VERY SMALL adult mask suggestions

I am looking for a mask for my wife, who is not yet a certified diver,
but is now interested in snorkeling (a good first step in the right
direction, no doubt!).

She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
for the suggestion.

TIA,
HB

"Harley Baldwin" <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message
news:40045200.5000306@att.net...
> I am looking for a mask for my wife, who is not yet a certified diver,
> but is now interested in snorkeling (a good first step in the right
> direction, no doubt!).

Only if it's a good experience. Make sure it is.

> She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
> weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
> high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
> would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
> any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
> for the suggestion.

Going to the LDS is not the BEST way, it's the only way, but load the dice
in your favor. You don't want to turn her off on the whole idea before you
even get started. Find a dive shop that carries a wide variety of masks.
Confirm, before you take her there, that they have quality masks made for
people with smaller faces. Find out as much as you can about which ones fit
what kinds of faces and only then, take her to buy a mask.

If you want to be sure you get it right, take a snorkel with you. A
person's face with a snorkel in their mouth is not the same shape as a face
without one and, believe it or don't (I suggest you do), even such a small
difference is important with some masks. The Cressi Big Eyes is one of
them.

Lee

My face is on the smallish side, and I had the opportunity to try masks in
several shops, such as Leisure Pro and a number of LDS's here in NE PA and
Philly. I must have tried more than 50 different masks in my travels. I
liked the Cressi Big-Eyes, but the fit, even though I ould have almost
convinced myself was good, was in all honesty not quite as close to perfect
(for -me- and -my- face) as I had hoped. I think it may have been just a tad
too wide a skirt, or with a skirt edge that was not curved around sharply
enough for my face width. It may fit some other small faces well, but one
must take into account the wide variations and nuances in facial bony
structure as well as the general facial size; so even within the realm of
masks for smaller faces, YMMV greatly. Also, you'll find that price is not
much of an issue. You will find masks by the known and trusted diving
equipment manufacturers which can be expensive or economical in price, and I
do not believe it is closely tied to quality, either. Your wife could end up
with THE best mask for her face and there is no reason that it would
necessarily be a costly model. Conversely, the one that fits just right
might just happen to be a more costly model.. one cannot really tell..

I found a model by Deep See which fit me extremely well. Very similar in fit
to the Big-Eyes mask, but it had the fit that I knew was just right when I
put it up to my face... ...*you Know it when it just sucks right onto your
face, even before you do the "sniff" thing*. It was a mid-range priced mask.
I do not know the specific model name, if there is one. It it what I used
until fairly recently. The lens shape is similar to the Big-Eyes (sort of
triangular), but with not at all as large a field of view (but what is said
are words to live by, that fit is -the most- important consideration, and
IMO overrides -any- features that a mask may otherwise have. It will make or
break one's enjoyment of the dive more than any feature or lack of ever
could).

A few months ago I was in Leisure Pro looking at BCs for a friend, and I
could not resist trying-on all the masks they had on display ;) I found one
that fit me absolutely perfectly (it fit as well or better than my then
current mask) and I promptly snatched it up, even though I did not go there
looking for a new mask. This one is the Tusa Visualator -- unbelievably
large view! An absolutely perfect, practically never leak hassle-free fit
for me. I can go whole dives without ever having to purge or clear even
once! I love it! And surprisingly, it was a very reasonably priced model.

Another which fit very well was the Equalizer by Ocean Master. This one
happens to have side windows (they're not glass, though), and a purge valve.
I just recall that the fit was very good me, and surprisingly, also for a
friend with a wide face.. go figure..

Yes, trying-on in-person is the ONLY way to get a mask.. these may serve as
worthy suggestions to give a try..

"Harley Baldwin" <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message
news:40045200.5000306@att.net...
> I am looking for a mask for my wife, who is not yet a certified diver,
> but is now interested in snorkeling (a good first step in the right
> direction, no doubt!).
>
> She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
> weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
> high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
> would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
> any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
> for the suggestion.
>
> TIA,
> HB
>

"Rob" <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
news:b97db63833fdff9831e6568799e90517@news.teranew s.com...
> My face is on the smallish side, and I had the opportunity to try masks in
> several shops, such as Leisure Pro and a number of LDS's here in NE PA and
> Philly. I must have tried more than 50 different masks in my travels. I
> liked the Cressi Big-Eyes, but the fit, even though I ould have almost
> convinced myself was good, was in all honesty not quite as close to
perfect
> (for -me- and -my- face) as I had hoped. I think it may have been just a
tad
> too wide a skirt, or with a skirt edge that was not curved around sharply
> enough for my face width. It may fit some other small faces well, but one
> must take into account the wide variations and nuances in facial bony
> structure as well as the general facial size; so even within the realm of
> masks for smaller faces, YMMV greatly. Also, you'll find that price is not
> much of an issue. You will find masks by the known and trusted diving
> equipment manufacturers which can be expensive or economical in price, and
I
> do not believe it is closely tied to quality, either. Your wife could end
up
> with THE best mask for her face and there is no reason that it would
> necessarily be a costly model. Conversely, the one that fits just right
> might just happen to be a more costly model.. one cannot really tell..
>
> I found a model by Deep See which fit me extremely well. Very similar in
fit
> to the Big-Eyes mask, but it had the fit that I knew was just right when I
> put it up to my face... ...*you Know it when it just sucks right onto your
> face, even before you do the "sniff" thing*. It was a mid-range priced
mask.
> I do not know the specific model name, if there is one. It it what I used
> until fairly recently. The lens shape is similar to the Big-Eyes (sort of
> triangular), but with not at all as large a field of view (but what is
said
> are words to live by, that fit is -the most- important consideration, and
> IMO overrides -any- features that a mask may otherwise have. It will make
or
> break one's enjoyment of the dive more than any feature or lack of ever
> could).
>
> A few months ago I was in Leisure Pro looking at BCs for a friend, and I
> could not resist trying-on all the masks they had on display ;) I found
one
> that fit me absolutely perfectly (it fit as well or better than my then
> current mask) and I promptly snatched it up, even though I did not go
there
> looking for a new mask. This one is the Tusa Visualator -- unbelievably
> large view! An absolutely perfect, practically never leak hassle-free fit
> for me. I can go whole dives without ever having to purge or clear even
> once! I love it! And surprisingly, it was a very reasonably priced model.
>
> Another which fit very well was the Equalizer by Ocean Master. This one
> happens to have side windows (they're not glass, though), and a purge
valve.
> I just recall that the fit was very good me, and surprisingly, also for a
> friend with a wide face.. go figure..
>
> Yes, trying-on in-person is the ONLY way to get a mask.. these may serve
as
> worthy suggestions to give a try..
>

Like you, I have a small face, which is proportional to my tiny overall
size. My LDS suggested looking at masks in the TUSA line, and one afternoon
I stood in front of their mask rack and started trying on masks. I knew I
had found my mask when I stuck one on my face and continued talking, without
inhaling (or "sniffing") and it didn't budge. Fortunately for me, it
happened to be low-volume, which I wanted - unfortunately for me, it also
happened to be one of the pricier masks. (It is an Apollo Bio-Metal). Now
although I didn't buy it that day - I continued trying on masks at other
LDSs - I couldn't get rid of the memory of that perfect fit. A month later
I went back and gladly shelled out the money for that 'perfect fit'. YMMV.

Harley Baldwin <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message news:<40045200.5000306@att.net>...
> I am looking for a mask for my wife, who is not yet a certified diver,
> but is now interested in snorkeling (a good first step in the right
> direction, no doubt!).
>
> She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
> weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
> high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
> would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
> any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
> for the suggestion.

Try to take a look at the Poseidon Technica. It fits small faces well
and is reasonably priced. It is a very low volume mask.

fossildiver@mindspring.com (Al Wells) wrote:

>> She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
>> weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
>> high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
>> would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
>> any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
>> for the suggestion.

try cressi, they have very small masks.

(e.g. the Superocchio and the Minima)

Steven
+------------------------------------------------+
| Please use steevke at hotmail dot com to reply |
+------------------------------------------------+
| Hinc illae lacrimae |
+------------------------------------------------+

This not a joke. You might want to go to Wal-Mart and look at a child's
set-up of mask/ fins/ snorkel. If the snorkeling works out you can look at
more expensive equipment later.
ATG
"Harley Baldwin" <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message
news:40045200.5000306@att.net...
> I am looking for a mask for my wife, who is not yet a certified diver,
> but is now interested in snorkeling (a good first step in the right
> direction, no doubt!).
>
> She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
> weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
> high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
> would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
> any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
> for the suggestion.
>
> TIA,
> HB
>

"Spider Ginnetty" <sginnett@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:t1mNb.28504$ei6.26389@twister.tampabay.rr.com ...
> This not a joke. You might want to go to Wal-Mart and look at a child's
> set-up of mask/ fins/ snorkel. If the snorkeling works out you can look at
> more expensive equipment later.

My wife's favorite mask came from K-Mart (before they closed in our area).
Incidentally, her favorite snorkel came in the same package... . Total
cost was about $15.

"Chris Guynn" <chrisguynn@sbcglobal.N.O.S.P.A.M.net> wrote in message
news:ECyNb.8080$UE2.7956@newssvr22.news.prodigy.co m...
>
> "Spider Ginnetty" <sginnett@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:t1mNb.28504$ei6.26389@twister.tampabay.rr.com ...
> > This not a joke. You might want to go to Wal-Mart and look at a child's
> > set-up of mask/ fins/ snorkel. If the snorkeling works out you can look
at
> > more expensive equipment later.
>
> My wife's favorite mask came from K-Mart (before they closed in our area).
> Incidentally, her favorite snorkel came in the same package... . Total
> cost was about $15.
>
>

I'm using a snorkel from a $25 NZD mask/snorkel set from the Warehouse store
(think Walmart covered with red paint and a Buy NZ Made policy) with my
gear, the mask is a basic cheap Apollo one from the LDS, works just fine and
suits me far more than ones I tried costign five or six times what I paid
for them

rhys

cressi sub has great ones my 13 year old kid dives with the OCEANO very nice
about $70 cdn
fits lots of the smaller faces that I teach
"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:XJYMb.7051$i4.6537@newsread1.news.atl.earthli nk.net...
> "Harley Baldwin" <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message
> news:40045200.5000306@att.net...
> > I am looking for a mask for my wife, who is not yet a certified diver,
> > but is now interested in snorkeling (a good first step in the right
> > direction, no doubt!).
>
> Only if it's a good experience. Make sure it is.
>
> > She is 21, but very petite (size 1 dress/ jeans, about 100 pounds in
> > weight), and I am open for suggestions for a decent (not necessarily
> > high quality yet) mask that would fit her. I realize that the BEST way
> > would be to go to a LDS and start trying several on, but if anybody had
> > any direct experience as far as brand/style, etc...I would be grateful
> > for the suggestion.
>
> Going to the LDS is not the BEST way, it's the only way, but load the dice
> in your favor. You don't want to turn her off on the whole idea before
you
> even get started. Find a dive shop that carries a wide variety of masks.
> Confirm, before you take her there, that they have quality masks made for
> people with smaller faces. Find out as much as you can about which ones
fit
> what kinds of faces and only then, take her to buy a mask.
>
> If you want to be sure you get it right, take a snorkel with you. A
> person's face with a snorkel in their mouth is not the same shape as a
face
> without one and, believe it or don't (I suggest you do), even such a small
> difference is important with some masks. The Cressi Big Eyes is one of
> them.
>
> Lee
>
>