"Best" cave mask

[crazyduck]

Mask are a very personal choice for diving and its one of those things that if it makes you happy then hey great.

At the last DEMA I meet up with this company.
http://www.prescriptiondivemasks.com/
Prescription Dive Masks 1-800-538-2878
I thought that they were GREAT! I saw their product at their booth and they had tons of masks. They will do single lens masks, double lens masks, near sighted scripts and the rest. There pricing is very good compared to the industry as a whole. I had a buddy and OW instructor give them a try and was VERY pleased.

Andrew

[FW]

I just got a transparent skirt version of the mask I have been using for years. It does fine, until someone shines a light onto the side of my face, then I am blinded.

Another issue is fit. It doesn't do much good to get a mask that everyone recommends, if it leaks

[Stu]

Mask choice is completely personal IMO. Given that you need to look where your light is pointing in cave diving anyway, I find that it's easy to get used to looking up to look at the ceiling. Mask skirt shouldn't make any difference at all to that.

Naturally, I find that one with a mirror is best so I can see if my valves are leaking....

[jammer]

Well as I said I seen the mask and said no thanks and was not even interested in trying it but after I took my contacts out and tried it I was very impressed. I know it is a personal option to wear what you want and all but unless you try it you will never understand what is does or what you gain from wearing it. Like I said I am not trying to sell you on it I was just saying is was a great mask. And yes I have dove manatee springs with it also and I like it better than any other mask I have used in high flow.

[Moonfuzzy]

I like the 'big eye' masks, they offer a larger field of view than standard masks do. I also prefer the black skirts - for a similar reason to FW - the clear skirts just show me unrecognizable light images off to the edges and I found them distracting... and they were just bad if someone shined their light near you ; )

[normblitch]

I like the 'big eye' masks, they offer a larger field of view than standard masks do. I also prefer the black skirts - for a similar reason to FW - the clear skirts just show me unrecognizable light images off to the edges and I found them distracting... and they were just bad if someone shined their light near you ; )

(in the OW community) the advent of white/clear silicon masks in the '80's mitigated the mild claustrophobia (in maybe 10% of beginners) caused by the tunnel vision effect of opaque sides/skirts in the then high volumn designs...

Norm

[Jordan]

I like the 'big eye' masks, they offer a larger field of view than standard masks do. I also prefer the black skirts - for a similar reason to FW - the clear skirts just show me unrecognizable light images off to the edges and I found them distracting... and they were just bad if someone shined their light near you ; )

I found that with the big eye mask, it was too hard to see ahead/up when positioned in proper trim. My poor neck. It was OK for seeing down (gauges, floor). I'm afraid I'd miss every dome with the big eye - unless I swam upside down (which I have been practicing lately in my sidemount rig).

[Moonfuzzy]

I'm afraid I'd miss every dome with the big eye - unless I swam upside down (which I have been practicing lately in my sidemount rig).

I guess that is how I deal with it - I often turn onto my back to look at the ceilings.. but I did that with me old masks also ; )

[Puttzer]

OK: I'm looking for a mask with the best possible vertical view, followed by lateral and then lower. And a good fit wouldn't be bad.

It seems all the reviews I have found are full of lower view, lateral view but nothing about upper view (where the ceiling is)

I'd really appreciate hearing from all of you with your opinions.

And the answer is?

For me, it turned out to be the newest Dive Rite mask, ES125. Upward vision better that Mythos and the best I've had yet, lateral better than Mundial, my usual cave mask. And as comfortable on my face as any mask I've worn.