AnZal:
Me and the wife are thinking of buying our first masks. We haven't been diving for long and are not sure what all the pro's and con's are of masks with purge valves and those without.
What we do know is that you need two hands to equalize with a mask with purge valve and that we've experienced more squeeze with masks that had a 'soft' nose.
Any advice from the more experinced, or does it also depend on personal preference ?
Good to see you get back in the groove. In addition to being my very best friend, my wife is one of my dive buddies, too.
Here's my take. I always ask not do I need it, but can I do without it. To me, less features are always better.
I've never dove a purge / snot valve. I equalize with one hand on the descent - and its just never been a big deal. Wifie takes a LOT longer to equalize. But a purge mask wouldn't help that - she doesn't dive with one, either.
Purge valves are designed to be 1-way valves to blow water out, I guess. But clearing my mask, doing a full R&R (several, actually) in a single breath is no biggie. My mask doesn't leak. Ever. When my beloved Seavision started to trickle after about 4 years, I picked up a Cressi (Bug) Big Eye (last fall) that is dry - I mean bone-freeking dry. I may let in a little water if I'm fogging, but then I just do your basic mask clear and its back to being dry.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if your mask fits, why would you add a valve to it to drain it? I dove with face hair for years, and the trickle was no biggie... just pop the top, blow, its all better. But now that I'm smoooov, there is no leak. To me, its just another thing to babysit.
I just don't get the Thing + features = A Better Thing thinking.
K