AquaLung MicroMask - Diving Squad Report:
Diving Squad Rating:
A top-seller on Amazon, the AquaLung MicroMask provides an excellent fit for faces that are “narrow”, “petite” and/or “small”.
But there’s more to this highly popular scuba diving mask than just the kind of face it’s designed for.
Being so small makes it compact meaning it is great to travel with as it takes up minimal packing space.
It’s a frameless mask with incredibly low volume that makes it effortless to clear and exert minimal pressure on the wearers face.
Plus it features a truly unique strap which separates outwards into multiple strands for an incredibly comfortable mould around the back of the wearers head.
PROS
- Excellent fit for people with small/narrow faces
- Unique strap shape for extra comfort
- Frameless:
- Low volume
- Streamlined
CONS
- Not suitable for people with larger / more prominent faces
- Field of vision is decent but not as big as that of larger masks
“I love my Aqualung MicroMask! The volume is so low that when I lent it to my friend the other day she said she could feel her eyelashes touching the lens!
Having such low volume makes it incredibly easy to clear and it exert minimal pressure when being worn.
If you have a small face, it’s definitely a great option to go for.
Admittedly, the field of view isn’t quite as large as that of a bigger dive mask but that’s inevitable when designing a smaller mask. However, I feel the scope of vision is still more than adequate.
The strap is great for having so many divisions – it makes it way more comfortable than your average dive mask strap which has just two splits.
So far the AquaLung MicroMask is still my favourite dive mask of all time”!
Aishling Fahy: Diving Squad Contributor
FEATURES:
Other Specs:
- Several colour options
- Thin nose-pocket for easy equalisation
- Not suited for presciption lenses
1. Double Lens with Ocular Orbit:
The Aqualung MicroMask features a double lens although unlike most other double lens masks it’s not suited for corrective lenses.
By default of designing a small mask, its field of view is not going to be as wide as that of big masks with huge lenses like the Atomic Aquatics Venom or the Aqualung Sport Nabul.
However, Aqualung have compensated for this by incorporating an ocular orbit lens – which in english means the lenses are positioned within the natural facial recesses of the eyes (the ocular orbit!).
This does a good job of widening out the field of view more so than without. As users have said, field of vision might not be as huge as some other dive masks but “it’s still more than adequate”.
2. Soft silicone skirt:
Like all scuba diving masks, the Aqualung MicroMask has a skirt that is made from high-grade silicone. Silicone makes an excellent dive mask skirt material due to being soft (and thereby comfortable against the wearers face) as well as durable and watertight (which is essential to prevent leaking).
3. Frameless Design:
Whilst most dive masks sport a hard frame, the MicroMask is of a less frequently seen, frameless design.
Frameless dive masks have lower volume, making them exert less pressure on the wearers face, whilst simultaneously being a little easier to clear.
They’re also a bit more streamlined underwater as well as slightly more compact – making them great as travel masks.
The downside of frameless masks is that they’re not quite as durable.
As well as this a frame helps maintain a secure fit; which can be especially important when a mask is designed to fit a variety of face types.
However, because the Aqualung Micro is shaped for a specific face type – small/narrow; it’s less reliant on a frame and can reap the benefits that come from being frameless!
4. Adjustable strap with unique design:
Personally, the strap of the is one of my favourite things about this mask.
Whereas the vast majority of dive masks feature a strap with a singular split at the back, the MicroMask has a strap that splits of into several strands that come together in the above-centre.
This results in a more even dispersion of weight across the back of the wearers head as well as ensuring a secure fit.
It’s really nice to see some different strap designs in masks; I hope we see other dive manufacturers taking note and also experimenting a little more with strap shapes in the future!
FINAL VERDICT - Diving Squad
Without a doubt, the Aqualung MicroMask is a specialist scuba diving mask that’s been created specifically for petite faces.
Only people with small faces will benefit from this dive mask but those who do stand to find the answer to their prayers!
It’s repeatedly reported as being incredibly comfortable by the demographic it’s designed for whilst also durable and providing a decent field of view.
Sitting around the lower mid-price tier, it’s quite a bit more than low-budget dive masks but for the unique traits and features it has, it’s well worth the money.
