Thought I'd start a new thread - spawning off the 'what mask should I get' thread.
I don't know whats going on with spheras these days. I bought a few last year for 28 usd - after an aqualung rep told me they were being discontinued. Right after that the price went through the roof - and its hard to find the black ones anymore. I like them for all the usual reasons and because they correct my vision underwater. Hence my motivation. Paying more than 30 bucks for a mask as fragile as the sphera just seems silly, however.
I just received three trashed spheras in the mail from Longfins - who got them from Jon. I've had great luck fixing a few other spheras just by taking them apart and cleaning them - but these are hard-cases.
One has a broken frame - so we'll set that one aside. One you could practically breathe through, it was leaking so badly. The other was not so bad and had a cool two-tone frame from a Seal swim mask - evidently these are interchangeable. I took that one apart, cleaned it - and it was better - but still leaking. Cleaned again - still a slow leak. I quit on that one for awhile and went to the really bad one.
Same deal - cleaned- still really bad. Couple more times and I decided it was a candidate for an experiment. I took it apart and ran clear silicone caulk along the inside of the lens tracks - then put it back together. It was messy but when the caulk dries it peels right off the lenses - no problemo. So far it definitely does not leak. Bonus is the caulk should keep sand out. We'll see how it holds up.
Back to mask one. I took it apart and used silicone grease. Cleanup is worse with this stuff - I used a mild alcohol solution and some little foam tipped q-tip type thingies I have at work. Also does not leak though I'd expect the grease to be a real sand magnet.
Another thing I figured out ( I'm still not too slick at prying down the little catch that holds the bottom of the frame to the strap holder/frame clip. I tend to gaff up the strap clip a little.) But, anyway, I found the upper part of the strap clip also pulls back about 1/4 inch - which makes the mask easier to put back together without flexing it so much that the lenses keep popping out. All you do is grab the frame clip/strap anchor and flex it in a little - to open a gap between it and the frame - stick a flat head screwdriver in there and it will slide right back. This allows more space when you slide the lower frame catch into place and reduces the amount you have to flex the whole rig.
So - from trash I think I've got two viable spheras - pool testing to follow.
I don't know whats going on with spheras these days. I bought a few last year for 28 usd - after an aqualung rep told me they were being discontinued. Right after that the price went through the roof - and its hard to find the black ones anymore. I like them for all the usual reasons and because they correct my vision underwater. Hence my motivation. Paying more than 30 bucks for a mask as fragile as the sphera just seems silly, however.
I just received three trashed spheras in the mail from Longfins - who got them from Jon. I've had great luck fixing a few other spheras just by taking them apart and cleaning them - but these are hard-cases.
One has a broken frame - so we'll set that one aside. One you could practically breathe through, it was leaking so badly. The other was not so bad and had a cool two-tone frame from a Seal swim mask - evidently these are interchangeable. I took that one apart, cleaned it - and it was better - but still leaking. Cleaned again - still a slow leak. I quit on that one for awhile and went to the really bad one.
Same deal - cleaned- still really bad. Couple more times and I decided it was a candidate for an experiment. I took it apart and ran clear silicone caulk along the inside of the lens tracks - then put it back together. It was messy but when the caulk dries it peels right off the lenses - no problemo. So far it definitely does not leak. Bonus is the caulk should keep sand out. We'll see how it holds up.
Back to mask one. I took it apart and used silicone grease. Cleanup is worse with this stuff - I used a mild alcohol solution and some little foam tipped q-tip type thingies I have at work. Also does not leak though I'd expect the grease to be a real sand magnet.
Another thing I figured out ( I'm still not too slick at prying down the little catch that holds the bottom of the frame to the strap holder/frame clip. I tend to gaff up the strap clip a little.) But, anyway, I found the upper part of the strap clip also pulls back about 1/4 inch - which makes the mask easier to put back together without flexing it so much that the lenses keep popping out. All you do is grab the frame clip/strap anchor and flex it in a little - to open a gap between it and the frame - stick a flat head screwdriver in there and it will slide right back. This allows more space when you slide the lower frame catch into place and reduces the amount you have to flex the whole rig.
So - from trash I think I've got two viable spheras - pool testing to follow.