Home Tournaments Calendar Weather Merchandise Sponsors

Go Back   Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum > Spearfishing Gear > All Other Gear

All Other Gear Tanks, BCDs, Regs, Fins, Stringers, and all other gear we use in Spearfishing.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rating: Thread Rating: 9 votes, 5.00 average. Display Modes
Old 11-23-2009, 11:13 PM   #1
PhatFireMan
Mack
 
PhatFireMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Ventura/Trinidad
Age: 48
Posts: 377
Question Best freedive mask on the market

Sporasub Mystic...?

Low volume and good visibility? Value? Durability?
__________________
PhatFireMan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 01:17 AM   #2
Alexrom1207
Registered User
 
Alexrom1207's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 2,513
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Technisub micromask. You will forget you're even wearing it.
__________________
Whatever you are looking for, you will find it.
Alexrom1207 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 01:19 AM   #3
1shot2kills
Full time 'Cuda abuser!!
 
1shot2kills's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: West Palm Beach
Posts: 810
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

i have the sporasub...A++++++
1shot2kills is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 04:52 PM   #4
Everdai
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 875
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Sporasub is amazing, so comfortable. I lost mine after having it 2 days
I went straight back to my LDS and bought another.

I was between the sporasub mystic and aqulaung micromask
I read tons of great reviews for the micromask, but about 40% of them loved it because it fit their small faces so well, I don't have a small face so I got the sporasub.
Everdai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 10:16 PM   #5
MahiMan85
Senior Member
 
MahiMan85's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Miami
Posts: 964
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

If the Technisub fits your face... it's worth every penny, great mask
__________________


http://www.nautilusspearfishing.com/

http://www.youtube.com/spearheadstv

F.I.I. Freediving Classes in Miami
Spearfishing Gear and Acc.
MahiMan85 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 10:21 PM   #6
flamencoguru
FII Freediving Instructor
 
flamencoguru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Jupiter/West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 2,789
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

I just ordered a Sporasub Mystic. I'm ready for a new spearfishing mask.... I wish there was a mask similar to the Aqualung Sphera. Great freediving mask but would never make it for spearfishing.

We'll see how the Mystic works out.

Errol
flamencoguru is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 10:42 PM   #7
Everdai
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 875
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Quote:
Originally Posted by flamencoguru View Post
I just ordered a Sporasub Mystic. I'm ready for a new spearfishing mask.... I wish there was a mask similar to the Aqualung Sphera. Great freediving mask but would never make it for spearfishing.

We'll see how the Mystic works out.

Errol
Hey just out of curiosity, what keeps a great freediving mask from being a good spearfishing mask?
Everdai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 10:45 PM   #8
grouperdude
hard core snorkeler
 
grouperdude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Jupiter,Florida
Posts: 2,248
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

best mask is a mask that fits you best
__________________
Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you to their level and beat you with their experience.

WAR DAM EAGLE

http://www.youtube.com/user/grouperdude
grouperdude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2009, 10:52 PM   #9
flamencoguru
FII Freediving Instructor
 
flamencoguru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Jupiter/West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 2,789
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Quote:
Originally Posted by Everdai View Post
Hey just out of curiosity, what keeps a great freediving mask from being a good spearfishing mask?
I'm sure you could use it for both but with the Aqualung Sphera, the lenses are plastic and they scratch super easy. The volume is ridiculously low, lowest out of any mask ever made. They were actually designed as swim goggles that covered the nose. The mask is super flexible and the peripheral vision is the best. It flexes great at depth. I've got three of them because they're extremely hard to get. Aqualung only supplies them to the military, not to the consumer for some reason in the US. Oh, the lenses pop out too if you're not careful.....not good.

Errol
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Sphera.jpg
Views:	1672
Size:	19.6 KB
ID:	116700  
flamencoguru is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2009, 02:53 AM   #10
Alexrom1207
Registered User
 
Alexrom1207's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 2,513
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Quote:
Originally Posted by Everdai View Post
I read tons of great reviews for the micromask, but about 40% of them loved it because it fit their small faces so well, I don't have a small face so I got the sporasub.
I will agree with that. Several guys who've tried my mask couldn't get it to seal, including one of my father's friends whose nose was too big for it.

But if you're lucky enough for it to fit well, it's a great mask. The lenses sit so close to your eyes that your field of vision is just amazing. The interior volume is tiny, so it takes minimal air to equalize when diving deep. And the profile is very minimal, so in a current or when dropping down, there is next to no drag. But after I dropped the $100 for it (when it was the only mask with this design) it seems a bunch of other companies have come out with similar masks. So, there may be some out there that are just as good? I'm not sure, since after buying the micromask, I stopped shopping around.
__________________
Whatever you are looking for, you will find it.
Alexrom1207 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-26-2009, 08:16 PM   #11
harbour seal
Registered User
 
harbour seal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Vancouver, BC
Age: 51
Posts: 13
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Quote:
Originally Posted by MahiMan85 View Post
If the Technisub fits your face... it's worth every penny, great mask
Micromask - Aqualung (Techninsub)
I agree the Micromask is amazing, sporting the lowest volume (of any spearing mask) + incredible field of view. It feels like a ferrari --- form designed for excellent function with nothing wasted. This is my current favourite mask and a good choice if you want pure performance (i.e., lowest volume with best view). I can see the Micromask might not fit as wide a range of faces as there is less overall flex/compression/wiggle room compared to other masks.

Alien - Omer
If you want pure comfort, while retaining low volume + good view, then the Alien is the one to choose. It has a softer silcone skirt than micromask, which gives the gentlest "kiss" to your face. Also, I expect the Alien would fit a wider range of faces with such a soft silicone skirt.

I can wholeheartedly recommend either the Micromask or Alien.

Sphera - Aqualung
I also own a Sphera and it has the widest field of view of any mask I have tried---the plastic lenses curve around your face on each side giving an unobstructed side-to-side peripheral view. However, for me I find it uncomfortable to wear, especially for longer periods of time, thus I only use it as back-up (my Alien is just too damn comfortable to consider wearing my Sphera). Also, there is some distortion as the lens is plastic and tends to flex at depth, which is not ideal for hunting.


Anyone own both the Micromask and new Sporasub Mystic?

I would be interested to hear a side-by-side comparison for internal volume, field of view, overall performance and comfort in these two masks.

Cheers,
Sean
Vancouver, Canada

Last edited by harbour seal; 11-26-2009 at 08:26 PM.
harbour seal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-26-2009, 08:43 PM   #12
harbour seal
Registered User
 
harbour seal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Vancouver, BC
Age: 51
Posts: 13
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Quote:
Originally Posted by Everdai View Post
Hey just out of curiosity, what keeps a great freediving mask from being a good spearfishing mask?

For pure performance (i.e., line diving), freediving masks are most concerned with low internal volume. The field of view is less important compared to the extra air needed to equalize at ever deeper depths. Strictly speaking, a wide field of view is not required for line diving.

Whereas, for spearing (and recreational freediving) a low internal volume is still important but so is having a good field of view. These two factors are necessarily balanced and the best spearo masks seem to rate well in both categories. In addition, other factors like comfort and durability tends to be more important for spearing masks.

Cheers,
Sean
Vancouver, Canada
harbour seal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2009, 03:22 AM   #13
Tiburon
Registered User
 
Tiburon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 531
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

My personal favorites:

Omer Alien
Spetton Excell
Cressi Matrix
Tiburon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2009, 08:04 AM   #14
flamencoguru
FII Freediving Instructor
 
flamencoguru's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Jupiter/West Palm Beach, Florida
Posts: 2,789
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Well,

I just bought the Sporasub Mystic and it's pretty darn awesome! Super low volume, great field of vision and absolutely comfortable. It fits live a glove. It's a win, win, WIN situation.

I don't own the Aqualung Micromask but I have tried it. It didn't quite fit my face and it was quite pricey (over $100). I'm sure it's great mask if it fits your face.

I think the Sporasub Mystic and the Aqualung Micromask are going to be the new trend setters in the spearfishing/freediving world.

Just my two cents.

Last edited by flamencoguru; 01-08-2010 at 12:35 PM.
flamencoguru is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2009, 09:37 AM   #15
jfreak
Registered User
 
jfreak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Miami
Age: 44
Posts: 152
Re: Best freedive mask on the market

Hey has abybody tried the mares star liquidskin? That mask fits me awesome. Anybody have any reviews on it?
__________________
www.nautilusspearfishing.com
jfreak is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:17 PM.


The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Social Media Forum Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2002 - 2014 Spearboard.com