masks and corrected vision

[spschneer]

I'd also recommend SeaVision

They are a bit pricy, but I've been very happy with my mask..I've got a ton of astigmatism so I can't really use the soft contacts approach..SeaVision ground bi-focal style lenses that compensate for the different RI of water. They are a bit blurry when above water (e.g.: on the boat just before diving) but I can still read gauges and so on, but are really good when in the water on a dive. They are available in clear or tinted lenses and they have several mask styles...Not sure if they can cut the lenses for your mask or not, but they keep their patterns so if you need a replacement lens or an updated prescription, they can get you just the lenses for their mask...

Just a happy satisfied customer...

Steve

 

[Paco]

I also had my lds send off my mask for the bifocal inserts. I like them a lot. The only thing I find is that I wear my mask on my face a lot more than other divers, so as not to have to switch to glasses (for SI, etc.). I requently am the only one wearing the mask during during those times, but am never accused of being MOF (not that I have a strong position on that matter = please no flaming on that issue).

 

[Biodiversity_guy]

Mof?

 

[CompuDude]

Mof?

Mask on forehead. Some people around here really get their knickers in a twist if someone dares leave their mask on their forehead.

:shakehead

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I had a Tusa Liberator and when that one wore out and yellowed too much I went with a Tusa Liberator Plus in black. The RX lenses run about $30 ea. and the mask itself about $35. Good solid mask and with a little care you can change the lenses yourself. Bought my two from Leisure Pro but I'm sure there are other distributors out there.

MY wife is farsighted and ordered a gauge reader mask with the lenses glued on the bottom third like bifocals. They work great for her.

 

[kidspot]

fwiw - I recently switched to the Hydrooptix 4.5DD - I now have better vision underwater than my glasses provide above water. My peripheral vision underwater is about 160-170* without turning my head now. As a bonus, if you need bifocals the HO mask will most likely eliminate your need for them underwater.

Downsides for me are that it doesn't fit so it leaks continuously - though I have a very round/wide face. Also I don't want to carry the surface correction, so I have bad vision until I get into the water. I am carrying my old Rx mask as my backup, and have been putting it on after the dive so I can see my way up the shore and not trip on all the rocks.

While it is a larger volume mask, it's not much greater than my last low profile mask. I think it gets classified as a medium volume.

Just a few thoughts ...

Aloha, Tim

 

[alo100]

Tim, I heard about how good it is for many people, but I also realized that there are more people who have that mask unfit rather than fit. I tried it for once at a dive shop, is it like the skirt of the mask is too thin therefore it cannot fit most faces, or it's the purge valves? Just curious...

 

[kidspot]

it's just the fit of the skirt - the purges have no contact with the skirt of the mask - the nose pocket is as easily accessible as any non-purge mask. The problem for me is that I have a big face ... too wide actually.

 

[CompuDude]

For the record, in defense of the HO masks I will say that I had the same issue (poor-fitting mask). Did you know they have three or four different skirts for their masks? I had to try on three of them before we found one that fit... but we did find one that fit (a smaller one, since the others were all too big). I'm fortunate that they had a bunch on hand for me to try out at the recent Scuba Show. Definitely a plus, since the one they had at my LDS did NOT fit me well.

Note that I haven't purchased one yet, but that was definitely one barrier down on my way to a purchase...

 

[kidspot]

thanks for the info - I'll contact them and see if they have a larger skirt -