I have just started diving again and I have ran into trouble with finding a mask hat is comfortable. I had a TUSA single lens in the past and I loved it..... but they do not make it anymore. My family owns a Mares X vision, Mares liquid skin, Scuba Pro Scout Two ( all are low profile/dual lens mask ) and they all fit my face on land but when diving..... they leak and hurt the area where my forehead and nose meet. Could it be the low profile, the dual lens or ??????? Please help
It could be you have the mask strap too tight, but more than likely it is a problem with proper fit.
With todays soft, pliable silicone mask skirts, it is really easy to get a mask to "seal" in the dive shop, but just because you can get a momentary seal does
not mean it wont leak (or be uncomfortable) underwater. I'm a big guy (6'5", 260 lbs), and therefor have a larger-than-average head and facial features, but even I can walk into a dive shop and get most of them to "seal" on my face..... but only a couple will actually work well underwater.
While the final test is always to dive with the mask, here are a few things I've learned over the years (from other folks, none of these are "mine"):
1.
Fit and "seal": Find the mask you are interested in, and place it slowly on your face. If it is pretty close to the correct size, all the edges of the skirt should touch your face at the same time. If the sides touch first, it is probably too narrow, if the top and bottom touch first, it is probably too wide. If it passes this test, I do the standard "seal" test (press mask gently aganst face, inhale gently, and it should "stick"). If this test is good, repeat a final version of the "seal" test by looking straight up at the ceiling, put the mask lightly on my face, and inhale VERY lightly. If it instantly sticks against my face with only the weight of the mask and a gentle inhale... good, but if air leaks past then I move on to the next mask.
If it passes all of the above, I go on to number 2.
2.
Comfort, "nose space", inner-skirt check: Adjust the strap, and put the mask on as you would normally wear it. Is the nose pocket "ok", can you easily pinch your nose to clear, and is any pressure being placed on the tip of your nose, the sensitive junction between nose and lip, or the bridge of your nose? If the "nose" stuff is all good, then have a friend (or look in a mirror) to make sure the inner lip of the skirt is not resting on your eyebrows or too close to the orbits of your eyes.... the position of the inner lip of the skirt is usually what rules out many masks for me due to the size of my face.
If the mask passes all of the above, is comfortable, and "looks cool" :cool2: , it has a better than 50/50 chance of not leaking.... but at least in my experience you really never know until you dive it.
Cost has little to do with how "right" the mask will be for you. I just had to replace my old Scubapro Frameless, and after some trial and error with more expensive masks, it looks like a $35 "generic" mask will be the best fit for my face
Oh, and as far as adjustment (strap tightness and position): Sometimes a little "tweak" on the adjustment is all that is needed to stop a mask leak. But tighter is usually not "better", and will often make a leak worse. If you have to really cinch the mask strap tight to stop a leak, the mask is not right for your face.
Good luck and Best Wishes.
