Especially when you start diving, a mask that doesn't fit can spoil the whole dive: it keeps leaking and fogging up. A diving course is the best chance to try a mask, and when you buy your own, do the simple test below.
What a mask is for
A mask keeps a pocket of air between the water and your eyes, so your eyes can focus underwater. The nose pocket lets you equalise the pressure inside the mask (impossible with swimming goggles) and pinch your nose when you equalise your ears.
Kinds of masks
- Standard or low volume
- With or without a frame
- One lens or two separate lenses
- Clear or black silicone
- With a built-in purge valve
- With prescription lenses
The design is a matter of taste. What matters most is that the mask fits the shape of your face: then it won't leak.
How to check that a mask fits
- Looking up, place the mask on your face without the strap. There should be no gaps between the mask and your face. Move your face as if you had a regulator or snorkel in your mouth, or better still, put a real regulator in your mouth. No gaps should appear.
- Looking straight ahead with the mask against your face, breathe in gently through your nose. The mask should press lightly against your face and stay there. Don't breathe in too hard: the mask would stick by force and fool the test. Move your face muscles, put in a regulator or snorkel: the mask must stay on.
- If the mask fits, put on the strap. Make sure nothing presses, you can pinch your nose easily and the skirt sits comfortably on your upper lip. Try once more with the regulator.
If the mask passes all three tests, it fits you.
The glass
Choose only professional masks with tempered glass: it doesn't scratch and lasts a long time. Don't buy masks with cheap plastic lenses.
You can try masks on in our shop in Vilnius or choose one online.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know a mask fits?
Put the mask on your face without the strap and breathe in gently through your nose: a mask that fits presses lightly and stays on, even when you move your face or put in a regulator.
Can I dive with swimming goggles?
No. A mask has a nose pocket for equalising the pressure inside it and for pinching your nose to equalise your ears; goggles can't do that.
What glass is best?
Tempered glass: it doesn't scratch and lasts a long time. Masks with plastic lenses aren't worth buying.