women gear

[Kat]

It's the best!
While fitting it, I had a problem with gagging, but trimmed it down. (As advised in the directions) My jaw no longer aches.

 

[Sergik]

Ventura midi was designed for small-face women.
http://www.technisub.com/it/venturamidi.htm

 

[aquagirl]

As a follow-up, I checked for some of the masks recommended to me on this site which included:
Seaquest vision
Mares Target
SeaVision Ultra
Oceanic outlook
Mares X-Vision
Oceanic shadow and mini shadow
SeaVision Shadow
ScubaPro Fino mask
Mares Lirica
Ventura midi

But most shops did not carry the style I was looking for. I saw ScubaPro masks but not the Fino mask, I saw the SeaVision Ultra, Mares X-Vision, and Oceanic shadow (not mini) - all which didn't work for me. I had to pick one out before my trip so I choose Genesis Icon. It seemed to fit well but I was worried it may be too small. It may have been meant for kids. Still, I didn't think I had much of a choice so I bought it. It was too small once I had the reg or snorkel in my mouth. Depending on my facial expression the water would leak through the sides. I went back to my older mask which has some leakage because it's too big but its a much more controllable leakage. Back to drawing board. Now that I have more time I will continue to look for the 'right' mask.

 

[DeputyDan]

use Subapro 380's due to the size and how if affects them.

I use one so that they will know my gear as their buddy.

 

[Raven C]

Keep trying them on to see how they fit. Honestly, there will be a combination of things that affect the fit of your mask. My hood also affects the fit so I have to make sure that I situate it correctly. The reg and mouthpiece are both important to me for mask fit and to prevent my jaws from aching. When I tried gear in the past, I noticed that the reg and mouthpiece were a big part of the fit for my mask. Also, the straps play a part. The way I place my hair in my hood or if I had a ponytail that got in the way.

I remember when I bought my Fino; I would take my old mask (US Divers) as a backup. They resembled each other and one day when I was diving the aquarium in Charleston, I had lots of problems with leakage. It was also the first time I had worn a hood. Hoods are necessary in the aquarium because the fish try to pull your hair a lot. I thought it was all the hood. Anyway I was really upset because I had not had any problems with my Fino up to this point. After my first dive I realized that I had the wrong mask and after changing, I was so glad I had my Fino. It was well worth the money I paid for it. At the aquarium you use their gear, which really is a drag, so I take my micro mouth piece and zip tie it on. I keep one with me for times like that. It makes a world of difference for me.

The point to reiterating most of this is to say that trying a mask on dry sometimes doesn’t give you the opportunity to discover the right choice. Maybe you can find a dive shop that will allow you to try gear in a pool. That is what I did and it made a big difference. Anyone can walk into a shop and place a mask on their face, suck in and see if it stays; but, getting wet with a reg in your mouth and the opportunity to change out mouth pieces and try a hood will allow you to see what is best for you. Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for soon because every dive will be better after that. R

 

[aquagirl]

Thanks RavenC. I see some of these masks on the respective websites and wish I could find a place where I could try these on but even if the websites provide retailers that 'sell' their equipment most of them either don't or do not have much.
It would be great to try them on in the pool. I'll ask the shops next time around.

About the mouth piece, what do you mean by a zip tie for it? I would love to place my own mouth piece on a reg. What mouth piece do you use and how does it work with the 'zip tie'?

 

[Raven C]

A ziptie is a thin piece of plastic that comes in various lengths and sizes. I purchased a bag with a variety of sizes in it at Lowes (a local hardware store) and I keep them in my Save A Dive kit. One end has a hole in it and you stick the other end through the hold to make a circle. Once the tie is in the hole around whatever you wish to secure you pull it and zip is closed and tighten. They are inexpensive and easy to use. To remove you just cut it loose with a knife or scissors. One cut and usually it is off.

I have a micro mouthpiece you can get them over the counter. It is very small and it makes a difference for me.

Where are you anyway? Are you close to SC? You can come try my gear if that is a possibility for you. R

 

[aquagirl]

Thanks RavenC. That's creative. I can easily find the ziptie at a Lowe's near me and I'm sure I can find a mouthpiece but I never used one before. Is that a norm that I could get the dive shop to help me set it up the first time? or is it easy to set up? I'm in NY so SC may be tough for me but I appreciate the offer to check out your gear.

 

[Jaxscubadiver]

I have found that the Cressi focus mask fits well on a smaller face, it is fairly low volume and has a nice profile. As for womens bc's the Zeagle Zena still rates on the top of my list. It is a modular built bc which allows for a custom fit at no additional charge. You won't be able to get that custom fit over the internet, you would have to visit you LDC, this would allow you to try different size componets of the bc to fit your figure. What part of the country are you in?

 

[MNStarfish]

Believe it or not, try Wal-Mart or Target.

My husband had the opposite problem and he found his mask at Wal-Mart for $19.99 after going from shop to shop and spending hundreds on other masks. USDiver works for him.

Try Wal-Mart and other water/sport sections for masks. They also make "children" sizes which may work for smaller faces. Bass Pro-sport has a boating section that sells wetsuits, masks, fins, etc.