Cressi Superocchio or Sporasub Sniper?

[Sickboy]

Hello all. I've been lurking around lately, not having much to say, just enjoying the great discussions which have been going on.

andrsn mentioned that Diveinn is now selling Cressi stuff (well spotted buddy :king), at a great price, so I'm going to get a pair or Gara HF fins.

I've been looking to get a low volume mask too. I'm currently using Cressi Big Eyes, which have great visibility and pretty low volume, but I wanted to see the difference a proper freediving mask would make.

So here's my question :
Does anyone have any experience with the Sporasub Sniper mask? Is it meant to be a low volume mask? I'm trying to decide between that and the Cressi Superocchio, which according to Erik is the same as the Sporasub Samurai. Is the Sniper the newer model from Sporasub?

The Sporasub site (www.sporasub.fr) hasn't been updated in ages. :naughty It still says "see you in December for our new product line!". Anyone know if they are coming out with new stuff, like fins or masks?

I know I have to base my choice on fit, and I've tried the superocchios, but if the Sniper is any good, I'll do some further research.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

Dive safe....

Terry

 

[cjborgert]

Terry,

I've not tried either mask, but for what it is worth, I have scrutinized the Superocchio in one of the local dive shops and it seems to be very similar to my Omer Abyss. I LOVE my Abyss mask.

It took me a while to acclimate to the smaller field of vision, but after using it for freediving the past 6 months, I may even have to start using it for underwater hockey despite the reduced field of vision because it is just so much more comfortable than anything else I have.

So, I guess I would try the Superocchio.

 

[icarus pacific]

I'm with CJB, the OMER abyss is just the greatest mask if it fits. The reflective lenses defintely add tto the coolness factor as well as keep your eyes dilated for the darker water.

sven

 

[cjborgert]

Coolness aside

Thanks Sven,

I needed an excuse to buy the tinted lens model . . . an excuse that the One Who Must Be Obeyed would understand. I hadn't thought of how severely my pupils were constricting with these clear lenses. She wouldn't want me to get lost down in some cavern just because my eyes had not adjusted to the dim light conditions (well, at least most days she wouldn't).

[Many thanks to Scott for taking this photo:]

 

[icarus pacific]

Hey CJB-
Much love, but there's something about going down a hole, with an occasional avenue here and there, and with roofs, all while holding my breath that just doesn't make me wanna book a flight East, ya know?:duh But when in Rome, I guess.

Give my regards to the Grand Overseer and I'll not tell her about the lust in your heart for a DPV.

sven

 

[cjborgert]

Yeah, but

You only dive in big rooms that aren't silty; you stay out of tunnels; you stay within the light zone, and you watch your head. But you don't have to worry about boats hitting you, losing your boat, currents, sharks, etc.

All that aside, have you ever seen water that clear? Granted, there isn't much down there except some big rocks. I dive the springs because they are close-by. I'd only dive a few times a year if I had to get to the coast each time.

But back to masks: I figured the reflective lens would cut down on light and be worse in the caverns, so I bought the clear lens. But maybe I goofed. Perhaps the reflective lens really would improve my vision in the cavern? We go from a brightly sunlit surface to darkness pretty quickly, and it is DARK. Help me out here Sven, I'm a novice at this stuff.

 

[andrsn]

skirts

you've got the black skirt, you're fine, cjb

i go back and forth from my samourai(mirror tint) to my abyss(yellow tinted) to my superocchio(no tint) all in one day depending on the conditions of the water and bottom. if there's lot's of light, it's the mirrored. if i'm hunting below 15m then it's the yellow, and if it's late in the day/early morning it's the clear. i think as long as you have the black skirt your dilation will be kosher.

anderson

 

[icarus pacific]

True, I'll agree that's about as clear a piece of water as it gets.

Lens tint-wise. if there's light down there that is enough to make you squint, then maybe going to the reflective lenses would help keep your eyes from doing the day/night dance. That's something that I run into with the offshore or open water diving where I'm coming from looking down and across an expanse and then looking up during ascent. I never would have thought it made much of a difference until I started to wear glasses for the far away stuff and got to thinking...

With water that freakin clear I have to think that it gets kind of bright at times, but if it's bright all the way down, no big deal. A good comprimise would be to go with the yellow lenses as Anderson, DB's slave to diving fashion, spoke of. The yellow would increase contrast when things get dim and slightly act as shades for the light-hit towards the surface. Might be worth an experiment to see what the tryout and return ploicy is at your local shop.

Must be nice to be able to just dunk the suit in the water to wash it off at the end of the day, huh? Get thirsty and just crack a smile from the snorkle...

sven

 

[cjborgert]

Bright, then black

You're right Sven: the clarity of the water allows bright light all the way to the bottom . . . until you go under the rocks . . . then it gets dark within just a few feet. Within the "light zone" you can always see the shaft of light when you look back toward the entrance, but there is not much light reflected onto the walls or the ceiling.

So, diving the springs entails an abrupt change from light to dark and back to light. Anything to enhance one's ability to acclimate quickly to the dark helps, but if it cuts down on your ability to see in the dark, that's counter-productive.

I guess I'll have to order the mask and try it. Sounds like it would be useful for diving in the Keys when I get down there anyway.

 

[sturgeon]

Abyss Yellow Lens

I've found that the Abyss yellow lens mask is the best all around choice of the 3 available options (clear, yellow, and mirrored/tinted). The yellow lens tinting provides ample protection to my eyes when the water's clear and the sun's blazing but does not make things too dark when conditions deteriorate. For the record, I am officially sponsored by OMER but I was using their equipment long before that.

Scott Turgeon

 

[Mr. X]

I haven't tried yellow lenses diving yet but would like to. I have used them for cycling & shooting -- they improve contrast noticeably (presumably by cutting down blue light -- which seems dominant especially at dusk). They actually make it seem much lighter (a friend got caught out cycling in near dark conditions a couple of time due to his yellow tints).

 

[Narsil]

I've recently swapped to an Omer Alien Mimentic (green plastic skirt and green camo exterior). Extremely comfortable, decent vision, lowish volume, and it compresses nicely as well, almost as well as my old Sphera.

 

[spear0men]

I have the Ommer/Abyss (tinted) and also the Cressi/Superocchio.
Both of them are AWESOME! I also had (till someone stole it) the Ommer/Bandit... they are all great.
these are similar desings.
Infact these are almost all the same:
Cressi - Superochio
Ommer - Abyss
Spetton - Spetton Mask
Mares/Sporasub - Samurai
There is a very good reason why this design been copied over and over again.
whoever came out with it first (Cresssi? - im not sure) they really nailed it!