Micromask vs Alien

[Kingspear]

Hi All,

I currently have been diving with my Omer Abyss for 3 years. I like it but would like something with a little better field of vision.

I am torn between the Omer Alien and Technisub Micromask. My questions are:


1. Which has a lower internal air volume?

2. Which has a better field of vision?

[wackass]

Hi King,
I have all 3 of them. Micromask is way better, lower volume+very good field. Omer is also good, I had been using the Abyss for 2 years without any problems.

Marios

[foxfish]

I have been using the alien for three years & I like it but will be buying the Technisub Micromask soon.

[chrismar]

I've changed from a sphera to a micromask for most of my diving now. Top mask.

[marc25]

I use the Micromask too,
like it very much, good field of vision, low volume and the best of all: it fits my face ;-)

greetings,
marc

[peacenluv]

my fav is also micromask, though i wish they made the silicon softer.. but just got the new cressi occhio plus so will report after testing.. if ur in the states, leisurepro has both in stock, at least they did 2 weeks ago when i ordered...

[ILDiver]

The disadvantage to the Technisub is the cost and the buckles. The buckles are on the fragile side. They have othe masks that use that same system. Most people are careful and usually I think breaking comes when tossed around with Scuba gear. It is very low volume and great vis. It also fits a wide variety of faces. I use the Alien, I have not tried to get the Micro yet, though I did try it on when the Techisub rep brought the new lines a few months back and I liked it.

[Jon]

Chris is right- the buckles suck and I've told aqualung that they suck.

I broke mine a few months after buying it. Aqualung did send me a new buckle for free and I've had no problems since. It's my favorite mask out of all the ones I own- and I own more than a few.

I also own some OMER's and have been less than satisfied with their quality control.

Fogging seems to be a huge issue with OMER and I've heard a couple of different reasons why, but in the end divers, myself included, seem to have far fewer fogging issues with other masks- Cressi, Aqualung, Picasso, Atomic, Aquasphere, ect.

I also had the buckle on my OMER Bandit break a week after getting it. When I tore the mask apart I saw they they used plastic pins in the buckle assembly instead of metal- the mask was just too expensive to have such cheap parts in such an important place. I took the metal pins out of an old Picasso Nulla mask and put them into the Bandit- since the Bandit does fit my face better than the Nulla. This was a simple enough fix but it never should have happened to begin with. Fogging is also an issue with the Bandit, but not as bad as it was with my Alien.

Before anyone tells to go rub toothpaste in my mask let me just say that I've been at this stuff for almost 30 years and know a little about how a mask is supposed to work. One, or two, treatments with the paste is all that it takes with my Atomic, Picasso, Aqualung and Cressi mask's, but I did well over 30 such treatments with the OMER's and still had issues. I know that I am not the only one who has had this problem because others have PM'd me with the same problem.

I say go with the Micromask and just be ready to switch out the buckle when it breaks. I would skip OMER all together and take a close look at the new Super-Occhio that Cressi-sub just came out with. I have a bag full of masks already, but that might be my next one if it turns out to be half as good as it looks.

Jon

[Fondueset]

Rumor is the buckles may be improved on the micromask vs the marina - I have the marina and have done a few hundred dives with it - nor problems.

I think it is THE BEST freediving mask I've ever used. My guess is the skirt has to be firm because it is so small. Field of view is fantastic and volume is a puff. I once nearly flooded mine when I snuck up on my dive buddy - his reaction was so extreme I started laughing and broke the seal. I cleared it and still stayed down another minute or so.

Looking forward to that Occhio plus review!

Fit on the Marina/micro is brilliant - but try it first if you can - it is a very small mask and won't fit everybody. Nose room is excellent by the way.

[ILDiver]

I've had great sucess with my Alien as far as not fogging. Toothpaste should only need to be used once or twice, after that... Maybe the glass is more or less pourous than other masks. I don't know all the in and outs of the surface tension and why one mask would fog worse than another. Only difference would be the surface of the glass. I know Sea Drops works for me and 500psi works for me and my Alien. And "waxing" 500psi on the mask and buffing it off 3 times to "treat" the lens had to have helpped. Some of our students fog worse due to exhaling a lot out of their nose. (not say a person with Jon's experience is fogging due to exhaling through his nose, just throwing it out there)

[Jon]

The two theories I've heard floated around as to why the OMER's were so much worse than the others where:

1- The release agent used in the molds caused it.

2- Inferior glass used in the mask as a cost savings measure.

After the plastic roller pins I found in my Bandit I'm more inclined to believe the second one these days.

I have, on occasion, had scuba students who would exhale through their nose during their entire dive, which would cause excessive mask fogging, but since we don't breath off of a regulator at depth while freediving this shouldn't be an issue- at least it never has for me.

The best luck I've had with a mask right out of the box is with Cressis sub. I have also found that new Clear silicone masks are easier to clean than new Black silicone masks- at least the ones from the major scuba companies.

Besides toothpaste, soft scrub, spit, kelp, potatoes, and commercial defog I've found that soaking a new mask overnight in a grease fighting dish soap to be quite effective as well as running one through a dishwasher- as long as you don't leave it in for the drying cycle.

Still, you can't go wrong with the Micro mask.

Jon

[Fondueset]

I think its the uber soft silicone in the Omers - Mark L. mentioned that as a cause. I've not had any trouble but mine has bonded lenses.

The changes to the micro mask are purely in the realm of tooling for manufacture. This from an aqualung rep.

[peacenluv]

with the omer alien brown mimetic, straight out of the box, fogged even after lotsa spit. i took an old head from my electric toothbrush and cleaned it for 3 minutes. then no fog.

with technisub aqualung micromask out of box, i wore it yesterday for 3 hour dive and fogged a lil. last nite, regular toothbrush for 3 minutes white toothpaste. tested today for 15 minutes and no fog.

now new toy, cressi occhio plus. outta box, spit and no fog at all. the silicon is thicker than micromask and alien, softer than micromask harder than alien. very comfortable. same thicker spongie rubber used for mask and strap so strap seems strongest of the 3. micromask and occhio+ strapped to front frame while alien strapped to side silicon. aliens buckle is simple and cheap, micromask and occhio+ more designed. occhio+ buckle release is small and sticks out while micromask is push from top/bottom. cannot say which is more reliable but from playing around with them, seems micromask will hold up better, but there have been others with micromask buckle problems. seems easier to clear than alien, but not so low volume as micromask. micromask has a very stiff frame with no bend while occhi plus and alien both bend a little in the middle. occhio+ and micromask say made in italy and alien made in taiwan. occhio+ has long lense so bottom view no prob, but view up and side not so good as micromask. micromask and occhio plus have tilted down lenses which seems to reduce volume compared to alien's straight ahead lense.

sorry for the long post, cause in the end, u gotta wear it to know if it fits u.

[Fondueset]

So - the side vision on the Occhio plus is not as good as micro - are you sure? How is the nose pocket and overall comfort? - thanks for the review!

[peacenluv]

yep, side vision definitely not as good on the occhio+ compared to micromask.. i have problems with the alien nose pocket after a few hours but not with the micromask.. alien nose pocket seems to be slanted upwards on the bottom so maybe that's why?. i have only dove once with the occhio+ for 2.5 hours so i need to take it for a longer haul, but the spongie thick silicon was definitely very comfortable on the face. and from the looks of it, seems to have a nice big nose pocket, larger than the micromask and alien. for me the perfect mask would be the micromask using the occhio+ silicon.