Are expensive masks worth the extra money?

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I'll weigh in here a little bit. As as been stated....fit is most important. Mask cost is irrelevant. The only mask worth spending $$$ money on is a full face mask (ffm) because they don't leak, don't fog and don't leave your mouth sore from biting down on a 2nd stage mouthpiece. But they're a bit more cumbersome and take a bit to get used to at first. And with them comes the need to carry a spare mask (if you don't already) just in case you need to switch out of the ffm for whatever reason, an out of air situation for example. And switching out of one can be a bit more daunting since the 2nd stage is integrated into the mask itself. So when you remove the mask, you're removing your breathing air source, too. Only for a few seconds but it takes some getting used to. You do also have slightly higher air consumption in a ffm, too. So there's my "sales pitch" for you to ponder. Expensive? Yes. But worth it.
 
My masks tend to be more expensive because I have prescription lenses installed. That being said, those lenses were the single-best investment I made in my dive gear. "Oh! THAT'S what my buddy has been seeing all these years! FISH!"
 
TUSA Freedom HD costs $80 and it is probably one the best masks in the market, if not the best in terms of quality and features.
Boy, I like that! Is the field of view as massive as it would seem?
 
Boy, I like that! Is the field of view as massive as it would seem?
Frameless masks will give you more field of view but TUSA freedom HD is great.
 
Frameless masks will give you more field of view but TUSA freedom HD is great.

I went down to my LDS yesterday to check out the TUSA FHD. I brought along my Atomic Frameless to compare.
You are right about the FOV. Even though the TUSA window is enormous, the low volume Atomic positioned closer to the face more than made up for its smaller glass. But both were excellent.
As for fit, I don't have a problem with a lot of masks, but the TUSA felt particularly cozy. It seemed to naturally and smoothly conform to my face.
But, I've rarely had an issue with the Atomic leaking, plus I'd have to transfer my gage readers to a new mask. So, even though the TUSA seemed to be an excellent mask I left the shop empty handed but with $80.00 still in my pocket.
Even though I love my Atomic I can also recommend that someone shopping for a new mask should check out the TUSA.
 
I went down to my LDS yesterday to check out the TUSA FHD. I brought along my Atomic Frameless to compare.
You are right about the FOV. Even though the TUSA window is enormous, the low volume Atomic positioned closer to the face more than made up for its smaller glass. But both were excellent.
As for fit, I don't have a problem with a lot of masks, but the TUSA felt particularly cozy. It seemed to naturally and smoothly conform to my face.
But, I've rarely had an issue with the Atomic leaking, plus I'd have to transfer my gage readers to a new mask. So, even though the TUSA seemed to be an excellent mask I left the shop empty handed but with $80.00 still in my pocket.
Even though I love my Atomic I can also recommend that someone shopping for a new mask should check out the TUSA.

TUSA’s silicon is what differentiates this mask from the rest. I have never seen a mask with an over-engineered silicon (in a good way) that has so many nuances and properties. In some areas of this mask the silicon is thicker, ultra thin, has ridges, feels rubbery (outside) or slippery and silk smooth (as mentioned in the video, TUSA calls it Freedom Dry Technology).
The buckle system is amazing.
This video shows all the details about this mask.

Mine is blue

My DGX Ultra View frameless mask has greater field of view because my eyes are very close to the glass. But unfortunately my eyelashes brush the glass and smudge it. I like TUSA better.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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