Eshin Direct

Thinking of Buying?

This is probably the first bit of kit that people buy when they start out since its relatively cheap to the other equipment you’ll need for diving. However, if I compare it to the rental equipment available, I can’t think of many reasons why it would be better to own your own equipment. Dive operators want you to be able to see thing and enjoy your experience, so I figured that the masks they provide will do as such and they usually have plenty of spares available should yours leak. The amount you use your snorkel doesn’t really justify why you should own your own.

Having said that, bear in mind too that the rental equipment has probably seen a high degree of usage and is also purchased with the lowest common denominator in mind. Owning your own mask means that you’ve picked one that fits your face comfortably and reduces the time you have to spend clearing your mask when in the water. Most rental equipment will most likely not have any of the flashy technological advancements such as a purge valve on them. Owning your own snorkel will essentially give you that comforting hygenic feeling and come with a range of options.

Mask

When you are buying your mask, perform this simple test. Put the mask against your face, without strapping it on. Breath in through your nose and see if the mask stays on. It should fit perfectly up against your face without falling off (indicating water tightness and suction). While there are other options to picking a mask, that’s essentially the one piece of advice that you should follow.

Depending on your own personal preference, you can choose masks that afford differently degrees of visibility. Some give plenty of clearance between the glass and the face, while others are low profile. I think with a low profile, it means that you get to see more accurately underwater, reducing the visual distortion that occurs when light travels through water and air to hit your eyes.

Some masks have an auto-purge facility or something like that to allow you to more easily clear your mask of water. All masks sold nowadays should be able to clear water so if this is not a big thing for you, don’t bother with it. You’re paying for it at the end of the day. If you get a mask that fits well, clearing shouldn’t be too much of problem for you. I guess its useful if you are filiming or photographing and don’t want to miss that highly sought after shot because you were clearing your mask.

Snorkel

Not much to say here. Essentially, a snorkel starts out as just a basic tube allowing you to breathe on the surface with your head underwater. Additions that you can find on snorkels are an anti-tide adapter for the top and the auto-purge valve. The first prevents water from getting into your snorkel, especially if the surface conditions are choppy. The second feature allows you to expend less effort in blowing water out of your snorkel using a one-way valve system. This means you can just blow out normally and water is automatically cleared from your snorkel, instead of you having to blow the water upwards through the top.

What I Have

The mask and snorkel that I use are an Aqualung SPHERA Black Mask and a silver TUSA Snorkel Adapter. The mask is low profile, giving you less water to clear and gives you better visibility. The snorkel also both the anti-tide and auto-purge.

Tags: Scuba