Dive Mask
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A dive mask creates an air space between your eyes and the surrounding water. It allows your eyes to focus while underwater. The primary feature of a dive mask is its internal volume, or the size of the air space between the lens and your face. Low-volume masks sit close to the face and are easier to equalize than high-volume masks. The benefit of a high-volume mask is that it gives you greater peripheral vision by increasing your field of vision.
Certain masks come with a purge valve; others can be fitted with corrective lenses. All masks encompass the nose which can be compressed with fingers to equalize using the Valsalva maneuver.
Most masks today are made of silicone while a few are still made or rubber. Low-volume masks are easier to clear when flooded. They are preferred by freedivers who do not carry an air supply.
Obviously, eyeglasses cannot be worn with a dive mask because the mask could not seal against the face. If you wear contact lenses, you can wear them while diving, but you risk losing them if your eyes come in contact with water. Some companies manufacture corrective lenses in pre-ground half-diopter increments. In order to use corrective lenses, you need to have a mask with two lenses (above right) designed to accommodate corrective lenses, rather than a single-lens mask.
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NOTE: Information in this chapter provided in part by SDI/TDI, CMAS (AMCQ) and adapted by the Diving Almanac & Book of Records.
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