Mask question, Purge or not to Purge!

[Air On]

I'm equiping up for my first Scuba Class.
I've skimmed over the boards and gleened some pearls of wisdom.

I talked to an x-coworker of mine who has been dive certified since 1973.
(Still has an origional aqualing though its moth balled)

His advice was to make SURE that i invested in a mask with a purge and good feild of vision. The purge he said was a huge deal when diving deep though not so important at <5 feet of water.

The vision part doesn't seem to be a problem, but a mask with a purge valve does seem to be rare in the masks I'm finding?

The Mares X vision and the Sherwood Magnum 2 seemed to fit/seal and have good vision feild. Neither appears to have a purge option?

I looked around and they apprear to not really make them anymore outside of models like the Aqualung Pacifica/Altlantica, retro models?

The Lady at a dive shop i visited said that purge was not effective and a tip back lift mask nose blow was the best clearing method and most efficient.

The guy i know and respect who is very old school claimes that when tired or at depth a purge valve is the best and most efficient method.

I'd like to get some more oppinions, all though the lack of purge valves available in masks may force the issues resolution.

PS: As a side bar both he (the old school diver) and I have moustaches and coarse wiskers that don't seem to seal perfectly with ANY masks? (Someone mentioned putting petrolium jelly on the moustache to allow the skirt to seal.)

PSS: I know its a old/recycled topic but they seemed a little older posts and the availability of the valve masks now seems to be a newer issue?

 

[Kaiviti]

I prefer a mask without the purge. I recently bought some new gear and tried the purge but i didn't like it. I got the tusa visualator and i love it. The mask is huge when compared to others. If it fills ( very rarely, only times have been when i have fillled it on purpose), i just push on the mask at the my forehead and breathe out through the nose. This works fine. I just think the purge is more a gimmick idea. Plus, it means more maintence on the mask.

 

[scubatn]

Crystal vu by Scubapro makes a mask with a purge valve. My two daughters recently got certified and had real problems with the mask clearing skills. They wanted to try purge valves because they thought it might be easier. When it was all said and done they ended up using and liking the masks without the purge better. I prefer not to have the valve. Ask the dive shop you are taking your classws with if you can try a mask with a valve and one without. Most shops are very helpful with this.

 

[HilaryRN71]

I'm equiping up for my first Scuba Class.
I've skimmed over the boards and gleened some pearls of wisdom.

I talked to an x-coworker of mine who has been dive certified since 1973.
(Still has an origional aqualing though its moth balled)

His advice was to make SURE that i invested in a mask with a purge and good feild of vision. The purge he said was a huge deal when diving deep though not so important at <5 feet of water.

The vision part doesn't seem to be a problem, but a mask with a purge valve does seem to be rare in the masks I'm finding?

The Mares X vision and the Sherwood Magnum 2 seemed to fit/seal and have good vision feild. Neither appears to have a purge option?

I looked around and they apprear to not really make them anymore outside of models like the Aqualung Pacifica/Altlantica, retro models?

The Lady at a dive shop i visited said that purge was not effective and a tip back lift mask nose blow was the best clearing method and most efficient.

The guy i know and respect who is very old school claimes that when tired or at depth a purge valve is the best and most efficient method.

I'd like to get some more oppinions, all though the lack of purge valves available in masks may force the issues resolution.

PS: As a side bar both he (the old school diver) and I have moustaches and coarse wiskers that don't seem to seal perfectly with ANY masks? (Someone mentioned putting petrolium jelly on the moustache to allow the skirt to seal.)

Well you're going to get alot of opinions on this. I have owned several masks and loved two, my Cressi-Sub Big Eye and my Scubapro CrystalVu, which I'm using currently. My other half has the Crystalvu with a purge and he really likes it. It doesn't leak, purges efficiently and it's a great mask. I have used it and did NOT like it...the problem being that I have to equalize my ears using the "nose squeeze" method...and that as a FEMALE, I have a smaller nose and have hard time reaching my nose to clear. My spouse has a decidedly bigger honker, and did not have this same problem.

Not everyone has to clear this way, alot of people can swallow to equalize their ears, or just wiggle their jaw. I have non-pliable eardrums or something. But I think both have their values, it's really a case of preference. I prefer non-purge. I've been pretty tired on a dive...and a pretty deep on a dive, and never found myself too tired to clear my mask.

 

[CompuDude]

No purge. One more place to leak. Plus it's harder to equalize the air pressure in your mask. Tried and true will work every time.

 

[ChrisA]

The single most importent thing in selecting a mask is "fit". Stick the mask on your face and don't use the strap. Let the strap hang in front of you below your chin. Push the mask on liek a suction cup. Now shake your head and try to shake the mask loose. It should stay on for a half minute or so. If the seal does not work well enough for that test try another.

I could tell you what I use but if your face is not like mine the fit would not be the same.

If you find several that fit then look at other features. It is best if the mak traps the smallest amount of air and if the field of vision is large. I like black mask skirts they block light and I think give a sharper view.

The valve is not needed. just one more thing to break/fail and is a sharp pointy thing that will hit your nose.

Next: Don't let them sell you an expensive snorkle. Simple cheap and durable is what you want.

 

[Kevrumbo]

I've got hard contacts and sometimes one (or both!:11 can pop out into the mask; a purge valve in this instance is invaluable --keeping my mask clear of water while still retaining that popped-out lens for recovery when I surface. . .

 

[Air On]

The single most importent thing in selecting a mask is "fit". Stick the mask on your face and don't use the strap. Let the strap hang in front of you below your chin. Push the mask on liek a suction cup. Now shake your head and try to shake the mask loose. It should stay on for a half minute or so. If the seal does not work well enough for that test try another.

I could tell you what I use but if your face is not like mine the fit would not be the same.

If you find several that fit then look at other features. It is best if the mak traps the smallest amount of air and if the field of vision is large. I like black mask skirts they block light and I think give a sharper view.

The valve is not needed. just one more thing to break/fail and is a sharp pointy thing that will hit your nose.

Next: Don't let them sell you an expensive snorkle. Simple cheap and durable is what you want.

I did try on ALL the masks at the dive shop I visited... NONE of them sealed prefectly. I have very hard/thick wiskers. Without holding the skirt of the mask under my nose nothing seated. I did shave back the hair of my moustache from my nose a little farther and plan on trying another shop and more masks to see if it helps.

I'm not going to buy expensive gear. The wanted to charge $80 for some basic fins. I ended up getting some Jet fins from Joediver for a lot less. (I don't like the bright colored or overly mechanical/jointed/split fins I see everywhere.)

I have a snorkle from 10 years ago. It will serve me very well.
I just need a mask and boots still. The mask seems to be the hard part!

 

[Kaiviti]

I have the whole goatee beard thing going on. What i find works best is vaseline. Just rub some of that over and i am great. The amount depends on the thickness of the beard.

 

[Damselfish]

I guess there's a few good reasons for some people to use one. But I suspect the most common reason for people to get them is that when they're new and haven't actually tried it yet, it just sounds like a good idea - seems intuitive that it would make clearing easier. And that's not really a good reason since it's not true for most people and can have drawbacks. Or maybe they've experienced a mask that leaks and think a purge is the fix, when really they just need to be looking for the proper fit.

Once someone 1) has learned to clear a regular mask and 2) understands the pros and cons - if they then decide they'd prefer a purge, then whatever. The contact thing is interesting, haven't heard that one before but makes sense. A problematic mustache that just can't be dealt with by any of the usual tricks might be too, but I think getting it to not leak to begin with is always better.

(I don't see how depth matters and a mask isn't any harder to clear when you're deeper. And if you're too tired to clear your mask, you probably shouldn't have gotten in the water to begin with!)