When you first learn how to dive, whether it is a military school or civilian. They will talk about, extra items you should carry with you. One of the most important is an extra mask/ mask strap. When I was going through training, we were doing our final FTX dive. It was a ship attack in San Diego harbor on a ship that was used for paintball training for the fleet. I was not the driver, so my job was to hang out and make sure my dive buddy didn’t hit his head on the pier, ship, or anything else. About 10 minutes in my mask started to flood. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to stop. I checked my hood, the strap, the seal, took it off and put it back on. I had no hair at that point, so that wasn’t it. Nothing that I did fixed it. As we were in training, we were not allowed to have two masks. So, I spent 3 hours with my mask filling up and me draining it. As I was doing this, my swim buddy hit his head twice. After the dive, I blamed it on him saying he was swimming too fast, and that was why he kept hitting his head. He knew I was lying, and I ended up buying him a steak dinner. When I got to a team and went through STT diving, the first thing I did was get an extra mask. I have never dove without two masks ever since.  

As you can probably tell, I didn’t go through training last year, it has been a while, and there have been a lot of advancements in gear that is used on the land and in the water. So here are just a few things to think about before you dive.

Let start at the beginning of the dive. You are about to jump in the water you put your mask on and the strap breaks. At some point, almost all straps will break. Rubber can dry rot over time. It will most likely happen when you are putting it on, as this is the time you stretch it the most. This is why all dive supervisor kits should have extra mask and fin straps. If they have one, use theirs before you use the one on you. There are new mask straps called Comfort straps from SCUBAPRO. They are made from a similar material to ski goggles, and they will not break. At some point, they will lose their elasticity, but again this should only happen at the start of a dive, and they are straightforward to change out.  

Now you are in the water, and you are turtle-backing to the point you are going to start your dive; it is cold; the seas are crap, and you are getting pushed around. You and your swim-buddy get to your start point as you are putting you mask on a penguin pops up out of the water. Your swim-buddy screams and throws his mask and it sinks to the bottom. He goes by the theory of (travel light and mooch) so he doesn’t have an extra mask. But you were taught to have an extra mask, so you give him yours. An excellent place to keep an extra mask is in an old M16 pouch on the belt that holds your rebreather to your waist. It is right at hand and easy to find in the dark. These are one of the best pouches ever made if it unbuckled anything inside won’t dump out. It was designed to hold three fully loaded 30round magazine upside down and not lose anything, even when unbuckled. I usually put a extra mask and fin strap in it.  

You can carry an extra mask or just the strap. If you are doing a longer dive and you have to cut back on the size of additional items, some people like to carry a smaller mask as their extra one. There are some excellent smaller masks out there. The Scubapro’s Steel Pro is a great mask if you need to carry something smaller. It uses the same comfort strap and can be tucked away in a small pocket without doing any harm to the skirts.  

Now let’s say you are on a dive. You are sent in to cut the steel net that will keep your submarines from getting into shore, and you come upon some other combat swimmers. They were sent out to stop you. While you are fighting underwater, you know with knives. In the heat of the battle, you lose your mask. So, once you win the fight (let’s hope you have been to underwater knife fight school) (if there is one, I am not saying there is) (I signed paperwork saying I wouldn’t talk about it). Now since you have an extra mask, you can pull it out and slap it on and go back to cutting the net. 

All kidding aside, having an extra mask and/or mask strap will make your life a lot better, something else you can put in there is some defog, that you can put on your mask if it keeps fogging or if you are putting your extra one on that hasn’t been treated. Again, this will make your life underwater a lot better. 

Jaws Spit is nice and thick and can be applied underwater, so it is ideal for use on a mask underwater, and it is small and can be kept in the same mag pouch as the extra mask. It is also good for use before the dive.

If you never have to use any of this stuff when you are underwater, you are a lucky person, but I hope you won’t take that chance, and you keep this stuff on you or make your swim buddy carry it. (travel light and mooch)

Now that is cold, I thought it would be good to share some information about Dry suits and Semi- Dry suit. David Rhea is a SCUBAPRO ambassador and one of the best explorer divers in the world. The videos are made to advertise SCUBAPRO gear but there is also some good information in them about how to properly wear and maintain your suits.

www.youtube.com

Your dive mask my not be your most expensive piece of kit, but it is the one piece of equipment that if you have problems with it, it will make for a very long dive. I like to say the dive mask is one of the most personal things every diver has. Even if you are issued all of your dive gear, from head to toe, a lot of people with go and buy their own masks. Great effort is put into finding and selecting the right kind of mask. I know a lot of people that would buy three or four of the same masks if they found one, they liked in the fear that they would never find one again. Which is even more reason to learn how to take properly care for your mask so that once you find that right mask, it serves you for a long time.

When you first buy your mask, you will have to clean it very well to make sure it doesn’t fog up all the time. This helps remove the tiny layer of oil that manufacturers coat the silicone surfaces of the mask with to protect the silicone in storage and shipping. What I like to do first is take some soft scrub without bleach and a light duty scrub pad to scrub all the stuff left in the mask from when it was made. I scrub the entire inside of the mask glass and rubber. After that I like to use a little bit of toothpaste and rub the inside glass surfaces and rubber. I just use my fingers for that part. Toothpaste can also be used when you need to clean a used mask from dirt, or oils from your head, suntan lotion etc. Gently rub the paste applying minimal pressure to clear both surfaces from any dirt or oils. The micro abrasive particles in toothpaste help clear dirt and oil from the microscopic dents and scratches that are on the surface of the mask.

To ensure that your mask remains scratch free, never lay it face-down on any surface. Sea salt, sand and dirt found on boats and piers will scratch the lens of your mask and permanently damage the viewing surfaces. Always place your dive mask face upwards when you are not wearing it. If you have to put it down, try and always put it on your fins or something that way you will always know where it is. Also ensuring your mask is transported in your dive bag inside its protective box this will prevent other items of equipment scratching it and it help if someone throws your bag. In the old days a day/night flare gray box with some holes in the lid made a great and cool mask box. Well maybe not great. But cool looking.

Always rinse your mask in clean, freshwater after each dive. Salt and grime attack the soft silicone in your mask causing it to degrade over time. Dry the mask thoroughly before putting it away for storage in a hard case. This will also help protect your mask in storage, if you do not clean your mask properly the oil on it from your skin will attract bugs(rotches). They will think it is food and try to eat it. It will look like dry rot, but it is bugs looking for a meal.  If you are between dives, keep your mask out of the sun and allow it to air out and dry (after you fresh water rise it).

One of the most important things to ensure your mask lasts a long time is to keep it out of contact with direct sunlight as much as possible. Sunlight and high temperatures attack the rubber and silicone of masks, turning the translucent soft silicone into a yellowing harder mass, that causes mask leaks and degradation over time. Mask bands and straps exposed to sunlight, form cracks and may break easily when stretched. SCUBAPRO has a lot of their masks adapted to use their comfort straps, it is very similar to a ski goggle strap and won’t break in the middle of a dive.

Always store your mask inside its case in a cool dark place. If you have a silica gel packet or desiccant, place this inside your mask case to keep the moisture at bay. Prolonged exposure to moisture will harm your mask and eat away at the silicone. While on a dive, ensure that when you are not using your mask, that you place it in a cool shaded area and away from the harsh sunlight.

There are more ways to clean a mask that I have not talked about, the reason is if you have never done it and you try it can ruin your mask. Like everything today, you can google how to clean dive mask and watch a video about it. I hope this will help you keep your favorite mask for a long time.

For the past couple of years, SCUBAPRO has been working hard to have more user-friendly products for the military. SCUBAPRO has always been actively involved with the military especial since one of the founders of the company was a former UDT man in Korea. But we have renewed our commitment to making sure the military gets the best gear posable. Starting with some little things, like adding holes to the classic SCUBAPRO Jet Fins. We have two lines of Jet fins; one now comes with a hole in the blade to help you carry them when coming out of the water or on the back of your gear. The Jet Fins are still a favorite for combat swimmers around the world and have been for over 50 years. So, what else can you do to help update one of the most popular fins in the world? Well, you work with one of the best tactical gear companies to adapt one of their products to work with yours. The MATBOCK Skins are a multi-layer adhesive/fabric laminate designed to give the user the ability to camouflage any surface desired. The Skins are waterproof and oil resistant and can be reused multiple times. The skins are available for the SEAWING Nova’s and the Jet fins. They come in two colors Muti-Cam and International Orange. The Skins can be used for OTB, combat swimmer operations, and adding the Orange if it will help you be seen on SAR missions.

We have added a new subdued color to some of the best masks we have and also updated some to use our comfort strap system and Odin helmet strap system. The masks that have the new colors are the Spectra, Zoom, Synergy Twin Trufit, and the Flux Twin. All of these masks are also HUD compatible. You can now choose to use a comfort strap with it, and it can come with a HUD mount built into the mask.

The dual-lens Spectra offers a broad view and comfortable water-blocking seal. Its low volume design makes it is excellent for combat swimmers; this also allows for effortless clearing and provides maximum field of view. Ultra-Clear lenses are made from tempered glass for safety and long- term durability.  Universal skirt design is very comfortable and fits a variety of face shapes. Unique nose pocket design makes easy work of equalizing.

The Zoom is another low volume dual-lens mask that is ideal for all divers but, is especially well-suited to divers who use optical lenses. The mask has an innovative lens-change system that enables you to switch lenses yourself, without tools, in less than a minute. The mask also has an optional HUD hands-free dive computer mount adapter that attaches directly to the mask.

The Flux Twin is a low-volume dual-lens mask that comes with a robust and impact-resistant polycarbonate frame to withstand a lot of use and abuse. It is a little smaller than the Spectra. The hypoallergenic, silicone skirt features a double-feathered edge to provide a comfortable, watertight seal on a variety of face shapes.

The Synergy Twin benefits from SCUBAPRO’s second-generation Trufit technology. Unlike its predecessor, which featured a skirt made with uniformly thin silicone, the Synergy Twin Trufit features a skirt made of two thicknesses of silicone – thin and pliable where it touches the face for comfort and to ensure a watertight seal, and thicker near the mask frame for support and rigidity. It’s a compelling combination that delivers a comfortable fit for a wide range of face shapes as well as a reliable seal against water intrusion.

SCUBAPRO is always trying to innovate for the working divers and set the standard for new gear. The latest features for the Frameless/ Frameless Gorilla mask are the addition of the comfort strap adapter. They can be added onto existing masks, and this allows the user to add several new features to one of the most iconic masks ever made. We have new accessories for the classic Frameless mask. The latest version of the Frameless that is available with an integrated HUD Arm that allows you to mount the SCUBAPRO HUD hands-free dive compute.

You can also convert the Frameless with quick clip adapters so you can use the comfort straps and even the Odin Helmet Straps. Again, SCUBAPRO has partnered with a leader in the Tactical Gear Industry. Ops-Core is the primer brand when it comes to helmet innovation. The Odin system allows any mask with quick clips to be attached to any helmet that has the Ops-Core ARC rail systems. The Odin straps are perfect for any time you have to wear a helmet when diving or in the water. Like diving a DPV, Wearing Jet-boots, Search and Rescue Operations or working in Fast Moving Water. The Comfort Strap is similar to a ski goggle strap in design. It clips right into the mask buckle adapter and offers a wide adjustment range. It also is a lot less likely to break mid-dive as it is a nylon strap and not rubber or silicone. The adapter also makes the mask non-magnetic for EOD use, as it removes all metal parts.

Frameless with quick-release buckles QR kit PN 24.340.039

The SCUBAPRO Odin Helmet strap system features two mask straps fitted with the Ops-Core goggle swivel clip and shoe rail adapters. It will fit all Ops-Core helmets, or any helmet equipped with an ARC rail. It will fit any SCUBAPRO mask that has quick clips. Odin Helmet straps (part number 24.815.100)

For more information, please contact SCUBAPRO Global Military/ Government manager. ecrazz@clannfive.com