Finally Dan our despatch manager got to go diving.
Dan has been suffering withdrawal symptoms all winter -Dan went from snorkelling every day with Tiger Sharks to slaving it out in our warehouse making sure everyone got their online deliveries on time - he is still not sure what is more nerve racking.
So when Tom from London School of Diving mentioned Vobster Quay - Dan was donning his Drysuit before the car was started. We asked him to put a couple of pieces of kit through the paces and here is what he has to say -
M1 Mask from Hollis
I’ve never thought too much about dive masks in the past. If it fits, and looks good, I’ll take it. At Mike's we constantly talk about the comfort and field of vision as the key aspects to any mask purchase. 'Suck in and see how it seals is' our Mantra !
I thought that the term 'St Gobaines Glass' was straight out of the latest marketing college (or perhaps a new trappist monk Belgium Beer). The idea that different glass in the mask affects colour and clarity is almost a foreign thought to a lot of people. Surely glass is glass? How naive I was!!
Hollis Tech has rapidly become a leading name in the technical diving world. With 'Black' being the buzzword for any technical diver the Hollis Tech M1 dive mask is a no nonsense, great fitting black dive mask ! It has a single lens frame with easy to use (even with gloves - it was 3 Degrees) adjustable mask clasps fitted to the skirting, so the mask can fold down flat (making it a pefect good quality spare as well ). It’s a simple, comfortable, well made bit of kit, but what truly sets it apart from other similar price masks is the Saint Gobain Diamant Crystal lens. Unlike tempered glass the Saint Gobain is supposed to give clear and un-tinted vision underwater.. and I can assure you it does !
I was really shocked at the difference this glass makes; the colour on my dive was stunning. Everything looked clean, and there was no tint to the usually greenish water. I was genuinely amazed!
Being a solid black mask the M1 will appeal to underwater camera enthusiasts and tech divers alike, but personally I would take this mask diving with or without a camera. I really was taken in by it. It prices in at around forty quid, and offers great value for money !
Click here for more details on the - M1 Hollis Tech Dive Mask
