Top Three Snorkeling Mask Brands

There are many high quality masks on the market, making it a tough choice as to which may be the best. Of primary concern is fit and you should never buy a mask without trying it on for fit, comfort and ease of visibility. Some masks are designed for larger faces, others for smaller or children’s faces. Get the most out of your Key West snorkel expedition by trying on a number of masks before making a purchase.

To test for fit, try the mask on by pressing it against your face without the strap on, being sure not to let any air out through your nose. If it stays in place with slowly losing its seal, then you can go on to check for field of view and comfort of the skirt. Generally, it’s best to go with a big name brand; they may be more expensive, but tend to be backed by a good quality control and research into great product development. Mainstream brands are also supported by resorts, tour operators and local dive shops. Following are three of the top scuba/snorkeling mask brands.

Atomics

Radical, respected designs are the hallmark of Atomic Aquatics, and the company’s masks reflect this long tradition of innovation, quality and reliability. Snorkelers around the world enjoy the results of Atomics’ extensive research into what makes a comfortable, perfectly fitted mask with excellent visibility and clarity. Features on various Atomics masks include a frameless design with enhanced upward, downward and side-to-side visibility and squeeze-to-adjust buckles for a more hydrodynamic fit. Atomics’ patented UltraClear lenses provide amazing clarity and light transmission, maximizing underwater vision.

Mares

Mares’ ever-popular LiquidSkin line just keeps getting better and better. LiquidSkin technology provides a soft and naturally comfortable skirt along with additional soft silicone in the nose area to protect against bumps. Newer mask models have improved the field of vision by an incredible 20%, with anatomically designed skirts that provide a superior fit and seal. Mares’ patented tri-comfort technology consists of small horizontal ribs around the nose between the frame and skirt, allowing for absorption and redistribution of pressure on the skirt and adding to the masks’ superior comfort. Not to leave a sense of fashion behind, Mares masks are available in an incredible array of vibrant colors.

Tusa

Industry leader Tusa is perennially popular with snorkelers and divers throughout the world. The brand’s Freedom technology provides superior fit, comfort and performance through a dimpled skirt surface using stability ridges and varying silicon thicknesses to enhance performance and comfort. Ease, comfort and no-fuss strap performance are provided by Tusa’s 180-degree buckle system, allowing optimum fit and ease of storage, while the brand’s 3-D strap is designed to fit comfortably against the natural curvature of the head as compared to standard flat mask straps. Seeing underwater has never been better with Tusa’s Anti-Reflective (A/R) lens treatment and CrystalView optical glass, increasing light transmission for significantly better overall under water vision with enhanced color and clarity.