Prescription Mask Recommendations

[Rockhound76]

I want to get my son a prescription for his mask before we head to Bonaire next month. I dive with contacts, but at 15, we want him to wait just a little longer.

A few questions:
1)He dives with a TUSA M-40. Is that the same as "Splendide" (sold on ST) or will those lenses fit it?

2) Our LDS says that he should get a "lighter" prescription, up to .5 diopter undercorrected, due to the magnification of water. I understand the logic, but I wear contacts with my land prescription and they work just fine. Any suggestions? (Btw, I'll support the LDS normally, but they can't seem to get the lenses in before we go.)

3) His prescription is D -3.0, S -3.25. I take it that "S" is left and "D" is right? I'm guessing that D is for dextral and S for sinestral. But, I could be wrong.

Thanks.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by Rockhound76

I want to get my son a prescription for his mask before we head to Bonaire next month. I dive with contacts, but at 15, we want him to wait just a little longer.

A few questions:
1)He dives with a TUSA M-40. Is that the same as "Splendide" (sold on ST) or will those lenses fit it?

2) Our LDS says that he should get a "lighter" prescription, up to .5 diopter undercorrected, due to the magnification of water. I understand the logic, but I wear contacts with my land prescription and they work just fine. Any suggestions? (Btw, I'll support the LDS normally, but they can't seem to get the lenses in before we go.)

3) His prescription is D -3.0, S -3.25. I take it that "S" is left and "D" is right? I'm guessing that D is for dextral and S for sinestral. But, I could be wrong.

Thanks.

I'd call ScubaToys and/or Tusa as to whether the lenses will fit that mask.

Your son should be fine with -3.0 in each eye. (prefab lenses come in .5 increments, and you usually round down)

[terrillja]

Originally Posted by Rockhound76

I want to get my son a prescription for his mask before we head to Bonaire next month. I dive with contacts, but at 15, we want him to wait just a little longer.

A few questions:
1)He dives with a TUSA M-40. Is that the same as "Splendide" (sold on ST) or will those lenses fit it?

2) Our LDS says that he should get a "lighter" prescription, up to .5 diopter undercorrected, due to the magnification of water. I understand the logic, but I wear contacts with my land prescription and they work just fine. Any suggestions? (Btw, I'll support the LDS normally, but they can't seem to get the lenses in before we go.)

3) His prescription is D -3.0, S -3.25. I take it that "S" is left and "D" is right? I'm guessing that D is for dextral and S for sinestral. But, I could be wrong.

Thanks.

My dad went with this company when he got his mask custom ground:

Prescription Dive Masks

They did a good job, though he will be using that mask as a backup now, and using a FFM with prescription lenses in it. (Ocean Reef Neptune Predator with Optical lens support and custom lenses).

He opted for the custom ground mask since he had the diveOptix, but they would come off every now and then, so he went without them once, misread his gauges, and thought he was at 600psi but was at 200psi. The mask was sent off for custom lenses that night.

[RoyN]

Also, if you want to be accurate in the lens, I recommend going to your eye doctor, tell him or her your situation, get the measurement, and then go to your LDS or scubatoys or RXdivemask.com. Thats what I did and I'm currently happy with my Seavision mask. The only thing I wish I could do is use the Oceanic Shadow mask, but those don't support RX lens.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by terrillja

My dad went with this company when he got his mask custom ground:

Prescription Dive Masks

They did a good job, though he will be using that mask as a backup now, and using a FFM with prescription lenses in it. (Ocean Reef Neptune Predator with Optical lens support and custom lenses).

He opted for the custom ground mask since he had the diveOptix, but they would come off every now and then, so he went without them once, misread his gauges, and thought he was at 600psi but was at 200psi. The mask was sent off for custom lenses that night.

That's funny... I use a different Prescription Dive Masks company: Welcome to Prescription Dive Mask

I've bought a couple of masks from them. Surf stole them. Now I use the cheaper drop-in prefab lenses. Not quite as sharp on land, but hard to tell the difference underwater.

Reader masks deserve custom ground, as do prescriptions for people with astigmatism (mine is mild enough to ignore ... underwater), but if you have a straight nearsighted prescription it's hard to justify $250+ vs. $70 or so.

[terrillja]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

That's funny... I use a different Prescription Dive Masks company: Welcome to Prescription Dive Mask

I've bought a couple of masks from them. Surf stole them. Now I use the cheaper drop-in prefab lenses. Not quite as sharp on land, but hard to tell the difference underwater.

Reader masks deserve custom ground, as do prescriptions for people with astigmatism (mine is mild enough to ignore ... underwater), but if you have a straight nearsighted prescription it's hard to justify $250+ vs. $70 or so.

Yeah, my dad had to go with the full deal, he has astigmatism and he also needed bifocals. That was expensive.

He sent in his exact prescription from his optometrist with the mask, and was quite happy with the results. The lenses for his FFM are essentially eyeglass lenses mounted in a special holder which mounts in the FFM, very different system, we'll see how it works.

[texdiveguy]

I buy inexpensive Trident 2 lens basic black masks and add over the counter diopter lens from the LDS....works great for under a $100.

[Osprey]

I have astigmatism and am SUPER nearsighted but my LDS was able to get my mask + lenses, ordered and installed, for like $77 total. Works like a champion as well!

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by Osprey

I have astigmatism and am SUPER nearsighted but my LDS was able to get my mask + lenses, ordered and installed, for like $77 total. Works like a champion as well!

I'd love to hear more about this...

[ScubaToys Larry]

This is the splendive IV (AKA M40) Tusa Splendive IV Mask, Dive Masks, Tusa, Tusa Splendive IV Mask

And the lenses pop in pretty easy. Corrective Lens, Dive Masks, Tusa, Corrective Lens And we will do it for free if you want to sent the mask. Just takes about a minute to do it. If he doesn't have a bad astigmatism, then the stock drop in ones will work fine.