Small Face Syndrome...

[DevilEyeDog]

I have a small face. Let's just put that out there. I look for petite frames with sunglasses and I can fit in most kid sunglasses.

I'm also brand new to diving.
What mask am I currently using? Oh...you dared to ask...A High Volume, Tempered Glass, No Name Brand that cost $20.

Why am I looking for a new mask? Because my instructor said I shouldn't have to suffer with a high volume mask. Can I clear it? Sure...in about 3 breaths. But it's a pain and I should likely suck it up and get a new one

I have visited a few dive shops who cave at some point and admit to my small face syndrome as an issue when it comes to picking the right mask. The issue is NOT leaking...it's pain from the nose piece on a regular mask hitting me between my eyebrows. Yes...the nose piece on most masks comes up to my eyebrows.

No, it's not mask squeeze. It's a contact point of the mask above and below my nose.

I have a few options out there, but I'm nervous. They are expensive $80-110. Yeah, yeah...not expensive to some, but for me it is. I'm hoping to spend <$50.

Anyone else have this issue or am I the only one suffering from SFS?
What masks work for you if you are also a sufferer of the SFS?

 

[boulderjohn]

I have gotten good quality masks for both my grandchildren. The first was a Mares that was designed for children and I believe was sold at a price typical of children's gear, which MIGHT be in your price range. The second was an Atomic handed down from someone who outgrew it. I don't know how much it cost originally. My point in saying that is primarily that it might be possible to find what you want in a decent mask. I have two important points to follow, though.

The next point is that you want to have a good mask. The typical cheap masks sold in department store snorkel kits are not likely to hold up over time, they are not as likely to fit well to begin with, and they are likely to leak. Any of the masks made by any of the reputable companies will do, provided it is a good fit. If you don't get a good mask that fits you well, that mask will be a constant irritation as you dive.

The final point is that a really good quality mask will last you forever. I have owned three masks in my diving career, and one of them lasted one day because I accidently sat on it with my tanks on the second day. That means I have really owned two masks my entire diving career, and that is primarily because I always take two masks with me on dive trips (and sometimes on the dives, too), mostly in case I sit on one of them again. Today I have one of them sized to wear with a hood and one sized without a hood, and that is how I decide which one to use. The older one is still my favorite. It is about 20 years old, and I can't imagine how many dives it has been on. Counting all the pool sessions I have taught and not logged, I would say it has been worn a few thousand times.

When you price a mask, then, remember that spending a few more bucks on a mask that will fit well, be comfortable, will not leak constantly and which will last you forever is a bargain compared to a cheap one that will be a constant irritation until you decide to buy the one you should have gotten in the first place or have to replace it because it fell apart.

 

[uncfnp]

If it was just the clearing issue and you liked the mask otherwise I would say don't bother changing since a good fitting, comfortable mask should require very little clearing throughout the dive.

But an uncomfortable mask is something that does need changing. Unfortunately the only way to be sure is to try it on.

I wouldn't say I have an especially small face but it is on the smaller side. My first mask is no longer in production and I lost it on a dive trip a year ago otherwise I would still be using it. The replacement mask I am equally pleased with is a Tusa Freedom Elite...

Tusa Freedom Elite Mask

My backup mask is a Oceanic Shadow...

Oceanic Shadow Single Window Mask

Good luck with your search.

 

[WetRocks]

I have a small face with deep cheek lines, and the Atomic Aquatics frameless mask in "medium fit" works really well for me. Yes it's a little pricey but you shouldn't have to replace a mask much in your diving career.

 

[wisp]

I have a relatively small face and LOVE my Tusa Kleio II mask. I've put about 100 dives on my current one, and only had to replace my old once because it went missing. IIRC it's about $40 from leisure pro.

 

[DevilEyeDog]

Thanks Boulderjohn. All good points.
Thanks Wisp, WetRocks and uncfnp for some mask ideas. I haven't tried any of those.

Good point about the clearing. My cheap mask is fine to me. It's just a high volume mask that is good for snorkeling. It doesn't hurt my face, but it's not a scuba mask per se. Thanks again!

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have a smaller face and needed a low volume mask as well. The Oceanic Shadow Mini has been good to me. See if you can try that one as an idea. I have found it online on eBay or Craigslist for around $50, new and used.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I feel your pain...literally. I have a face that almost no mask will fit well...thats why I dive the 1980's era "rescue" mask. It's the best fit I have found for me, but it's a huge volume mask. I bet I own over a dozen masks and tried on at least 60 more and some fit better than others....but only the hammerhead looking one will dive almost dry at any depth. Most low volume masks end up hitting the bridge of my nose or forehead or leaking like the titanic around the corners of my eyes.

I stumbled across Mako free dive masks a few months ago. They were cheap, around $40 and have an honest to God, no bs, return policy. I ordered 3 designs to take advantage of the free shipping. Catalina, Minimus,and Baja. None of them worked for me because of deep set eyes but they are very low volume, light weight, and quality built. When they didn't work for me, I had a return label almost immediately, and a credit back to my card within a few days.

Based on my personal experience, they seem to be a great company and support Scubaboard as well. I loved the product, they just didn't fit me which is pretty normal for any standard mask not designed for Cro-magnon man divers. The field of view was particularly impressive and the quality was as good, if not better, than the $125 Scubapro mask I had to buy in a jam when I lost my other mask...that almost fit...sort of...but not really. it was an XS Scuba Cortez for big faces, my second choice. The advice about not putting your mask on your forehead or you will lose it is pretty good advice....

I dont work for them, know the owner, date his daughter, play poker with his cousin, clean his neighbors pool, or have any other connection with the company, just a good quality mask you might try. Here's the site:

Dive-Masks-Snorkels

Good luck, safe travels,

Jay

 

[David Wilson]

I too have a narrow face and over the years I have found it difficult to locate masks that match my facial dimensions. The mask fitting problem isn't helped by the fact that western manufacturers and retailers provide far too little information when it comes to mask sizing.

By way of contrast, online retailers in Japan routinely provide measurements to inform selection of diving masks, e.g.:

The image above provides no less than eight pieces of information about the Gull Mantis 5:

Frame height: 85 mm
Mask width: 178 mm
Mask height: 110 mm
Skirt width: 132 mm
Volume: 177 cc
Weight: 225 g
Vertical vision: 99 °
Horizontal vision: 117 °

Retailers and manufacturers might consider following suit when showcasing their own diving masks. The width of a mask skirt in millimetres (132 mm in the example above) seems to be a particularly helpful dimension to know when sizing masks to accommodate narrow, medium or broad faces. Of course, buyers would still have to try masks on for size to establish that they offer a leakproof fit, but knowledge of the skirt width would assist in eliminating many over-narrow or over-wide models.

The current state of play is reminiscent of a high-street shoe store where none of the footwear on sale has any size identification and the only way to find a pair that fits is to try on everything in the shop or to narrow the choice by asking the sales staff which footwear manufacturers tend to focus on making smaller or larger sizes.

 

[JamesBon92007]

My experiences mirror boulderjohn's, right down to the Mares masks for the kids. I found some at K-mart several years back that were amazingly cheap for a decent-quality silicone mask. The straps did not hold up and have been replaced but the masks are still good.

Apparently you have already tried on a zillion masks and no doubt at least some of the salespeople told you to see if it stays on your face by just breathing in through your nose. My girlfriend recently bought a new mask for $90 US in Mexico, so presumably it would have been more in the US. She bought it after trying on nearly every mask in a dozen dive shops. When she went to use it it leaked. Once she adjusted the strap tension it stopped leaking. Too tight or too loose can make a difference on some masks. Yesterday my mask, which I've had for about 35 years, was leaking. It never leaks. It was adjusted for no hood and I was wearing a 7 mm hood. Just off the top of my head I would think you'd have a better chance with a low-volume mask but you said the large-volume works better for you. I'm surprised that's the case but whatever works for you is what works for you. Personally I've see too many people lose them trying to go through the surf so I stick to low-volume for everything. Like boulderjohn said, a good mask will last forever if you take care of it (rinse it and dry it out of the sun and don't sit on it ) so I would not hesitate to spend the money on the one that fits the best--it will be money well spent. This is coming from someone who will make a mask strap from an old inner tube rather than pay $8 for a new strap. Perhaps you need to rent masks until you find the right one.