Deep Blue Gear - Vista Vue Full Face Snorkeling Mask

So far I really like this mask. I ordered it while in Hawaii for several weeks on vacation because I just cannot find a snorkeling mask that works for me. They either fog up or do not fit me correctly. Plus I am somewhat of a snorkeling novice so I end up trying to breath in water every now and then. I had red reviews of other masks and the Ninja masks are available for rent at many locations but two of the main cons of those masks were that they were hot and the wearer felt like they could not get a complete breath because they were breathing in exhaled air. A blogger review led me to this mask and since it was also cheaper than the other masks I decided to try it out. The main feature that I hoped would be good is that the air is inhaled from the snorkel and exhaled through vents in the temple area of the mask.With a trip to Hanauma Bay coming up I ordered this and had it shipped to our rental condo -- which is when I first encountered the extra charge Hawaii residents pay for expedited shipping even with Prime. But it came and was simple to assemble. I just put the snorkel on the mask although that required a but of strength to get it to snap into place.I tested it locally in the Ko Olina lagoons and everything was fine with the fit except that I got a small amount of water from under my chin. I do have a beard and shaved it down but not completely (looked like stubble) so I do not know if this was from the beard or if it did not quite fit my face shape at the chin. But what little water did get in took a while to accumulate and all I had to do was cover the temple vents and blow out and this forced the water from the mask.While testing it my daughter said that she basically could not hear me unless our heads were almost touching. She did hear the air bubbles as I exhaled, as did I, but this did not bother either of us. But the best part was that the mask did not fog at all and I felt like I could breathe normally.My testing was mainly a casual snorkeling pace and diving only a few feet down to the bottom of the lagoon. I always felt that I had good air to breathe and I finally felt comfortable snorkeling because I didn't have to worry about my mask. I wanted to try a few laps at a brisk pace but after about a 1/2 of the way across one of of the lagoons I just didn't feel like it (out of laziness on vacation). So at the time of the test I did not know how it was for swimming laps (I'm a runner not a swimmer.)The mask was bulky and felt a little heavy when putting it on but in the water I did not notice this at all.At Hanauma Bay I was able to snorkel for the entire morning. I outlasted my wife (who is a much better snorkeler than I am) and my daughter, who had her first real snorkeling at the lagoons and at Hanauma Bay (with a mask and snorkel.) I have to say that after Hanauma Bay I felt like this was a worthwhile purchase. I did dive down here but only in the shallower beginning area of the bay (maybe 100 yards out max) and I did feel some pressure on the mask but for my casual snorkeling this was not an issue. I honestly felt like snorkeling more than I would have since I just spend the money a few days earlier to buy the mask--but did not have any issues with breathing and did not get tired (at a casual pace).Because my daughter did not enjoy the traditional mask/snorkel I had her try my Vista Vue mask but it did not fit so I ordered her one in the small/medium size (she is 9 years old.) This fit her well and she used it on the Big Island in the lagoon at the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel.Overall, for myself and my daughter this is a good mask to use. No issues with fogging or breathing. The view is good and although there is some distortion from the side of the mask I did not notice it when snorkeling. I did get freaked out the first time I went under water because I was so used to breathing normally. A ball at the top of the snorkel keeps water out when you dive so my next breath I was trying to breathe in and nothing was happening. As soon as I realized what I was doing I was OK from then on.Note that we did not try the masks while doing laps or over exertion. Also it is a bit bulky so I wrapped both masks in towels and took them home in a carry-on suitcase as I did not want to find out how durable they were against normal baggage handling.

Not sure on the star rating yet, Will adjust it when finished testing. I am a certified tech diver both deep sea and nitrox. I use a full face mask whenever diving, so I am quite use to it. The external exhale purge ports are what intrigued me with this mask. There is no CO2 build up as far as I can tell, since when diving deep I am constantly aware of my respiration rate. There was no change. The plus is that the bubbles on the side allow me better to be aware as would a 2nd stage port. There was no fogging, but slight distortion across of vision (nothing appreciable) across the cheeks where there is a bend in the plastic. Good lighting and good view.The unit does not come boxed or with a bag, or any additional O rings, but I think they can be purchased on Amazon from another vendor as well as a camera mount. I know the O rings will fit. Not sure of the camera mount.There seems to be a very very slow water entry I think from my hair, but I am trying to find the source. One of the nice things about the mask is that you can purge water from the mask by covering the side vents and pressing the mask against your face. Air is forced out around the mask displacing any water. This is a typical procedure for clearing full face dive masks, and has been copied here. You can also adjust for mask squeeze using the same technique.The fitting is different than other masks, with the measurements being entirely different. I seem to be right on the border line +/- .04 so I ordered a large. Still wondering if that was right?This mask would do well with a 6 point connect for the head band with the adjusted tightening at 5 and 6. All full face dive masks have 6 points on the head band, which helps with the water purge. Also the valve ball is two hemisphere plastic glued together. It would be smoother with a silicone solid ball.For those who need to have vision corrections, there are silicone polymer inserts available for regular masks that would substitute if placed on the inside of the mask although this would only work for looking directly ahead.So far 30 minutes of continuous testing in warm water pool. Will adjust rating when finished testing and find leak. 1 hour continuous use.One manufacture liability problem. The snorkel ball is a two piece plastic model, and should the seam break water will enter the ball which will not rise and close the snorkel inlet.I have traced the leak to to water entry on exhaling. The headband being elastic will tend to pull out and loosen slightly. However the mask is so easy to purge the water through the front bottom valve, which is a purge valve in this case, without lifting your head out of the water, I will not label this as a problem. The headband is standard for these masks, but really could be much improved with possible two silicone bands.Non Fogging - wouldn't fog under warm water conditions.No CO2 problems detected.Snorkel is standard length for the industry, but the ball possibly blocks some of the lower intakes at rest. This may be what people are complaining about.Mask Clearing excellent. Not recommended for underwater free diving, but using purge valves, can adjust mask to prevent squeeze.Head band is standard for the industry, but will wear across seams will occur. Cannot fault.An improvement would be a deeper skirt on the mask, might make a better fit for more people.Over all I am comfortable with the design on this mask and find it highly usable, but concerned about the plastic float ball.

Deep Blue Gear Vista Vue Full Face Snorkeling MaskReview -Pros - Incredible visibility, absolutely no fogging ever! Easy to swim with it on. Great aid to concentrate on swim technique!Cons - Out of the box it was very restrictive air flow through the snorkel, I had to stop and 'refresh' frequently. However, upon examination I did notice the 'slot' on the mask where the airflow comes into the mask could easily be enlarged with no structural issues... I am quite sure a short stint with a Drimmel tool to open the slot will increase the airflow and make it much easier to breathe.I have had the mask approximately 1.5 months. It is great and I absolutely love it... However, the one way valve silicon purge flap in the front mouth opening for air flow exit did come loose.... (see below regarding customer service)I have been using ~2-3x per week for swims of ~1.2 miles. About 1 week ago the rubber one way valve inside the front mouth air escape has come loose and allows unrestricted flow of water into the mouth area of the mask.UPDATE: It was a very easy fix to remove the front purge cover (once customer service told me how) and get access to re-insert the purge valve stem back into the center hole that holds it in place. Customer service was excellent! Very prompt in response and assisting me in getting the purge valve back into place.