Curved lenses for masks.

[# 2]

I reasently built up a ski goggle looking dive mask. With a flully wrapped acrylic lense. Great Perefreal vission, binocular vission to the sides, and very little or no distortion in air. BUT under water shaky double vission and a few curves. Any idears??
I know Oakley spend alot of money promoting the optics of their M frames etc. And tapper the lenses to the side to =ise the apparant thickness from the middle out and pay attention to the vert and horizontal raddi. BUT again this is in air - lense - air not water - lense - air.
How do I eliminate under water distortion with a curved lense? Is it poss. (I asume you will then have distortion above water)

# 2.

 

[SASpearo]

Well, number 2 ...

I can suggest starting with a few details. Most people here won't answer on a question like this because it seems like you're affraid of us by not telling us a bit about yourself.

You can start with your profile, and if you feel like it, fill in some details in this thread

Then I'd try to get the lenses of your glasses a little thinner. I had a look at some VERY low volume, VERY curved goggles the other day - the lenses were SUPER thin. No distortion whatsoever - above or below water. And it's not shaped crystal either - the builder (keep guessing guys - it's almost on the market) has assured me that it's a very easy process, and that it's very cheap to manufacture. I've taken a pair down to -35m, and only had to equalize them once. Now that's impressive in my books.

You might also want to chat to Eric Fattah about optics - he'll be able to steer you in the right direction.

Good luck, number Two ....

We need more information, number six ...

SOMEONE tell me where that comes from ....

 

[icarus pacific]

I'm not the bigget fan of acrylic for mask lenses, but even moreso am I not going to correct this guy's spelling...:head

sven

 

[# 2]

Thanks SAspearo Thats good advise I think. The lens on my mask was about .75mm thick. I am very interested in this guys mask it is sounds fab, how thick was his lens?
Re. my profile. I'm sorry to hear this may seem as tho I fear people here. That may be a little true and I hope I would feel at least a bit exited to meet new people. A bit about me. I value willingness to speak your truth, risk a little, comissurate and cellerbrate . I njoy experimenting and thinking out side the square and love it when I find others willing to go there with me. I was born in Tanzania. I love my mum, my dad and my brother, I respect and admire my Granparents and have quite alot of trouble spelling things traditionally. Thats me.
I share a common love of the sea with you guys and would like to be able to share my experiences and ideas with you. I hope you can welcome me here.

Yours # 2

Keep talking to me about this curved mask. I'm just gagin to try my baggy trowsers & snoboard under water. ; }

 

[Erik]

Welcome #2! Good people here.
Octo, that's from "The Prisoner" , I believe...."you are the new #6 "....right?
Cheers,
Erik Y.

 

[# 2]

Thanks Eric. I'm honoured. Saspearo could we see any pictures of the mask you tried? I'm very exited by this idea.

P.S. # 2 is from "Austin Powers" and yes I even have the eye patch.
#

 

[icarus pacific]

In the interest of curves and karma...

Ya gotta love a guy that spells "honored" in King's english. That, and people start to wank...

USDivers and I think it was Voit tried to do the curved mask thing a while back but it was more of a novelty. Diving Systems International also tried to do a curved port on their gas hats, but we kept scratching them and I could never get used to not having to have my face right smack next to the work in order to see.

I think it'd be a interesting exercise to get some acrylic sheet and using the old lenses as a template, cut out and then heat form them to the desired arc, then mount them back in the rubber skirt of the mask. But I think that after all is said and done, going with a conventional low volume mask would be the better use of time.

sven

 

[Erik]

You can't beat the new Cressi Minima....the best (for deep).
Erik Y.

 

[Longfins]

masks

#2,

A company called Water Way that makes monofins also makes swim masks that are very similar to what you described: ski-mask style, wrap-around vision, etc. You may want to get a hold of one so that if it works for you, you can go spend time in the blue instead of (tinkering) in the garage.

the site is www.finswimworld.com

Peter

 

[# 2]

Thanks Peter and Eric. I had a look at that sight!!... I'm what I would call a comfort zone diver and am more interested in the view and being one with the fishes than in going very deep. I just love it out there and some distortion free perrferial vision would be sooo cool... Those goggles look like almst exactly what I'm after. A med-low volume mask is all I need. I do njoy the surfacing reinhail. I'd be keen to hear from any one that has used/tryed on these masks. For anyone else that likes a big field of view while playing arround in 20m I would seriously recommend they check these out. If they don't distort and you can get to your nose they could be fantastic! http://www.finswimworld.com/Frameswimming.htm will take you straight to a picture. I've contacted them with these questions and will let you know what I learn. BTW I heard that DIVEINN now has Picasso fins avialable )
Thanks again guys. (Saspearo any news on when thouse masks you trailed could be for sale?)

# 2.

 

[SASpearo]

Dudes and dudette's

I've been visiting my folks for the past week or so, I'm currently 600km away from the closest (salty) dive spot. BUT, I've been able to sneek in a couple of 10 - 15m dives in a disused quarry closeby - not many people know about it, it's on private land.

I've taken the newest pre-beta testing release mask into the water. I also took the first mask I talked about with, as well as one or two interesting modified masks that the guys had with them.

Well, as per the last time, the first mask was quite cool - it had great vision both above and below water, an extremely low volume (eyelashes touches the plate, it feels like you're pulling your eyes out when you remove them), but there was horrid mask squeeze at about 30 meters. Like real bad.

The new mask has been modified quite a bit - for example the frame has been broadened, making the rubber skirt smaller. They've also started using another type of rubber for the skirt, it's pretty cool. Result - slight squeeze at 15m (bottom unfortunately) Vision is still the same, the lenses wrap around the side of your eyes, so there's no blind corners. It's like not wearing a mask at all.

Some of the other masks were just hybrid testing things - you can't realle call them fully fledged masks. They've built one that has a built-in nose clip that can be released and closed at will, using your hand. They've hinted at a similar mask with a mouth-operation ..... they must be reading these forums as well ....

Then there's the mask with what amounts to a lense and a huge soft rubber skirt. This one was interesting .... very very comfortable, but not really practical due to squeeze. I don't think this one will see much of life ...

Then there was another one or two interesting ideas - I'm apparantly not at liberty to discuss them. Or show pictures - damn!

They're negotiating with Cressi at the moment, someone saw their masks and had to have a chat. So it might go to them. The guys don't have a huge budget to work on, so starting up a large-scale operation is a no-no. They said that they want to do some deep testing (I've mentioned my 35m dive with the old one, they've laready taken it to 70m(on scuba) so I'm thinking ... "deep testing" ??? DAMN !!!)

I'll let you guys know if and when they go into production. Or if Cressi's interested enough to buy it. And I'll see if I can steal a photo or two ... he he he

 

[# 2]

Truley magnificient work Saspearo! It seems the shape of masks is about to change. I am very intereseted in the thin lensed touch your eye lashes beasty. Tell Cressi most of my diving buddies and I would buy them tomorrow if they made them.
Thanks again Sa. you've been a good guide and a great help. Let us know of any photo and production updates

# 2

P.S. Hows this for an idea, the likes of the Seal mask or Galilao mask or just straight swimming goggles, hooked up through some nose plugs with artificial arterry tubes (easy to get if your partner is a nurse) and a Y junction. Just squeze the tube to =ize your ears. Bit of an extention of the pipe mask idea.

 

[Walrus]

Making a very low volume mask

I've had some success by gluing lenses from USD Seal goggles into a Dacor bandit Mask. It works - really low volume but vision is a bit distorted. I'm guessing it probably at least halved the volume.

I cut away the outside part of the plastic lenses of the bandit(making it flush with the frame), leaving just enough to hold the rubberskirt in. Then I cut & shaped the lens from the goggle into 2 lenses and glued them INSIDE the bandit mask. The lens is very close to the eye, I haven't had any problems with comfort though.

I think where it went wrong is that both lenses are on a bit of an angle(pointing outwards from each other) so once you are in the water it is a bit like being cross eyed.
If the lenses where glued in at the correct angle I'm sure the vision would be very similar to using the Seal goggles or Sphera mask.

I've used it a few times to try out some deeper dives down to 41m. The vision is OK, but equalizing is so much easier. It makes my Cressi Ochio mask seem like a high volume mask.

P.S. I bought the Seal goggles for only $5 so I didn't feel too guilty about cutting them up.

 

[SASpearo]

Equalizing ears ....

#2

Sounds great on paper. Only problem is you have to put pressure on your ears from the inside - and there's no way that I'd plug artificial anything into my head ....

The guys have gone into what they term "extensive talks" with Cressi. They sound very excited. Maybe it's a lucky break for SA freedivers ...