I had a dream last night, no not Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. Mine was had, his was have, it’s clearly all about the semantics. But seriously, I had a dream last night. In my dream I was a new SCUBA diver. Maybe I had classes, maybe I hadn’t, I’m not really sure. I had all this fancy new gear and didn’t have a clue how to use it or what it was or even why I needed it, so maybe I hadn’t had classes yet. We’re going to hope I hadn’t had classes yet if I didn’t know any of the answers to those questions… That is kind of the point of these articles. To help take away some of the mystery of our diving gear. And while you may be an experienced diver, maybe you’ll learn something new or find a new really cool piece of gear you didn’t know about and want to try. There are endless possibilities for these posts. Now that we have a lead in, what on earth am I going to introduce you to today you might be asking… well… meet the…
Frameless Gorilla Mask
One of the first pieces of gear you’ll probably own is your own mask. The best recommendation I have for you is during your open water certification classes, try every mask in the box. If you see a fellow diver wearing a mask you’d like to try, ask them about it. More than likely they’ll even allow you to try it. It’s also not a bad thing to have more than one mask, just a side piece of information.
So what can I tell you about the Frameless Gorilla Mask? I’m so glad you asked!
The Frameless Gorilla Mask is slightly larger and wider than the classic Frameless mask. It also has a slightly larger skirt in a matte finish.
- The Frameless Gorilla mask offers an extra-large single-lens, which provides an expansive field of view while reducing volume.
- The larger double-seal skirt creates a watertight seal on larger faces in a lovely matte finish.
- The design of the buckles allows the strap to fold flat for easy travel
Now typically each diver picks a mask strap that suits their comfort and personality but the strap that is included with the mask has a wide-strap allowing a comfort fit against the back of the diver’s head.
Having a frameless mask that sits closer to your eyes allows for a larger field of view while having less volume, that makes this mask easy to clear should the mask flood. Since the mask has no frame, the buckles for the mask strap attach directly to the skirt allowing for that ease of packing. Bonus when going on a trip where you have limited space.
There are endless reasons that divers prefer the frameless style mask. The Frameless Gorilla mask contains that soft silicone skirt that makes it comfortable yet durable for a long life of dives and that double-edge seal feels good against your skin. Score! The buckles attach to flexible tabs on the skirt allowing for a quick and easy adjustment while on the fly.
SCUBAPRO was the first on the scene in the frameless mask market, but the biggest complaint was divers with larger heads had difficulty achieving that perfect fit. That is when SCUBAPRO went back to the drawing board and the Frameless Gorilla was invented. The slightly wider lens and larger skirt allows for a more comfortable fit while still having the same benefits of the original frameless mask.
If you need a refresher on what we’re trying to accomplish with these posts, read this article here. And remember if you’re interested in this mask, make sure to contact us here at Extreme Sports Scuba!! We’re always here to help!