Mares X-Vision Ultra Review - Diving Squad:
Diving Squad Rating:
Instantly recognisable thanks to it’s uniquely shaped, side-inverted teardrop lens, the Mares X-Vision Ultra has a truly colossal field of vision, which won it the Reddot Design Award.
It’s available in many colours and there’s even the option to equip it with (separately purchased) mirrored lenses – gold to increase visibility in cloudy waters or silver to reduce surface glare.
But there’s more to it than just the lens – awesome though it may be! This scuba diving mask is also exceptionally comfortable thanks to it’s bi-silicone skirt and pressure-relieving nose-pocket ribs.
Plus it features a unique, X-shaped strap design to maximise even dispersal of pressure against the back of the wearers head.
With all these great features in mind, it’s a genuine surprise that the Mares X-Vision Ultra is only a mid-priced dive mask – as it feels like a luxury one!
PROS
- Awesome value for money
- Colossal field of view
- Incredibly comfortable skirt
- Innovative strap for even more comfort
- Special lens options for UV resistance & enhanced underwater clarity
CONS
- Bulky = takes up more packing space
“Of all the scuba diving masks I’ve ever used or owned, the Mares X-Vision Ultra is my number-one favourite!
It’s down-sideways field of vision can’t be beat. Comfort is next level thanks to the combo of nose pocket ridges, the super soft skirt and the massive head strap.
Also, mine has never leaked – not once!
Sure it’s a little bulky so it takes up slightly more packing space – but it’s still just a dive mask meaning means it doesn’t take up that much packing space! In my opinion it’s totally worth it.
I don’t think I’d ever want to use a different mask to this one. It’ll be my dive mask of choice for years to come”.
Lubomir Todorov: Diving Squad Contributor
^ Lubomir met Diving Squad whilst diving the Maldives!
FEATURES:
Other Specs:
- Low Volume
- Special lens options
- Range of colours
- Ribs inside nose pocket
1. Unique Lens Shape with Optional Add-Ons:
Unlike any other dive mask (well, baring it’s predecessor the Mares One Vision) the Mares X-Vision Ultra features a truly unique lens design.
It juts out to the lower-sides, greatly increasing down-sideways vision in a way that no other scuba mask does. The result is a colossal field of view. You won’t miss a thing!
The unique design of the Mares X-Vision Ultra also makes the wearer easy to quickly identify underwater, which can be seriously handy, especially if you’re an instructor.
There’s also the option to buy versions of this mask with silver mirrored lenses to reduce surface glare or gold mirrored lenses to improve visibility in murky water.
Also, this is a dual-lens design mask so it can accept special prescription lenses created by Mares. Groovy.
It is worth pointing out that the outward spanning shape of the lens does make it a little bulkier than your average dive mask meaning it takes up a little extra packing space.
2. Bi-Silicone Skirt:
Whereas most scuba diving masks feature a skirt that is made from just one type of silicone, the Mares X-Vision ultra incorporates two kinds.
A firmer silicone provides extra support whilst a softer kind is used around the parts of the skirt that are in contact with the wearers face.
The result is bi-silicone – aka Mares patented “liquidskin” and it certainly strikes an excellent balance between enhanced comfort and stable support.
Enhancing upon this further, there are special ribs on the inside of the nose pocket to relieve pressure from…yes, you’ve guess it the nose!
It’s seriously useful to have an extra-comfortable mask, especially if you’re diving for days on end such as on a liveaboard!
3. Framed design (low volume):
This is a framed mask which is a big plus as scuba diving masks with frames tend to provide a more secure fit and are also more durable.
The downside of framed masks is that they take up a little more packing space and can exert slightly more pressure on the wearers face than frameless masks.
However, abnormally for a framed mask, the Mares X-Vision Ultra is low volume, which means that you really don’t feel much pressure on your face from it at all.
What pressure does remain is alleviated for substantially by the soft parts of to the bi-silicone and the internal ribs of the nose pocket.
Another plus of framed masks is that they’re far less likely to leak. In fact, many users of the Mares X-Vision Ultra frequently cite that this mask has never let water in for them. Awesome!
4. Unique, X-Shaped Strap:
The Mares X-Vision Ultra features a truly unique, X-shaped strap.
It’s far more efficient at evenly dispersing weight across the back of the wearers head than the standard split straps used on most scuba diving masks.
Also, it is made from the same super soft yet also supportive bi-silicone from which the skirt is constructed.
Swivel buckles with push-buttons allow you to quickly and easily adjust the masks tightness whilst underwater; they’re easy to press even if you’re wearing thick dive gloves.
The specially shaped, innovative strap is the final piece in the puzzle to making this one insanely comfortable to wear mask.
FINAL VERDICT - Diving Squad
There’s no other mask quite like the Mares X-Vision Ultra. With its unique lens it offers a huge field of view and is instantly recognisable.
It also offers supreme comfort thanks to it’s bi-silicone skirt being made from not one but two types of silicone as well as the internal ribs on the nose pocket and the special, X-shaped strap.
I love that you can buy it with special lens options to protect against surface glare or enhance underwater visibility as well as the fact there’s the option to equip it with prescription lenses.
With all these things in mind, it’s genuinely surprising that this dive mask is only mid-priced as it truly feels like a luxury option.
