Scuba Diving Equipment – Mask Selection And Preparation

Scuba Diving is a great adventure! However, it is also a visual adventure. If you can't see clearly, you are missing the best part of scuba diving. Find a scuba diving mask that fits and prepare it correctly for scuba diving and you will be a life long participant.

The most important consideration when looking for a scuba diving mask is fit. If the scuba diving mask doesn't fit it won't matter how stylish it looks or that it has the latest integrated technology. The bottom line is if the scuba diving mask doesn't fit properly you will be clearing the scuba diving mask continuously throughout your dive and miss all the exciting attractions.

Let me tell you a quick story to illustrate my point. My wife Sheila and I went to Fiji last year on a scuba diving and relaxation adventure. My wife had never been scuba diving in the ocean, however, had heard the stories from other scuba divers and myself about how great ocean scuba diving is. As we anxiously waited to get in the water for our first dive I could see Sheila was excited about the new exotic world she was about to visit.

As we descended though a school of hundreds of barracuda towards a coral wall teaming with fish and color a wide smile slid across my face. I knew that if Sheila was seeing what I was seeing she would be hooked on scuba diving and my life long companion would also be my life long scuba diving companion. As I looked over to Sheila fully intending to see the same smile that I had plastered across my face, I saw here scuba diving mask was half full of water and she was having to clear the scuba diving mask frequently. Not only was the scuba diving mask needing frequent clearing, when she wasn't clearing the scuba diving mask, the lens appeared to be foggy.

We finished the scuba dive and everyone on the boat was busy talking about how great Fiji scuba diving is. I asked Sheila what she thought? She said she wasn't that impressed with ocean scuba diving. I told her that I didn't doubt that her experience wasn't good because every time I looked at her she was either clearing her scuba diving mask or the lens were all fogged up. I was surprised she could see anything.

I convinced Sheila to try again and we where able to find a scuba diving mask that fit her and we also prepared the lens so that they wouldn't fog up. Our second dive was as spectacular as the first and this time Sheila could see what everyone was so excited about. Sheila and I went on to have a fantastic week of scuba diving and Sheila is busy now talking about our next trip the ocean.

The moral of this story is to make sure you select a scuba diving mask that fits and is properly prepared for scuba diving. Sheila selected her scuba diving mask based on fashion and color. Like many new scuba divers Sheila didn't understand how important mask fit is to the enjoyment of the dive.

How can people find a mask that fits? The best answer is to start by consulting a professional scuba diver that has experience in fitting people with the right scuba diving masks. I have been fitting people with masks for over 30 years. Through experience and product knowledge, I have developed the ability to look at a scuba divers face and suggest a scuba diving mask with the right fit. The best ‘on face’ test is to look up at the ceiling and place the scuba diving mask on your face. Inhale through the nose and the scuba diving mask should seal and pull onto your face. If air is leaking between the scuba diving mask skirt and your face chances are you don't have a good fit.

How about those issue of lens fogging? What can be done to solve this problem? Lens can fog for a couple of reasons. The most common reason is that people don't prepare the scuba diving mask for scuba diving after purchase. Most scuba diving masks come from the factory with a silicone spray coating the lens. This coating makes the scuba diving mask look new and shiny out of the box. However, this coatig must be removed prior to use or you will get fogging. You can purchase a mask/slate cleaning product designed to clean the lens of a mask. Your scuba diving mask can also get a build up over time from the water and may need to be cleaned often depending on use. I highly encourage any new scuba diving mask owner to clean there mask with this type of product before using the scuba diving mask for the first time. I know that Sheila would recommend this as well.

A second reason scuba diving masks fog is that people don't use defog solution prior to scuba diving. The defog solution is different than the scuba diving mask cleaner. The defog solution should be applied to the scuba diving mask prior to each scuba dive.

Another reason worth noting is fogging occurs when scuba divers exhale continuously through there nose. Most people don't even realize that this happening. If you have cleaned you scuba diving mask and have applied a defog solution prior to scuba diving and you are still getting fogging, ask you buddy to watch you to see if you are exhaling through your nose.

Make your next dive more enjoyable! Select the right mask, clean it and prepare it properly. Happy Diving!