how I got on with it.

I was staying in Kihei but have moved to nearer Lahiana so I'm taking my lessons there.