Scuba Diving – Are those “special” Scuba Diving masks a waste of money?

I was doing some research to find out what is new on the market of scuba diving masks and I found some interesting offerings:

HydroOptix LLC a company based in Culver City, California developed an innovative product line, the HydroOptix Diving Masks. According to their web site their masks offer panoramic views allowing the scuba diver 350% more “visual space” than using conventional flat scuba diving masks. Their lenses technology provides true distance, size and shape under the water. As you may be aware when using traditional flat scuba diving masks underwater you will see things closer and larger.

Ocean Reef Masks manufactured by Ocean Reef Inc., headquartered in Genova, Italy. These masks, in my opinion, are the best products for serious scuba divers right now. The best example that shows all the technology developed by Ocean Reef in one single product is the Neptune Space Raptor. This is a nitrox compatible scuba diving mask that can also be used with conventional air. This model comes with an integrated regulator and offers an excellent visual field. According to the manufacturer web site this product is made of premium grade silicone rubber and a durable scratch resistant visor. In a past post I mentioned their underwater communication system; I am sure these gadgets will take your diving experience to the next level.

For me, the perfect product will be a combination of these two technologies the “true vision” lenses offered by HydroOptix used in the Neptune Space Raptor scuba diving mask!

To answer my own question (Are those “special” Scuba Diving masks a waste of money?): I don’t think so. I think that as scuba divers, we should take advantage of the developments in products and technologies to improve and enhance our underwater experience.

All the brands, names and images used for this article are the property of their respective owners.

Extreme Scuba Diving – NASA’s Undersea Missions

I have never traveled to the space and chances are that neither do you. But we, scuba divers, have the opportunity to experience a similar environment in every immersion.

The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) uses the Aquarius facilities. The Aquarius is the only undersea laboratory dedicated to marine science operating in the world. This underwater structure is owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and managed by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW); Aquarius operates 4.5 kilometers offshore of Key Largo, Florida. The underwater laboratory is deployed next to deep coral reefs, 20 meters beneath the ocean surface. Aquarius provides life support systems that allow scientists to live and work underwater, in reasonably comfortable living quarters, with sophisticated research capabilities.

In this underwater laboratory the NASA employees and contractors have tested and practice lunar exploration concepts and also a complete range of long-duration spaceflight medical research projects. During the NASA NEEMO Missions, the crew conducted a variety of undersea "moon walks" to test concepts for future lunar exploration using advanced navigation and communication equipment.

I always thought that scuba divers are explorers of the oceans and underwater world; and it is good that the NASA is using an underwater facility to train future Space Station habitants, but I think that if we still do not have a complete understanding of the earth’s oceanic system, (my question always has been) would it make more sense explore and understand the oceans first?