The magic of OLED

[TSandM]

So, a couple of weeks ago, I dropped my does-not-leak-ever mask in the parking lot, and despite the reinforcements from the custom bifocal inlays that cost me $150 to put in, the thing shattered. Now, I have a backup mask with bifocal lenses in it, but a) they screwed up the size of the lenses, so I have a small clear area to peer through to see anything but close up, and b) that's the mask that is an obligatory q10 minute mask clear, or more on bad days. To say I wasn't very happy would be to put it mildly.

So I went to my LDS and tried on masks, which are one thing you can't buy on line unless you know precisely what works (and my perfect mask had all the identifying marks worn off it, so I don't know what it was, and the shop where I bought it has gone out of business). Anyway, after trying on every mask they had that had two separate lenses, a prerequisite for custom bifocals, the only two that seemed to fit well enough to be likely leak-free were . . . EIGHTY DOLLARS! Add the $150 (which is now probably $200) for the lenses, and we are talking a new battery for my heated vest for what a mask is going to cost me.

So, at Peter's request, I tried on the Edge and Hog masks that our friend at Sound Aquatics sells, and it turned out one of them fit rather well, at least on land. So I took it diving.

It wasn't until today (two days later) that it occurred to me that I did what was more or less a night dive, with mask without bifocal lenses in it, and read my gauge with no difficulties whatsoever throughout the whole dive. A combination of yellow-on-black writing and the ability to vary the font size meant an end to reading problems! Hooray for OLEDs! I will NEVER go back. You will get my X1 off my cold, dead arm . . .

 

[kundalinichi]

I told someone the same thing a few days ago - my X1 is by far my most favorite piece of equipment. I always recommend the Lynx\Xeo for OLED computers and if I had the need for a bottom timer, the Xen would be my first choice for sure!

 

[elan]

How many masks can you buy for the price of one x1

 

[skankpile]

Shearwater here and I love mine, and they do VPM as well now with the latest firmware. I'm not sure what LV is going to do about about the xlink, but I need PO2 monitoring. Anyways.. I love oled, but the cochrans will run forever on a battery so I carry both. I just had lenses put in my mask as well.. If I drop it that would really ruin my day.

 

[Tug]

I agree fully! the OLED on my Xen is perfect for diving up in Mass. I was scallop diving messing up the viz picking them up and I could look down at my arm and see the data perfectly, try that with a normal computer/timer

 

[TSandM]

I admit I could buy a lot of masks for the cost of the X1 -- but I already OWN the X1. And not having to put bifocals in the mask is certainly worth something.

 

[Griffo]

It's an LCD and not an OLED, but a couple of times last weekened I found myself reading the Wifes Icon as we finned along. Vis was only 3-5m so I was impressed.
Bright Coloured screens are so much easier to read the the old black on grey LCD.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Although I think those computers are great, but if you have used bi focals in the past there has to be other reasons that not having them in your mask would be hindering you. With digital cameras and you are shooting pics now is one, and as you are a team diver I would think you would need better vision on a dive. Of course I mention this not knowing what your perscription is. I watch a diver take pics and video him while doing so when I see him (jan) and he had a bad dive as he had a mask failure and he had the scripts in on the next dive as could not get fantastic shots. And like all things in diving you will adapt and more than likely be fine, I just do not have vision problems, but think I would be more comfortable not seeing blurry.

Also I like to stare in the eyes of sealife, I feel that they know who I am, when I look deep into the wolf eels eye or the octopus, and even the huge female ling cod, they are more comfortable after a few seconds, Huge skates and halibut, sole will stay put also by having eye to eye contact. Now the cabezon and not in the dive parks are different spearing or not once eye contact is made if you get close to them there gone and that is great for they are a challenge.
The red irish lord relaxes so to pet, the rockfish in a school come right up to my mask and look in my mask to get that eye to eye. And the rat fish is always slowly moving on the bottom, It is hard to get them close enough to circle you , but when they do those big eyes are really cool. The dogfish once eye contact they dart away and come back several times before they are content to leave you alone. The seal also has to get a eye to eye, as with the sealion.

Just seems that you need great vision to be able to enjoy diving to the fullest.

 

[Wayne at DiveSeekers]

I agree, OLED Computer are the "Cat's Meow", but along the lines of VooDooGasMan, the bigger questions (you didn't mention).... Can you read your gauges? Can you read (yours or your buddies) writing on a slate or in a diver notebook? All these little things are just as important as seeing your computer. I think you realize this, but didn't address this and some on here need full info. For the future, the frameless masks give you the best vision of all the masks on the market (providing they fit your face) and we put custom bifocals in frameless masks for our customers all the time so split mask is not a prerequisite for custom bifocals. However, there are masks on the market that have this as a stock feature (less expensive) and those are all split vision mask.

 

[BluewaterSail]

I agree, OLED Computer are the "Cat's Meow", but along the lines of VooDooGasMan, the bigger questions (you didn't mention).... Can you read your gauges? Can you read (yours or your buddies) writing on a slate or in a diver notebook? All these little things are just as important as seeing your computer. I think you realize this, but didn't address this and some on here need full info. For the future, the frameless masks give you the best vision of all the masks on the market (providing they fit your face) and we put custom bifocals in frameless masks for our customers all the time so split mask is not a prerequisite for custom bifocals. However, there are masks on the market that have this as a stock feature (less expensive) and those are all split vision mask.

I just looked at your website, and the only special lenses that you listed are for "-" not "+". It seems to be really hard to get masks that are like reading glasses.