Went from fighting my dive mask to not even thinking about it after 6 years

I used to just grab whatever mask was cheapest at the shop and deal with the leaks for the whole job. Took me six years of fogging up and clearing water every 10 minutes on pipeline inspections to finally bite the bullet on a custom fit job. A guy in Port Arthur last spring told me to try a silicone skirt with a proper nose pocket and I haven't had a single leak since. Cost me $120 but that's nothing compared to the time I wasted constantly fixing my mask underwater. Now I just spit in it once and I'm good for a full shift. Any other divers here go cheap on masks for too long before switching over?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sam1mo ago

Did your pipeline inspections get noticeably faster after you fixed the mask leaks?

victor_adams951mo ago

Hate to push back but I don't really see it that way. In my experience the mask leaks weren't the main bottleneck, it was more about getting the right sensor calibration and filter changes done on a regular schedule. Once we got that dialed in the speed came naturally but the mask leaks themselves were a small piece of the puzzle. Your mileage may vary of course but I'd focus on the calibration side before worrying too much about the mask seals. Just my two cents from dealing with similar inspections over the last couple years.