To get the most out of your next scuba diving experience, you’ll need gear you can trust—and perhaps the most important piece of your kit will be your mask. A great scuba mask should feel comfortable while you wear it, provide excellent visibility so you can enjoy the sights beneath the water’s surface, and have an effective seal to prevent leaking or coming loose.
With so many different scuba masks available, it can be difficult to know where to start shopping for one that meets all your needs—but we’re here to help. The experienced professional divers who run Santa Barbara Aquatics are deeply familiar with scuba gear of all kinds, and we’ve recommended several below that will let you go and soak your head with total confidence. Find our top picks for entry level, mid-range and premium scuba masks below.
Entry Level Masks (Under $100)
If you’re still getting your feet wet with scuba diving or are on a budget, these scuba masks make great options:
TUSA TM-5700 Liberator Plus Mask
Price: $65.00
Taking the basic design of their popular Liberator mask, Tusa has gone one step further by adding a smoother and more durable frame. Perfect for standard and narrow faces alike, this mask also has a double feather-edged silicone skirt to prevent leaking, and can accommodate prescription lenses to help you see clearly at every depth.
Key Features:
- 2-window square form design creates a streamlined look
- Designed for easy installation of optional corrective lenses
- Highest grade crystal silicone used for double feather-edged skirt
Cressi Nano Mask
Price: $69.95
With a compact shape to help divers cut through the water and Cressi’s patented Integrated Dual Frame Technology System, which locks the silicone skirt in place to prevent leaking, this mask was designed with serious deep sea use in mind. It also has the lowest internal volume of any scuba mask on the market, making it ideal for freediving as well as scuba diving. It’s not easy to find a mask this feature-rich for less than $100, but Cressi has done the trick.
Key Features:
- Patented Dual Frame
- Technology System holds skirt in place to prevent leaks
- Lowest internal volume of any scuba mask currently in production
- Durable buckles feature micrometric regulation
TUSA Freedom HD Scuba Diving Mask
Price: $99.00
A single lens mask with an incredibly wide field of view, this mask also comes with a unique buckle system that allows it to fit a wider variety of different face sizes comfortably. However, despite its large frame, it also has a surprisingly low internal volume, making clearance more convenient.
Key Features:
- Single lens construction with wide field of view
- Large frame that still manages to offer minimal internal volume
- 180° rotational buckle system for easy fitting on a variety of faces
Mid-Range Masks ($100 to $170)
Best-suited for people who want to invest a bit more in their scuba diving experience.
ScubaPro Crystal VU Plus Mask
Price: $134.00
With a unique (and patented) single lens design that transitions seamlessly into side windows to provide a panoramic view, this mask is designed to provide superior visibility. It also ultra-clear no-tint glass and a double-sealed silicone skirt, giving you a lot for your money.
Key Features:
- Patented single lens design provides panoramic visibility
- Comfortable, watertight double silicone sealing
- No-tint glass helps reduce blurring and glare
Atomic Aquatics Subframe Mask
Price: $149.95
A two-frame mask so strong it’s practically indestructible, this mask even comes with a lifetime warranty against frame breakage. But that’s not all—it also has a wide field of view, distortion-free UltraClear lenses, and easy-to-use buckles that can be adjusted simply by squeezing them.
Key Features:
- Lifetime warranty against frame breakage
- Metal subframe adds strength while reducing bulk
- UltraClear lenses for distortion-free vision
Oceanic Cyanea Ultra Scuba Mask
Price: $139.95
Offering outstanding peripheral vision via an oversize lens, this minimalist mask is excellent for both scuba diving and snorkeling. Stability ridges on the silicone skirt prevent fogging, while ultra-clear optical glass provides excellent visibility and a chlorine resistant goggle-style strap keeps it snug throughout years of use.
Key Features:
- Chlorine-resistant goggle-style strap
- Superior clarity provided by ultra-clear optical glass
- Lightweight but extra-wide frame provides great peripheral vision
Premium Masks ($170 to $220)
If you’re looking to invest in a top-of-the-line scuba mask, these are the ones for you.
ScubaPro Synergy 2 TruFit
Price: $193.00
The carefully molded silicone frame of this mask provides extra softness around your face while offering stability and strength near the frame—resulting in a product that’s both comfortable and durable. The ultra-clear lens also provides excellent visibility, while the high-quality seal does an admirable job of resisting leakage. ScubaPro calls this “the most comfortable dive mask on the market”, and we agree.
Key Features:
- Thicker and firmer outer silicone skirt provides superior strength
- Thinner silicone contours the face for a more comfortable fit
- Ultra-clear lens for optimal visibility
Atomic Subframe w/ ARC Technology Mask
Price: $189.95
ARC stands for Anti-Reflective Coating, and that’s what this high-end mask from Atomic Aquatics offers. This incredibly-durable double window mask uses an internal frame molded underneath the silicone skirt to provide superior rigidity without the bulky plastic found on many other masks. The lenses are also designed to provide clearer vision in low visibility conditions, making this an excellent mask for explorers and underwater photographers.
Key Features:
- Subframe technology provides excellent durability without adding bulk
- Low volume design and wide field of vision
- Lens design provides superior clarity in low visibility environments
TUSA M-2001 Paragon Scuba Diving Mask
Price: $220
No less than three distinct layers make up the structure of this high-end diving mask. PuRiMax polyurethane bumpers protect a cross-beam metal structure bolted to a polycarbonate frame, creating a seriously tough product. On top of that, a special anti-reflective treatment for the CrystalView Optical Glass lenses offers protection from both UV and HEV light while providing some of the clearest vision you can get underwater. No wonder so many professional divers use these.
Key Features:
- Three-layer frame structure is fantastically tough
- Varied thickness throughout silicone skirt and stability ridges provide a world-class fit
- Lenses protect against UV and HEV light
Dive Deeper with Santa Barbara Aquatics
The right scuba mask can empower you to explore the ocean’s depths with total confidence. To learn more about any of the masks above (or about diving in general), contact Santa Barbara Aquatics today. Our experienced professionals will be happy to help you learn everything you need to know for an ideal diving experience.