Just how important is a low volume mask?
I've been diving freshwater springs for years to about 60ft. I recently decided to get more serious - I got a wetsuit, longblade fins, and a low volume mask. I intend to go a bit deeper in the near future.
Here's the problem.
I've now tried two low volume masks (Sporasub Samurai and Cressi Big Eye) and both leak a bit no matter how tight I make the strap. The leaking doesn't get in my eyes TOO much, although that is a problem. The main problem, however, is the small amount of water that gets in while floating and breathing up, is enough that it "pools" on the lense (always in the same place too, a vertical stripe-type pool directly in front of my right eye) and obscures my vision pretty bad. Makes the whole dive pretty unenjoyable, and when I turn around to ascend, the pool drops into my right eye, and now all of a sudden I'm holding my breath 60 ft deep and worried about losing a contact lense! And if I don't "reset" the mask between dives it just gets worse.
For the past several years I've just used a cheap "U.S. Divers" mask I got from Wal-Mart. It says low volume on the packaging I think, but it's not nearly as small as the Samurai or Big Eye, obviously. But that mask always worked perfectly. No leaks, and crystal clear vision without the "stained glass effect" these unwanted pools of water are giving me.
I've always known I have a big head. I'm wondering if this is my problem with the 2 low-vol masks I've tried. So has anyone else out there had similar problems? Any low-vol masks out there you would recommend for the big-headed?
Thanks!
I've been diving freshwater springs for years to about 60ft. I recently decided to get more serious - I got a wetsuit, longblade fins, and a low volume mask. I intend to go a bit deeper in the near future.
Here's the problem.
I've now tried two low volume masks (Sporasub Samurai and Cressi Big Eye) and both leak a bit no matter how tight I make the strap. The leaking doesn't get in my eyes TOO much, although that is a problem. The main problem, however, is the small amount of water that gets in while floating and breathing up, is enough that it "pools" on the lense (always in the same place too, a vertical stripe-type pool directly in front of my right eye) and obscures my vision pretty bad. Makes the whole dive pretty unenjoyable, and when I turn around to ascend, the pool drops into my right eye, and now all of a sudden I'm holding my breath 60 ft deep and worried about losing a contact lense! And if I don't "reset" the mask between dives it just gets worse.
For the past several years I've just used a cheap "U.S. Divers" mask I got from Wal-Mart. It says low volume on the packaging I think, but it's not nearly as small as the Samurai or Big Eye, obviously. But that mask always worked perfectly. No leaks, and crystal clear vision without the "stained glass effect" these unwanted pools of water are giving me.
I've always known I have a big head. I'm wondering if this is my problem with the 2 low-vol masks I've tried. So has anyone else out there had similar problems? Any low-vol masks out there you would recommend for the big-headed?
Thanks!