Why do we go underwater? For some it’s the adventure, for others the sensation of weightlessness, but for nearly all the reason includes seeing some really cool stuff. That’s why the mask is such a critical part of a diver’s rig. A good mask provides so much field of view, fits so comfortably and works so well, you forget it’s even there. On the other hand, a bad mask hurts your face, fogs up and fills with water every six seconds. Perhaps more than any other piece of gear, a mask can make the difference between an unforgettable dive experience and 45 minutes of underwater torture. You’d think that after more than a half-century of mask development manufacturers would be running out of new ideas. But much to the glee of divers everywhere, each year we’re introduced to new lens shapes, softer skirt materials and more innovative buckle systems. We called on mask manufacturers to send us their freshest models; we received 18 new or improved designs. After checking out each mask in the ScubaLab shop, noting materials, design features and how the buckle systems worked, we took them into our test pool to measure their field of view, both vertically and horizontally. We then set out to dive each mask to see how well they fit, felt and behaved in the real world. We’ve divided our findings into three categories by mask type: single-window, dual-window, and three- and four-window.

Sherwood Mag 4

Specifications

The Mag 4 is a two-window mask with built-in bifocal lenses. What’s great about this concept is that Sherwood didn’t just glue some magnifying lenses into the bottom of the mask lenses. Instead, they actually cut off the bottom portions of the lenses and then attached the +1.75 magnifying lenses at an angle, improving downward vision while providing magnification. The angle is not enough to produce serious refraction like side windows do; rather, it’s just enough to stretch your downward vision to a full 50 degrees while providing magnification for easy gauge reading.