Thoughts on full face mask?

[gafftape42]

Removal/replace/clearing procedures are also much more complex than with straight scuba (as well as rather painful) and its not something you can practice at depth without ruining the coms gear.

Depends on the Comm gear you have. I dive an AGA for work and part of the training course is removing and replacing the mask at depth. The Comm gear still works and is in the mask when we remove it.

To the OP, I agree with some of the other posters who have said it is a bit much for rec diving. I do not like the way it limits my field of view. I am also not a fan of using the little nose blocks for clearing my ears. In general I find it useful, but prefer not to use if I don't have to.

 

[joh]

Puking under water becomes a different thing...

yuk - always thought about that one!

and what about a fogged mask?

 

[Meng_Tze]

yuk - always thought about that one!

and what about a fogged mask?

This one takes LOT of spit..:mooner:

 

[FFMDiver]

Just practiced a bail out this weekend in my AGA, not really a fun experience....
Took a nice gulp of 49 degree water in the process and forced myself to recover on the bottom. Better keep the spare mask in a place that is EASY to get to...I had mine in a side pocket on the plate and took minutes to retrieve it...not good. The necklace 2nd is a must.... I'm not a deep diver like most guys here so I love it for diving.

 

[Lucy's Diver]

AGA's don't fog because of how the air is delivered across the mask face plate.

Removal and recovery is not easy, esp demand AGA's because its free flowing until you manually shut it down.

A bite reg second stage around your neck helps. Get it in your mouth ASAP, then take your time getting the AGA positioned on your head and face. You should keep breathing on the bite reg until the last moment (AGA straps over head, AGA held away from face ready to drop onto face, top of AGA on forehead) and spit it out just before you drop the AGA onto your face and begin the clearing process.

I still don't think its the way to go on regular scuba. If you don't need coms bite reg is simpler and there's just no need to get more complex.

 

[Lucy's Diver]

To Lucky's diver,

Could you explain what is different and esp. "painfull" about clearing, removing, etc. I would like to know more about this subject?

Also when folks say these are not cheep, what price range do these things start?

When you get it back on your face you have to purge. If you forgot to close your eyes it hurts. If you remembered to close your eyes it blasts water and, as the water clears, air up your nose. You're holding down the purge button for awhile while this is going on, that's a lot more volume that a regular mask. If you open your mouth it'll blast water into your mouth potentially starting a gag reflex.
You can close your eyes and mouth, but there's not much you can do about your nose.

 

[doghouse]

If you go wiht a full face, make sure you add to your buddy procedure how you will be doing air share. it kinda freaked me out this weekend.

 

[cummings66]

AGA is a great mask, reliable to boot. However another mask that's a bit easier to deal with is the Mantis, you take your existing reg and place in it and away you go. It's a bit easier to do mask doff and dons with and cheaper.

In any event, a FFM requires you pay close attention to your air supply. You do not want to run out, but if you do it's not a big deal. Practice is fun, those masks will shoot so much air out you'd think a tank burst if you watched from the surface, lots of bubbles.

PS,

For recreational diving they are very nice if the bottom temps get into the mid 30's, that warm face is so nice it's hard to describe the benefits. Dry hood, FFM, dry glovews and boots make me a happy diver in those low 30's.

 

[drrich2]

I dive with my wife & a friend. I have a beard so I didn't try the FFM, but my wife & buddy did; an AGA Interspiro II. They both liked it. Seemed to go through air a tad faster, but no fogging, very resistant to flooding, comfortable & they could breathe through their noses. Was a bit more challenging to equalize in than a regular mask. But I believe both preferred it to their regular scuba masks.

Richard.

 

[CBulla]

having a few dives with FFM in a fresh water environment where we practiced skills and some lift bag tasks, I appreciate very much the pos pressure and com aspects of it. I can see other applications of it in fun diving I do.. but not all of it

Com is very nice to have added to ffm