Shattered mask

[Spartakus]

Hi, has anybody encountered this? About half a year ago I had prescription lenses installed on my mask. Had some 10 dives with the mask. A few days ago unpacking the mask after returning from a flight I dropped the mask on a cement floor from less than 3 feet (1 m). The glass did not hit anything, but the mask completely shattered. So it shattered simply from a strong shake? Does it have to do with the thick prescription lenses that made glass heavier and more sensitive to shattering, or is this a regular thing? Would you still recommend prescription lenses if the make the mask more susceptible to breaking?

 

[tstormdiver]

I have seen it happen before. A gentleman in a class I was assisting with had a brand new mask with bonded prescription lenses. He dropped it from a very short distance onto a tile floor & it shattered. Are they more prone to shattering?.... I don't know. Sure seems that way. Why? I don't know...... maybe the extra weight? In the end the dive shop wound up eating the cost to get a new mask, & have the lenses re-bonded. The gentleman basically said to replace the mask, have it re-bonded, then when it arrived basically refused to take it unless he was not charged. How tacky.

 

[drl]

Someone who dived with us on a liveaboard had a mask shatter in his luggage. When he unpacked on the dive boat, there were glass bits all over the dive deck, where many of us were walking barefoot. I don't know whether it was a prescription mask or not. The pieces were sort of crumbly looking, not jagged, thank goodness.

 

[Teamcasa]

Tempered glass will break into small bits. Not uncommon if the mask hit even a small pebble when it fell. Yes, I would replace it and dive again. I would also be more careful whne packing and handling it.

 

[Spartakus]

Thank you for responding. The floor was flat, so the glass of the mask would not hit the floor directly. I also know that the mask was intact before I dropped it. I'll be careful not to drop a new mask, but the question for me is: if the mask with prescription lenses is more prone to shattering it could happen again from shaking it in a different way? It's probably safer not to install prescription lenses...

 

[Teamcasa]

I don’t think so. Both factory mask lenses (used for diving) and prescription lenses are made from tempered glass. Very tough due to the increased surface tension provided by the tempering process but also prone to failure if hit by a sharp object or on the edge.

A good example is a car window. It can stand a severe blow by a blunt object but will shatter if hit by a nail or BB.

 

[PhilEllis]

Thank you for responding. The floor was flat, so the glass of the mask would not hit the floor directly. I also know that the mask was intact before I dropped it. I'll be careful not to drop a new mask, but the question for me is: if the mask with prescription lenses is more prone to shattering it could happen again from shaking it in a different way? It's probably safer not to install prescription lenses...

What you have referred to in two posts is "shaking" the mask. Your mask was not shaken, it was dropped. The very feature that makes tempered glass perfect for a diving mask ALSO makes it brittle when exposed to shock. Personally, I doubt that the addition of the prescription lenses had any impact on the breaking. It was the "shake" (drop) that got it.

Phil Ellis

 

[Lampy]

I use contact lenses, they are fantastic. I highly recommend, once you get the hang of them there is nothing to it. I completed the entire OW course with them (including swimming around several times without a mask), and I did not have a single fault. If you usually wear glasses the difference is phenominal, its like just being able to see again because of the clarity of the vision. I firmly believe contacts will give a better diving experience.

As far as cost goes, I pay £30 a month for my lenses (Focus Dailies) and wear them almost every day, however I know some people who have a small supply of lenses just for skiing, scuba or sports.

 

[Spartakus]

You guys are great. I tried contacts for about half a year, I seem to be not able to adjust. After trying them for half a year I installed prescription lenses. So the solution for me seems to be not to drop the mask. I should be able to handle that. It's mask shopping time...

 

[ScubaSteve]

I have close to 300 dives on my mask and prescription lenses and have had some unfortunate mishandlings of it. Perhaps I have been very lucky in how it hit the ground because I have expereinced no broken lenses. I say replace it with prescription because as others have said, tempered glass is tempered glass. For the most part, it is the same as a standard mask just with differently shaped glass. At least with the prescription you will be able to clearly see what you are diving with etc.. Then try to pack it differently and handle with care.

Have fun and good luck with whatever you replace it with.