My New Dive Mask: Mares Vision X

Posted on July 17th, 2006.

Getting a new dive mask can put a completely different perspective on your scuba diving

A quick note about my new dive mask, which I bought just before going to the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia. I got the Mares Vision X Dive Mask, which has a much bigger lens size and is closer to the face than the previous masks I’ve used. I paid 2400 Thai Baht ($63 US) for it and then another 2400 Baht for prescription lenses. These were snap-in lenses which were done direct in the shop - they weren’t exact matches for my eyes, but good enough given the 33 per cent magnification given by the water. It was a real bonus having the convenience of being able to walk out the shop with the dive mask and corrective lenses already installed. If you’re in Bangkok, the dive shop is called Planet Scuba. (And f you are a PADI Instructor, you get a 20 per cent discount too, which is always handy).

Having defogged my new dive mask with soapy water to remove the manufacturer’s protective film, I headed off to the Perhentians. I was a touch worried the new mask might decide to fog or prove uncomfortable, so I took an old mask with me as well. Turned out I had nothing to worry about. The new mask not only fitted my face fine - I’d already done the snort test in the shop, where you put the mask on your face and breathe in; if it sticks to your face, it’s a good fit - but I could suddenly see far more than I was used to underwater! The extra lens size at the bottom of the lens made a remarkable difference.

Not only that, it also solved a particular unpleasant foible of my previous mask. When tipping my head backwards to look at the surface, my previous mask would let water in under my nose - the result being I’d get water up my nose, which was not good at all. The new mask has a much better seal and so I can look all around me without fear of sudden flooding.

So, there you go - a wholly subjective review and a definite thumbs up for the Mares Vision X Dive Mask. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you need corrective lenses.