Wish I could find a mask that fits

[Artimas]

I have been through about 10 masks, all of which have fit in the store, and all of which have leaked badly while diving.

While diving, I try really hard not to wiggle my facial muscles and break any seal that exists. I shave, and have no facial hair. I do the sniff test with a regulator in my mouth in the store, and all have seemed to fit. I have been "fitted" by several different shop employees with a lot of experience, to no avail.

My current mask is an Atomic Frameless. Leaks badly.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

 

[danvolker]

If you have a narrow face, versus a wide face, you might do much better with a Freedive Mask --from a Freedive Shop....the Freedive community caters to a much more "lean" market than does the general scuba diving industry, and the freedive masks tend to create better seals than most scuba masks for the very fit people I know with challenges in scuba masks like you have. Also, the seal on the freedive masks tend to be wider and softer, as freedivers really can't afford to be leaking as much as scuba divers can...and many freedivers will not want to push a lot of air into their mask on a drop---so the mask needs to be able to deform alot without leaking....
Should be worth a try.

Here in Palm Beach, we have the Florida Freedivers shop.... masks like this one would be worth trying out Omer Alien Ocean Mimetic - Masks

 

[aceupmysleeve777]

This link may help you. The Scuba Diver Girls put alot of work into this info. Check it out it may help.

Scuba Diver Girls | SDG asks, ?How Do I Find the Perfect Mask??

 

[PinkInkScuba]

Hollis M-1 fan here.

 

[j2s]

When you say 'fit' what do you mean ?????........A 'good' mask [one that won't leak ] will 'seal', easily, when you put it on [w/o the strap ] and inhale thru your nose to the point that you can not breathe in any more and the mask stays on your face.......I have a friend who is a commercial oil rig diver, but when we rec. dive he uses round children's masks from K-Mart/Walmart........Price shouldn't be a factor, what works should.......

 

[rickyd]

When you try on a mask in the shop, to you have a regulator (or a mouthpiece) in your mouth? It changes the whole shape of your face.

 

[triplecove]

One too many facial piercings?

 

[freewillie]

A couple of tips. Don't overtighten the straps. If you finish your dive with very prominent markings from the mask it is on too tight. The pressure of the water should be enough to hold the mask in place without having to overtighten the strap. Also make sure the skirt is not folded on itself when you put your mask on. My maks started flooding once and nothing seemed to stop the flow. I must have literally blown through 300 PSI in just a few minutes. I eventually took my gloves off, checked the skirt, and the problems stopped. Also, make sure the angle of the strap isn't too high or too low. Either can affect how the mask sits on your face.

My prefered mask is the Atomic midsize since I have a smaller face. It doesn't fit my daughter well, and she does better with a Cressi Eyes (not the Big Eyes).

Hope that helps.

 

[RJP]

I have been through about 10 masks, all of which have fit in the store, and all of which have leaked badly while diving.

While diving, I try really hard not to wiggle my facial muscles and break any seal that exists. I shave, and have no facial hair. I do the sniff test with a regulator in my mouth in the store, and all have seemed to fit. I have been "fitted" by several different shop employees with a lot of experience, to no avail.

My current mask is an Atomic Frameless. Leaks badly.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

To be quite honest - unless your head/face is literally square - if you have gone through TEN masks, I'm betting YOU are doing something wrong - either in how you are trying/buying them or how you are wearing them. If you try on a mask correctly in the store, it's nearly impossible to have it "leak badly" when you actually get it in the water.

With no other information I would bet that you are putting it on too tightly - my experience is that most divers with leaky masks are under the faulty impression that they need to tighten a mask to get it to fit. When it leaks, they tighten them even more. Which causes more leaks.

That said, the Atomic Frameless comes in two sizes... did you know that? Which size do you have? Did you try the other size?

 

[bumcikaz]

i had the same problrm with masks leaking, i tried tusa visio pro mask and it awesome! instructor had a hard time flooding my mask at check out dives