Gear Review: Best Scuba Mask of 2015

The Epitome of Luxury…The Best Scuba Mask of 2015…

I winced as I punched in my credit card number. I will be candid, $200 for a mask is pretty steep, especially seeing as it didn’t come with a snorkel. Having tried the Atomic Aquatics Venom at my local scuba shop, I knew it was awesome. A great field of view, which surprised me, having been a fan of panoramic masks since I bought my first mask when I started diving. My mind flashed back to how it felt in the dive shop and I smacked my finger across the enter button, sealing the deal. I certainly wasn’t going to pay the extra $50 the dive shop was charging when I could find it online much cheaper. A few days later the package arrived, just in time for my upcoming trip to Belize. Here is why we are naming the venom our best scuba mask of 2015…

Recently I had taken to the advice given to me by a close friend when it came to buying snowboarding equipment. “Don’t skimp man, otherwise you are going to have to re-buy gear in a year or two.” Lo and behold, the $100 snowboard boots I grabbed on discount broke within one season and were frustrating to deal with for the last few weeks of season. I can guarantee next time I buy some boots I am going for the brand and style I can splurge for vs the cheap end of season leftovers. With this in mind I wanted to find the best scuba mask I could possibly invest in.

Anyways, back to scuba diving! For the last couple years  I have been pretty satisfied with my Cressi Panoramic mask, but it still leaked on most dives(a common problem for us bearded folk) and I knew it was time to upgrade as I became more serious about diving. I am planning on going to Malaysia to do my dive-master course at the end of the year and I want to bring an awesome mask and fins along. Having heard amazing things about this mask, based on the user reviews on Amazon (especially the facial hair aspect) I headed to my local dive shop to try it on and make sure it fit. I asked them what their best scuba mask recommendation would be and it was the Venom and the ScubaPro Synergy Truefit Dive Mask. Upon trying them both I knew one of them was going to be our best scuba mask of 2015…

Cut to 2 weeks later. I rolled back into the azure waters of a local Belize reef and began my descent. The visibility was great and again I was stunned by the wide field of view this mask offered, not quite a panoramic, but also there was no annoying lens seam I had become accustomed to over the last couple years on my old mask. Also the large teardrop shaped glass lets you see clearly below you without having to move your head. The lens on this mask is HUGE and crystal clear. It’s not going to give you x-ray vision of course but it is one of the best lenses I had encountered so far. I realized I had the mask a bit too tight and quickly eased out the tension on the strap with the large chunky buttons on the clasps. I don’t understand why all scuba masks don’t have this feature, it’s a no brainer.

Throughout my dive along the reef I was waiting for the usual leak around my beard/mustache. By the time I ascended from my first dive I was thinking it was a fluke. I was amazed to find over the course of a week, my mask leaked maybe 3x during 12 dives.  The skirt on this mask is soft, but not too soft that if lets water slip in for anyone with facial hair. It also didn’t hurt the underside of my nose like so many masks I had tried before. I was instantly happy for my purchase based on that fact alone. The only thing I wish was it came with a neoprene mask strap, but I have a couple of those kicking around anyways.

Over a week of diving later and I was SO happy with laying down the extra cash for my new mask. I even let the other members of the team try it out on a few dives (begrudgingly) and they agreed it was pretty much the Rolls Royce of all our masks, hence why we are naming it the best scuba mask of 2015. There are a few choice pieces of scuba gear I would recommend investing in: Your Fins, Dive Computer….and above all your mask. The whole point of exploring under water is to see amazing sights and I would happily spend another $200 to ensure that on all my dives. No one likes a foggy, leaky, frustrating mask. I’m sure this scuba mask will accompany me around the world on many dives for a many years to come. Especially seeing as it comes with a lifetime warranty.

If you are thinking about grabbing the Atomic Aquatics Venom…do it. Hold off going out to resturants for a week or so to offset the extra cost because it is well worth it. Earns it’s spot as our best scuba mask of 2015! Enjoy and safe diving 🙂

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Runner up:

ScubaPro Synergy Truefit Dive Mask– Another amazing dive mask but the Field of view wasn’t quite the same. The fit and Seal was phenomenal though.

Thanks for checking out our Best Scuba Mask of 2015 Review, if you are looking for more info on masks be sure to take a look at our Top 10 Scuba Masks list