GoPro Dive Mask Review: The Octomask, Great or Gimmicky?
GoPro Dive Mask Review: The Octomask, Great or Gimmicky?GoPro’s are synonymous with action sports these days. Everywhere you go you will doubtlessly run into people waving them about on self sticks, and for good reason. GoPros are compact and can capture amazing footage, and come with a waterproof case safe up to 130 ft (40 m). You can read our GoPro Hero4 Silver Review Here.They make a perfect addition to any scuba diver’s underwater arsenal. That’s why we were excited to get our hands on a Gopro dive mask. We had seen a couple various models online and decided to bite the bullet and order the Octomask. We were a little dubious, it seemed like a bit of a gimmicky concept and we were interested in how the mask itself would stand up compared to standard scuba masks.
Thankfully our gamble paid off. The Octomask is not just an awesome GoPro Dive Mask, it’s an awesome scuba mask period. The frame is as thick as most ScubaPro masks and extremely tough. The silicone skirt is nice and soft and did not tend to leak on us much at all. The strap sits comfortably and is easy to adjust while the dual lenses provided great visibility. Our main concern when ordering this was it was going to be marketed solely on the GoPro dive mask mount and be of shoddy quality. This is not the case at all, and the build quality is up there with ScubaPro masks. The nose pocket provides plenty of space and does not hurt the underside of your nose like some masks have a tendency to do. While it might not take the title of best scuba mask of 2015, it did earn a spot on our top 10 scuba masks!
So how does it function as a Gopro dive mask? Surprisingly well. The standard mounting system is easy to use and once your camera is mounted it stays firmly in place. If pointed slightly downward you will be able to capture some EPIC dive footage from a natural 1st person perspective. It’s easy to get overburdened with hand held accessories when diving with cameras, so having your hands free is a great feeling with this Gopro dive mask. If you are anything like us, it’s easy to get distracted by constantly fiddling with your camera or spend too much time looking at the LCD or viewfinder during your dive. Removing this distraction was great for thoroughly enjoying out dives while still recording amazing footage throughout.
When it comes to trying out new scuba gear we always like it when we are pleasantly surprised and this one was a great blind buy for us. Experiencing a dive from a first person perspective on youtube is always a nice treat for surface dwellers so the Octomask Gopro dive mask makes a nice addition to our arsenal of GoPro accessories. Octomask recently released a frameless version of their gopro dive mask and it is garnering similar praise.
Final Thoughts:
This is perfect for anyone who loves to record their dives. There are a few different GoPro dive masks available on the market and the Octomask was the original badboy on the block. With stellar build quality comparable to other top brands, this is a bargain with the added camera mount functionality. A must have for fellow GoPro accessory addicts.
Pros
- High quality gopro dive mask
- Strong camera mount
- Perfect 1st person filming perspective
- Allows for hands free diving
- Comfortable/Doesn’t hurt your nose
Cons:
- Not 100% leak proof
- Field of View is not as good as some of the other masks on our top 10 list.
- Doesn’t come with a neoprene strap cover.
Rating
