Mask strap question....

[kathydee]

Mike, here's the answer to your problem. (Sorry, can't figure out how to get the image to display here.)

I have one of these (except mine says Dive Xtras) and they're ideal -- neoprene, unbreakable, and much more secure than the Halcyon strap with the Velcro.

I had the Halcyon velcro strap, but adjusting for no hood/3mm hood/12mm hood the velcro strength became questionable in about 130 dives. Tossed the strap and now use one like mentioned above which promises a longer life and more flexibility in adjustment.

Mike, AWS also sells them with their own logo.

 

[Sloth]

Holy crap i thought i was bad about hyper-analyzing everything. Get a low profile mask that isnt a crappy walmart special that fits your face well and doesnt cause any pressure points on your face. Buy another one for back up.

Just get a mask that is comfortable to wear and is easy for you to clear. rubber straps, velcro straps, neoprene straps, who cares? Just get what is comfortable for YOU.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

"I like this thing (the velcro mask strap). It's not going to get caught in anything. It's not going to break." - George Irvine III

 

[mikemill]

"I like this thing (the velcro mask strap). It's not going to get caught in anything. It's not going to break." - George Irvine III

So that's an argument against it right?

 

[PfcAJ]

I'm not sold on the velcro straps. While they do work, they are tough to adjust in water, and when that velcro does give, it takes an act of congress to get it back through the mask buckle while in the water.

If you take care of your stock mask strap (provided you don't have a crappy walmart mask), they're quite reliable and easy to adjust. As long as one understands the pro's and con's of both, I think both styles are pretty good.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Wow,

Thanks for all your candid responses to my question. I want to thank all that posted. I own both the Halcyon velcro slap strap and just the neoprene cover version.

When the velcro is adjusted to my head over my hood, it works great, I have been bumped hard by fin kicks and the mask did not flood, it barely moved.

In contrast, I have been bumped in the past before with regular rubber straps and had to clear my mask, no big deal but a delay. (They do give way, because of the elasticity)

I see the logic in what Trace says about having the back up mask with just rubber straps stowed in your pocket, in case you have a buddy that needs your extra mask, it will stretch easier and should fit all size heads.

My original question is whether the simple cover is sufficient for DIR practice in open water, it appears that as long as the rubber is checked and replaced it is, unless you cave dive and have extra folds that need securing.

I learned a lot from all your post and special thanks to Trace for going into detail the explanation of the Vecro version, I will revisit my velcro slap strap and readjust it on my new mask that I ordered.

Thanks,

MG

 

[TSandM]

I have the Velcro straps on my backup mask, simply because they make it so easy to readjust the mask for another diver, and they are less breakable than the rubber straps.

The way I have my other mask configured, there are no loose ends -- but I have the strap and buckle arrangement done quite differently from the way it's shown in the ad I posted.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Wow,

I see the logic in what Trace says about having the back up mask with just rubber straps stowed in your pocket, in case you have a buddy that needs your extra mask, it will stretch easier and should fit all size heads.

My original question is whether the simple cover is sufficient for DIR practice in open water, it appears that as long as the rubber is checked and replaced it is, unless you cave dive and have extra folds that need securing.

I learned a lot from all your post and special thanks to Trace for going into detail the explanation of the Vecro version, I will revisit my velcro slap strap and readjust it on my new mask that I ordered.

Thanks,

MG

Mike, you're welcome. But, if you read my post again, I state that the velcro straps are what you use on the back up mask. Velcro on both primary and back up masks. I don't believe the pads for the rubber straps solve much so negate those as a tool.

My bad: I could have made that back-up mask "as is" part much clearer. I went back & added the word "velcro" because I meant leave the straps at the full length. Some people cut those. But, if you did have a rubber strap on a back up mask - yes, don't cut that either!

 

[rjack321]

That's interesting, Trace. I've taken four cave classes now with my Dive X-tras strap, and not even Danny, who is meticulous about equipment, said one word about it.

If you are diving backmount the buckles on a nylon&neoprene (mask) strap are not relevant (think about where the manifold is laterally and dorsally). And if you are that high and tight to the line you are doing something wrong.

The weak links on every mask I have owned for the past 15yrs are the plastic pins holding the strap (regardess of strap material) to the side of the frame. Some masks are weak across the nose bridge area as well, although a crack in the frame here rarely makes the mask completely unusable. Neoprene straps and their small plastic buckles are like the axle of a car, if you are breaking these the rest of the car is already totalled.

 

[Scott L]

If you are diving backmount the buckles on a nylon&neoprene strap are not relevant (think about where the manifold is laterally and dorsally). And if you are that high and tight to the line you are doing something wrong.

The weak links on every mask I have owned for the past 15yrs are the plastic pins holding the strap (regardess of strap material) to the side of the frame. Some masks are weak across the nose bridge area as well, although a crack in the frame here rarely makes the mask completely unusable. Neoprene straps and their small plastic buckles are like the axle of a car, if you are breaking these the rest of the car is already totalled.

There is a huge difference with the stress associated with a plastic buckle within a BP harness and that which is placed upon a mask strap plastic buckle. The down-side to the plastic buckle on the mask straps being discussed IMO is the fact that the buckle seems to allow the strap material to slipsomewhat with the potential of slidding out all together although that has never actually happened to me. As mentioned before, I plan to search for a more thoughfull metal buckle for this application as I do like the basc concept of adjustability when utilizing a hood or not, ect, etc...And as TSanM indicates one always has the use of their back-up mask if the strap fails.