Oceanic ProEar 2000 Mask - Sportdiver.com

Oceanic's ProEar 2000 mask does many things, but it does not allow you to remain anonymous on a dive boat. Everyone notices its unusual design: a traditional mask with silicone and plastic ear-covering cups connected with corrugated plastic air tubes, all held in place by a dual strap system - one behind and one over the top of the head. The idea of connecting the ear pieces to the mask is to facilitate clearing the ears. The mask claims to keep your ears dry and warm, improve hearing underwater and aid in equalization. I found that it delivers on all counts. By the time I finished explaining all of that to everyone on the boat, it was time to dive. Initially, I had some difficulty getting a complete seal around my ears. It required quite a bit of experimentation, but once done I was able to maintain the seal easily. That's when I discovered this system's truly unique features. I could not only hear underwater sounds more clearly, but I could also tell the direction. When a divemaster located a large nurse shark under a ledge, I knew immediately that his tank tapping was to my left. The mask makes some interesting noises as air passes through the one-way valves, but I quickly became accustomed to that. My ears were warm and dry throughout, which will be a big benefit to divers who are susceptible to irritation or infection. The biggest advantage to the ProEar 2000 is probably the equalization help provided by the ear cups. The cups did not eliminate the need to equalize, but does reduce the number of times you need to do it. Exhaling through my nose to equalize my mask passed air through the valves to the ear cups. That allowed them to equalize gradually rather than at the pressure of the surrounding water. I loaned the mask to a Divemaster on the boat who said that one of his ears is always slow to equalize. Underwater, I could see that he was smiling. Back on board, he said that for the first time both of his ears had equalized smoothly and without difficulty. Summary: The ProEar 2000 works as claimed. It won't fix every diver's ear difficulties, but it is a real innovation in equalization. Properly fitted, it can keep a diver's ears warm, dry and comfortable. MSRP $139.95.

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