Masks 2007 £30+
 | MARK EVANS PADI Divemaster 22 years diving experience |  | DAVE HOPE PADI MSDT 16 years diving experience |
 | ANDREA BREWIS PADI AOW 4 years diving experience |  | RICHARD GROVES PADI Rescue Diver 2 years diving experience |
 | SHARON GROVES PADI Rescue Diver 2 years diving experience |  | JOHN CARTER PADI Divemaster 11 years diving experience |
Atomic Aquatics (SRP: £70)
Mark: This is a very comfortable mask with excellent vision and good all-round performance. It is expensive, though I suppose the lifetime guarantee means you’d never have to buy another mask!
Dave: You even get good vision through the side silicone from this one, and the novel clips work really well. Great seal and fit, but a bit pricey.
John: Very comfortable, I really like this one – this is how a frameless mask should be.
Andrea: It fits nicely, clears easily and has good vision, but I’m not sure I’d pay that much for a mask.
Sharon: Very good vision and a comfortable fit, but that is an awful lot to pay for a mask.
Richard: It’s a really nice mask but it’s not that good that I’d trade up from my own mask.
Aqualung Favola (SRP: £43) Choice
Mark: Very comfortable, nice easy-to-use pinch clips. I like the riged frame, which made getting a firm grip to clear it very easy.
Dave: I don’t usually like big-eye style masks, but this one is impressive – great vision, no leaks and it’s comfortable. One of the best here.
John: Quite a shallow mask, which makes it easy to clear, but it’s comfy enough and the extra vision vertically is not at the expense of the horizontal plane like some.
Andrea: I like this one, it’s pretty good all round – one of my favourites.
Sharon: This is a nice mask, the only thing I’m not keen on is the huge strap, but that’s not the end of the world.
Richard: Fits well, clears easily and very good vis – this is a nice mask.
Beaver Frameless (SRP: £46)
Mark: Very, very comfy. Easy to clear, folds flat for easy storage in your BCD pocket and excellent all-round vision.
Dave: It’s not my first choice, but it’s not far off. It’s a good all-rounder, no complaints from me.
John: A well-made, good-fitting mask with fine all-round vision. I’m not sure about the clips though.
Andrea: This is a nice mask – good vision, easy to clear and very comfortable. Worth considering.
Sharon: I quite like this one, it’s comfortable and clears well and has good vision – one of the better ones.
Richard: It leaked a bit on me – there’s nothing wrong with the mask, it’s just not the right fit for me.
IST M100 Panorama (SRP: £36.95)
Mark: This is virtually identical in looks to Apollo’s mega-priced Bio-Mask. It folds flat, it’s easy to clear and doesn’t leak.
Dave: This looks tiny but the vision is pretty good. It’s easy to clear, but I could feel the frame on my face.
John: Really worked well for me – excellent vis, and easy to remove, replace and clear. The clips are easier than they first appear, but I could feel the frame on the bridge of my nose.
Andrea: This is a nice one – comfortable and easy to clear with good vision, not bad at all.
Sharon: Really comfy, easy to adjust and clear with good vision.
Richard: Performed well enough, although I could not quite get it to seal properly. The downward vision was a bit restricted for me.
Oceanic Ion4 (SRP: £30)
Mark: This has excellent clips, it’s reasonably comfortable and easy to clear, but there is a bit of a dead zone on the peripheral vision.
Dave: This is a bit small for me and the vis does not seem to be as good as on some of the others. Clips are a clever bit of design, though.
John: Trickier than some to totally clear, but it’s very comfortable and the clips work very well.
Andrea: Not the best vision of those in the test, especially downward, but all round it’s okay.
Sharon: It’s comfortable, easy to clear and the strap is easy to adjust – not bad, but not my favourite.
Richard: This one is a small fit for my big conk, the vision is average, but otherwise it’s okay.
Oceanmaster Equaliser £41.32 (twin lens or single)
Mark: This is a very big mask, but it feels fairly light. The purge really does not work for me, but the innovative straps and clip are excellent.
Dave: You get a lot of mask for your money. To be honest, the strap and clip won’t sell it to me because once mine is set, I pretty much leave it alone. I couldn’t get the last bit of water out using the purge either.
John: I really like this one, it’s very comfortable. Good all-round vision and easy to clear, the straps are very easy to adjust even with gloves on.
Andrea: I like the strap and clip system on this, but it’s too big a mask for me and I don’t rate the purge system.
Sharon: It’s a huge mask for my face and tricky to clear, but the straps are excellent and stop your hair getting caught.
Richard: I prefer masks without purge valves, though this one was an okay performer all-round, but it did not do enough to convert me.
Ralf Tech Catfish (SRP: £39.99)
Mark: A comfortable mask with very good downward vision that fits well. Easy to clear as well, not bad.
Dave: It’s a bit of an average all-rounder for me – no great grumbles, but nothing to impress me either.
John: It’s okay but it leaked a bit round my rugby player’s nose. The vision is quite good, but the clips seemed tricky to use.
Andrea: It did not seal well under my nose, but it has quite good all-round vision and it’s easy to clear.
Sharon: This gives a very good field of vision and fits me quite well too. Nice mask.
Richard: Excellent field of vision, not the best fit – but I have got a big nose! – and it’s easy to clear.
Scubapro Premier (SRP: £35.95) Best value
Mark: It’s a comfortable-enough mask with excellent downwards vision and it’s easy to clear.
Dave: I like Scubapro masks, they fit me pretty well and this is no different – comfy, no leaks and easy to clear. Up with the best of them.
John: Nice mask. Good all-round vision, fitted well and did not leak at all.
Andrea: This is quite a nice mask, I’d happily dive wearing one. It didn’t leak, cleared easily and has good vision.
Sharon: Not the right fit for me, but even so it did not leak and performed quite well.
Richard: It’s a bit tight on top of my nose, but it’s got a nice soft skirt and good vision.
Seac Sub Italica (SRP: £45)
Mark: This one is very comfortable – it’s got great clips, the downward vision is excellent and it’s easy to clear. Nice mask.
Dave: I could get to like this one, it’s comfortable, has good all-round vision and wouldn’t leak in a month of diving.
John: This is a good mask, excellent horizontal vision without sacrificing the peripheral view. It cleared easily and the clips are a clever idea.
Andrea: Good all-round vision and really comfortable to wear, definitely one of the better masks here.
Sharon: This is not perfect for me, but it’s comfy enough and the vision is pretty good as well.
Richard: This fitted me really well. It’s got good vision and it’s easy to clear as well. I liked it.
Sherwood Mako (SRP: £35.95)
Mark: Reasonably comfortable and pretty good vis, it folds flat and it’s easy to clear. Nice mask.
Dave: I quite like this one, it’s very similar to my Scubapro Frameless. It’s got a good fit, good vision and didn’t leak, a good mask.
John: The vision is pretty average, but it performs well everywhere else. A pretty good mask all in all.
Andrea: Quite good all-round really, good vision, comfortable and easy to clear. Nice mask.
Sharon: Really comfy – it did everything well, but I’m not sure about the clips.
Richard: Very comfortable, nice and light. Easy to clear for a mask with this volume, and the vis is pretty good.
Tigullio Proview (SRP: £49)
Mark: It folds flat, but it’s not the easiest to completely clear, and the peripheral vision is not great either.
Dave: I quite like this one – it fitted me well, it was reasonably easy to clear and the vision is pretty good.
John: This is an average all-round mask – there’s nothing to dislike. There is better here, but there are worse as well.
Andrea: It’s too big around the nose for me and the vision was not as good as some – it’s not the one for me.
Sharon: It’s okay – it’s comfy enough and performed well enough, but not as good as some of them.
Richard: I like this one, it’s very comfortable, the skirt is soft and fitted well, and it was easy to clear.
Tusa M-16 Serene (SRP: £48)
Mark: Coloured for the ladies, but is comfy enough for men – it’s got good all-round vision and it’s easy to clear.
Dave: Sized more for the smaller face, but it still fitted me pretty well. It’s nice to see a manufacturer doing something different with the colours.
John: I like the pastel shade… I found the clips a bit fiddly, but it’s reasonably comfortable and the vis is okay.
Andrea: This is quite comfortable and the vision is quite good. It fitted well enough, but it’s not my favourite.
Sharon: Not as easy as some to clear, but I don’t think you’d get much water in because it’s a great fit.
Richard: It’s comfortable, with good downward vision, and it cleared easily.
Poseidon ThreeDee (SRP: £39.99)
Mark: This mask fits well and clears easily, but the distinctive looks are something you will either love or hate.
Dave: It’s a nice fit and clears well, but you do get a tunnel vision effect and, as for looks, oh dear try again.
John: Well possums – the mask that makes you look like Dame Edna. It’s too shallow for my rugby player’s nose, so is not one that I’d choose.
Andrea: I agree with Dave – it gave me a feeling of tunnel vision. Otherwise, it fitted nicely, but there is an awful lot of frame.
Sharon: I could feel the frame on my forehead and it looks like an OAP’s glasses – not the best here.
Richard: It’s comfy enough and it cleared really easily, but the vision is not as good as some of them here.
