tinted mask

[goldfish]

anyone use the red tint? If so, good, bad ugly?

[OceanEd]

Are you talking about the pink tint masks that bring back color? I used one for a while and thought it made things look darker. I sold it to IslandPressure and he loves it.

I use one with a yellow tint which I feel brings out more light and I like it.

The one problem with the masks that have a tint is that they will scratch and degrade with hard use (at least all of mine have).

[inletsurf]

Originally Posted by OceanEd

I use one with a yellow tint which I feel brings out more light and I like it.

The one problem with the masks that have a tint is that they will scratch and degrade with hard use (at least all of mine have).

That is the exact experience I had with the tinted masks. I loved the yellow tint, but the mask only lasted me a year before it was incredibly scratched.

[hogsniper]

I have a yellow tinted Sea Vision and have used it for about 4 years. Despite having about 7 masks, this is by far my favorite. I use a Sporasub Samurai Elite with the mirrored lenses for freediving.

[goldfish]

sniper, so why the mirror lens? I understand colors, but not mirror.

[kaborkian]

Originally Posted by goldfish

sniper, so why the mirror lens? I understand colors, but not mirror.

So the fish can't see your eyes.

[hogsniper]

The theory is that it minimizes the fish's instict to flee if they feel that your eyes are set on them. Of course, with the mirrored lenses it may look like two big ass silver eyes looking down at them.

[hogsniper]

Besides the lenses, the Samurai is about the lowest volume mask available that still allows you to equalize properly.

[100days-a-year]

lo volume,good vision on the periphery,comfort and black frame are much more important.Any tinted lense by definition blocks light of certain wavelengths.No big deal for shallow clear water.150' down or twilight and they are more a liability.I use a Samurai sometimes as it had another good characteristic...freeness.

[inletsurf]

Originally Posted by 100days-a-year

lo volume,good vision on the periphery,comfort and black frame are much more important.Any tinted lense by definition blocks light of certain wavelengths.No big deal for shallow clear water.150' down or twilight and they are more a liability.I use a Samurai sometimes as it had another good characteristic...freeness.

I agree. I have a mirrored samurai and love it for freediving, but in the average 10 ft vis conditions off of sebastian, it sucks. It really does cut the amount of light when vis is that bad. But functionally in clear water, the mask is top notch.

[fishyak]

I have a mirrored samurai and love it for freediving, but in the average 10 ft vis conditions off of sebastian, it sucks. It really does cut the amount of light when vis is that bad. But functionally in clear water, the mask is top notch.

haha ok, so us New England with our *ahem* crystal clear water *ahem* should steer clear? haha oh well, they seemed cool...

[inletsurf]

Originally Posted by fishyak

haha ok, so us New England with our *ahem* crystal clear water *ahem* should steer clear? haha oh well, they seemed cool...

You said that. I have no idea how or what conditions you yankees dive up there.

The mirrored masks are only good in average to great visibility in well-lighted diving conditions. If you are wearing a mirrored mask while picking bugs and fish out from under ledges in poorly lighted, <8 ft vis conditions at 100+ feet depths, and wondering why you are not noticing as many fish way back up in the ledge as your clear lens wearing buddy, you may want to re-evaluate why you are wearing a mirrored, light-filtering lens in dark, poor conditions. I spent a year with that mirrored samurai and it did not perform as well for the type of shooting I was doing off of Sebastian. Hence is why it sits on the shelf now, as my freediving only mask.

"Seeming cool" is the best sales tactic the diving industry has going for it. Filling the fish boxes and common sense is what works with me and the crews I dive, with minimal, cost-effective gear. But to each their own, if you want to look like spiderman in the newest coolest wetsuits and mirrored lenses while squinting in shit water looking for fish, by all means, entertain us.

[OceanEd]

Steve:

That's interesting. I use a mirrored mask with a yellow tint when I am diving Sebastian and never thought it restricted my vision. Of course I have been using one while diving Sebastian for about 3 years so I have no way to know if I am missing out on anything or not. I will wear a clear mask next time and see if I notice any difference.

Don't discount the "cool factor". When you are a lousy shot like me, you need all the extra "cool" you can get your hands on.

[inletsurf]

Originally Posted by OceanEd

Steve:

That's interesting. I use a mirrored mask with a yellow tint when I am diving Sebastian and never thought it restricted my vision. Of course I have been using one while diving Sebastian for about 3 years so I have no way to know if I am missing out on anything or not. I will wear a clear mask next time and see if I notice any difference.

Don't discount the "cool factor". When you are a lousy shot like me, you need all the extra "cool" you can get your hands on.

The yellow tint seems to work fine regardless of conditions, however the Samurai mirrored lens that I used for a year seemed to really cut out some light on those days you really need it, i.e. thermocline summers. I got so frustrated the last time I used it, I borrowed my buddy's clear mask and never went back to the mirrored for ledge digging in those shitty conditions. On bright, clear days when I was shooting in the open and not ledge digging, the mirrored Samurai was a choice mask. I still have it and will still use it for freediving, or when the epic 20+ ft visibility days come around a couple times a year....

[Redneck7]

I dove this summer a few times at dusk and after 2 or 3 times of me wanting to head up while my buddy was still happily hunting, it dawned on me that he doesn't have night vision, I just screwed myself using a tinted and mirrored mask...definitely makes a difference once the sun starts getting low on the horizon.

Combine low light, me being slightly freaked out by the overly poor viz and fish blood around me and that mirrored lens and it made for a real interesting reaction when a cobia came darting in. Normally a fish I would wanna eat, I thought he was a tax man coming in hot and nearly pooped my wetsuit right there. There's another reason right to stick with no mirror: confusing things (however momentarily) that you want to eat with things that want to eat you.