Choosing a Mask for Scuba Diving

You may be preparing to do Nassau Bahamas scuba diving trip, but you'll need to check if you have all of the proper equipment first. A proper scuba diving mask is a crucial part of your equipment, but there are many different types of mask to choose from. Whether you're purchasing a mask now or just wish to expand your knowledge on the topic, there are four main types of mask that you should learn about.

Swimming Goggles

Unless you're diving in particularly shallow areas, swimming goggles are usually not a good choice for scuba diving. Their main purpose is to provide swimmers with clear vision when they're swimming or dipping their heads underwater. Some people use them for shallow snorkeling, but when it comes to deeper snorkeling and scuba diving they don't provide much in terms of benefits. They succumb to a problem called mask squeeze quite easily when diving in deeper waters. Mask squeeze is when a diver's mask starts constricting the face due to the water pressure in deeper waters. While diving masks and full face masks can equalize this pressure, swimming goggles don't have that option. They can also leak and move around more easily, which is dangerous when deep underwater.

Diving Masks

A favorite of snorkeling and a great option for scuba diving, full face masks offer large and flat lenses for a clear view underwater. They also cover your nose to help avoid accidentally breathing in water, and they allow you to avoid the pain and bruising of mask squeeze by allowing you to equalize the pressure with nasal exhalation. Good diving masks fit snugly on your face, which helps prevent accidental movement and leaks. In terms of expense, they're not usually as cheap as swimming goggles, but they're not as expensive as full face scuba masks. This makes them a good choice for people who want to save some money or don't intend to go scuba diving that often.

Optical Lenses

If you have prescription glasses, you may have been worried about trying to scuba dive. Glasses cannot be worn with masks or goggles since the frames may hit the lenses or the earpieces may interfere with the sealing of the mask, causing leaks. If contact lenses aren't an option, you can order some optical lenses for your mask. Optical lenses can easily be installed in most diving masks, and they come in practically every prescription type available. If you can't find your prescription, you may be able to find something close enough to your prescription or you may have some custom made.

Full Face Masks

Full face masks are the mask of choice for very deep diving, underwater cave exploration and dives that go on for extended periods of time. Full face masks differ from diving masks as they also include a demand valve. Unlike using a mouthpiece when wearing a diving mask or swimming goggles, demand valves allow the user to breathe without needing to bite down on the mouthpiece. This is especially useful if the diver falls unconscious.

Full face masks also have several useful options such as gauge displays and backlights that aren't available for diving masks. Full face masks also usually have much wider lenses than diving masks, which allows the diver to see further and more clearly. They're also useful for protecting the diver's face from cold and possibly polluted water. Due to their high costs, these are typically only purchased by professional divers. However, particularly passionate hobbyists also purchase them on occasion.

No matter which mask you choose to take with you when you scuba dive Nassau Bahamas, be sure to pick one that is comfortable, high quality, safe and effective. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to scuba masks, but safety and quality should always be high priorities.