custom prescription mask

I'm interested in ordering a new prescription dive mask in the next couple of weeks.  I've been using my current mask since 2006, and I'm told some of the leaking I get with it may be due to the age of the rubber.

This is the only mask I've ever had that I can see out of.   I have a 6.0 and a 6.5 diopter lens, though 6.25 and 6.50 would be more accurate.  The mask is a US Divers sold originally by Sports Chalet before they went under.   It has two removable eye pieces that you simply swapped out for ones of the correct diopter.  They had a stack of them in 0.5 increments.

That sort of mask doesn't seem that popular now, and it looks like I'm going to have one custom cut.   Any advice on this?   Mask to start with?  Anything like bifocals available so I can see in the distance but still read my gauges?  I'm quite nearsighted.

I assume I need a recent prescription, but that's all I know.

Located in Phoenix, Arizona.

I'm not going to Roatan until the last week of September.  Just trying to get stuff started so it actually gets done in time.  I'm finding lots of delays on getting lots of stuff done this year - lots of shortages.

I've got a pair of tanks in for hydro and a fill (2 week turnaround), and when I go back to pick up the tanks, I'd like to be a little more educated as to the pros and cons of different prescription masks.  I have a quote for one for about $400.  (My USD mask was $100 all up, so definitely have my money's worth out of it!)

I'm told that just looking through the diopters above water may not be the best way to judge them, but it's worked pretty well for me since 2006.

As a possible alternative to a custom mask, I once met a diver who was using a pince-nez pair of glasses inside a regular mask - seemed to work for him.

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

I'm interested in ordering a new prescription dive mask in the next couple of weeks. I've been using my current mask since 2006, and I'm told some of the leaking I get with it may be due to the age of the rubber.

This is the only mask I've ever had that I can see out of. I have a 6.0 and a 6.5 diopter lens, though 6.25 and 6.50 would be more accurate. The mask is a US Divers sold originally by Sports Chalet before they went under. It has two removable eye pieces that you simply swapped out for ones of the correct diopter. They had a stack of them in 0.5 increments.

That sort of mask doesn't seem that popular now, and it looks like I'm going to have one custom cut. Any advice on this? Mask to start with? Anything like bifocals available so I can see in the distance but still read my gauges? I'm quite nearsighted.

I assume I need a recent prescription, but that's all I know.

Located in Phoenix, Arizona.

My mask with bifocal prescription lenses glued in worked great for many years until the mask glass (not the lenses) shattered on a slight impact - a freak accident. The lenses were ground according to my prescription and worked as well as my daily glasses. Initial cost, lenses only, $325. I salvaged the lenses and had them put into a new mask of the same model for $125. That mask has a single glass plate that bridges across the nose from one eye to the other. I wondered if the single glass piece made it more vulnerable to breakage.

The loss of the mask terminated my diving in Hawaii last month. So, I considered the renewed mask as a backup; and looked for another mask with lenses as a primary. I reviewed several suppliers, local and out-of-state, and finally went with this one: https://seethesearx.com/. They seemed to be the most knowledgeable and fast to respond to questions via email. I'm expecting to receive the mask from them any day now. This mask has a separate piece of glass for each eye, which I assume will make them less prone to breakage. (Many suppliers say it will not.)

Recent experience with normal glasses and mask lenses has impressed on me the importance of getting the PD (pupillary distance) correct, in addition to the basic prescription. I would not go with a supplier who does not ask for the PD value. Also consider that you need a lens design that allows easy application of anti-fog liquid, for flooding of the mask and for complete removal during a dive, as when another diver accidentally kicks it off with his fin.

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

I'm interested in ordering a new prescription dive mask in the next couple of weeks. I've been using my current mask since 2006, and I'm told some of the leaking I get with it may be due to the age of the rubber.

This is the only mask I've ever had that I can see out of. I have a 6.0 and a 6.5 diopter lens, though 6.25 and 6.50 would be more accurate. The mask is a US Divers sold originally by Sports Chalet before they went under. It has two removable eye pieces that you simply swapped out for ones of the correct diopter. They had a stack of them in 0.5 increments.

That sort of mask doesn't seem that popular now, and it looks like I'm going to have one custom cut. Any advice on this? Mask to start with? Anything like bifocals available so I can see in the distance but still read my gauges? I'm quite nearsighted.

I assume I need a recent prescription, but that's all I know.

Located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Welcome to the club...

In the old days, I had a standard optical mask with exchangeable lenses and this was enough (I have nearsightedness with little astigmatism). Later, when presbyopia started, I exchanged the optical lenses against normal ones and I could also read again the display on TC etc., but could not see so good at a distance...

Since a couple of years I need glued in optical lenses that are varifocal and corrected for astigmatism and custom made for eye distance etc... . This is the most expensive solution (approx 650 Euros), but I do not notice since then that my vision needs any correction. I can say this mask is worth every cent and I am happy...

I can give suppliers here in Europe, but these will not be useful for you in US, but for sure similar suppliers will exist there...

Maybe improtant to mention, that to find a mask that fits to my weird face became difficult with increasing age (when I was young practically every mask fitted perfect). In my case it was not ageing rubber, but the ageing face. Most masks turn very rapidly into an aquarium and I need to blow out every few minutes (this is disturbing and in cold waters the eustachian tubes swell and one will get problems with pressure qualization upon repeated diving)).....

At present I have "TUSA Freedom", a mask with extra soft and broad silicone sealing at the rim, the only I could find that fits perfect ...

Wolfgang

daveco2 wrote:

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

I'm interested in ordering a new prescription dive mask in the next couple of weeks. I've been using my current mask since 2006, and I'm told some of the leaking I get with it may be due to the age of the rubber.

This is the only mask I've ever had that I can see out of. I have a 6.0 and a 6.5 diopter lens, though 6.25 and 6.50 would be more accurate. The mask is a US Divers sold originally by Sports Chalet before they went under. It has two removable eye pieces that you simply swapped out for ones of the correct diopter. They had a stack of them in 0.5 increments.

That sort of mask doesn't seem that popular now, and it looks like I'm going to have one custom cut. Any advice on this? Mask to start with? Anything like bifocals available so I can see in the distance but still read my gauges? I'm quite nearsighted.

I assume I need a recent prescription, but that's all I know.

Located in Phoenix, Arizona.

My mask with bifocal prescription lenses glued in worked great for many years until the mask glass (not the lenses) shattered on a slight impact - a freak accident. The lenses were ground according to my prescription and worked as well as my daily glasses. Initial cost, lenses only, $325. I salvaged the lenses and had them put into a new mask of the same model for $125. That mask has a single glass plate that bridges across the nose from one eye to the other. I wondered if the single glass piece made it more vulnerable to breakage.

Have you used a mask with separate lenses?   I'm looking at single-glass-piece mask to be ground, and I've never used one.  (Actually, literally never used another mask besides the one shown in this thread, at least since I dove in 1970.)

The loss of the mask terminated my diving in Hawaii last month. So, I considered the renewed mask as a backup; and looked for another mask with lenses as a primary. I reviewed several suppliers, local and out-of-state, and finally went with this one: https://seethesearx.com/. They seemed to be the most knowledgeable and fast to respond to questions via email. I'm expecting to receive the mask from them any day now. This mask has a separate piece of glass for each eye, which I assume will make them less prone to breakage. (Many suppliers say it will not.)

Thanks for the reference.

Perhaps I've just been lucky to have not lost or damaged my mask in so many years, but I do take pretty good care of my equipment.   But I still would like to have my current mask serve as a spare on trips.

Recent experience with normal glasses and mask lenses has impressed on me the importance of getting the PD (pupillary distance) correct, in addition to the basic prescription. I would not go with a supplier who does not ask for the PD value.

Great to know!

Also consider that you need a lens design that allows easy application of anti-fog liquid, for flooding of the mask and for complete removal during a dive, as when another diver accidentally kicks it off with his fin.

I'm confused here.   Why would a mask not allow easy application of anti-fog?   Or complete removal for that matter.   (I've been kicked a few times, but the only time I lost my mask underwater was in the NAUI skills test where they ripped it off (and turned off my air as well).

As I research some suggestions here, I start to wonder about different mask designs.

For instance, what sort of mask (or specific model) gives the best side view?   Is a low-volume mask any better in the water?   What about models with side windows?  What about vertical field of view as well?

I also will be sticking my mask up against a 180 degree viewfinder for the camera.  Not sure it makes a difference if the mask glass is angled out a bit, but I'd like to know before I get in the water.

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

As I research some suggestions here, I start to wonder about different mask designs.

For instance, what sort of mask (or specific model) gives the best side view? Is a low-volume mask any better in the water? What about models with side windows? What about vertical field of view as well?

I think side windows are not good for UW-photographers. Many prefer a mask without side windows and made of black silicone to shield incident light from aside...

Perhaps a mask with glasses that are relatively long in vertical direction (e.g. this here: https://scubaonline.de/TUSA-Freedom-one-pro-Mask-Farbe-QB-Black-QB-BK?curr=EUR&pk_campaign=cpc&pk_kwd=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZisvqHe8QIVC5_VCh3qCwxLEAQYCiABEgKp7_D_BwE) is good when using varifocal glued in lenses, so that the varifocal range can extend longer....

I also will be sticking my mask up against a 180 degree viewfinder for the camera. Not sure it makes a difference if the mask glass is angled out a bit, but I'd like to know before I get in the water.

I'm leaning toward one of those 'large window, close to face' designs, without side windows.  I do like the idea of better vertical vision as well, since it helps to look down right in front of me at obstructions in my gear, probably make it easier to clip the rig to my BCD, etc.

I was looking at the Aqua Lung Mythos, but then I saw a lot of reviews saying the frame was fragile and broke easily.

Then I started looking at various Tusa models.  Hard to pick a mask over the internet without ever trying it on.

Incidentally, the prescription masks I'm looking at do not use inserts or glue-in panels, but instead actually grind the lenses into the mask glass itself.  Supposed to be best for vision.

Hi Craig,

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

I'm leaning toward one of those 'large window, close to face' designs, without side windows. I do like the idea of better vertical vision as well, since it helps to look down right in front of me at obstructions in my gear, probably make it easier to clip the rig to my BCD, etc.

I was looking at the Aqua Lung Mythos, but then I saw a lot of reviews saying the frame was fragile and broke easily.

Then I started looking at various Tusa models. Hard to pick a mask over the internet without ever trying it on.

=> never order a mask via internet. It needs to fit and you can only test it out in presence...

Incidentally, the prescription masks I'm looking at do not use inserts or glue-in panels, but instead actually grind the lenses into the mask glass itself. Supposed to be best for vision.

=> The masks with available and exchangeable optical lenses are just with a single fixed refractive power in (I guess) 0.5 dioptries increments. When you have special needs as additional astigmatism or varifocal lenses to correct for presbyopia (=you cannot read the numbers on your diving computer and/or how much bar are left from the finnimeter any more, because you eyes became old). Then you cannot use these simple optical masks any more, just because these pre-prepared lenses do not correct for astigmatism and have only a single, fixed, refractive power (e.g. -3 dioptries allover).

Then the masks with glued in lenses come into the play, since you can have any type of lens that you also would have on your regular over-water spectacles . They can be glued into any mask model, but because they are expensive this should be only a mask that fits to your face perfectly...

The standard masks with exchangeable optical lenses (e.g.: look2) are by far not the best for vision, as, as an additional problem, they do not account for individual pupil distance and if this is, by chance, extraordinary large or small, your vision is not perfect and is exhausting. They are just a simple and cheap solution for (mostly younger) people that do not need astigmatism corrected, nor have presbyopia (=need for better near vision to read dive computer or information on the camera screen/evf)...

Wolfgang

Following cataract surgery, my distance vision remains excellent and I've been happy using a Cressi "Big Eyes eVolution" mask (black, no side windows) with large stick-on DiveOptx HydroTac lenses.  The lenses come in different diopter corrections, can be cut with a pair of scissors to shape and size and then positioned  to suit your need.  I always take a spare pair of the HydroTac lenses on trips in case I have to borrow a different mask.  Before the surgery I was using an Oceanic Cyanea mask, which also has large deep windows, and prescription bifocal lenses that were installed in the mask by  Prescription Dive Masks in California.

Thanks.   I'll have to learn more about the various lens options.  Been a long time since I really looked.