TESTCENTRE
Seek and deploy
Seeker Mask
COMPANY : FOURTH ELEMENT PRICE : £ 130 TEL : 01326 574745 WEB : WWW . FOURTHELEMENT . COM
Following in the wake of the Scout , Navigator and Aquanaut ( all reviewed in the pages of SCUBA over the course of 2023 ), Fourth Element ’ s Seeker mask had a lot to live up to .
Not only have the aforementioned masks been received favourably here at the Test Centre , the latest offering from the Cornwall-based company was raising the bar considerably .
Its makers claim to have maximised the field of vision to something akin to not wearing a mask , while also providing a fit suitable for almost everyone ! So does the £ 130 Seeker cut the mustard or does it fail to butter one ’ s parsnips ?
In common with FE ’ s Scout mask , the Seeker is of single-lens , frameless design . However , that ’ s probably where the similarities start and end . The former ’ s curved teardrop design isn ’ t replicated in the Seeker ’ s which sports a larger , more angular lens . It has a modern-style about it , but also something of a retro-look at the same time .
The flexible , silicone skirt sweeps inwards from the extremities of the lens so that it ’ s still able to make soft , but firm contact with the face . I have a bang-average size nose , and while there appeared plenty of room to accommodate those with more prominent features , equalizing remained unaffected .
While I consider the Scout to have excellent all-round peripheral vision , the Seeker has undoubtably improved on its forebear ; it ’ s clearly apparent when switching between the two .
With twin-lens ( and some single-lens ) masks you also don ’ t get that same clear central view that I remember so well as a child , using the classic oval masks of the time . The Seeker somehow manages to replicate this unrestricted central view , and allied with the excellent up / down and side-to-side improvement does appear to back up the claims of its designers . The flexible silicone strap is attached to the skirt via FE ’ s proven system , which just requires a finger / thumb press to adjust for fit . It ’ s also a simple swop-over if you prefer to use the company ’ s 100 % recycled elasticated strap as an alternative . As far as the mask ’ s suitability for all is concerned , I ’ m sure there ’ ll be someone out there whose features may be sufficiently different from the average , but of the six divers I asked to try it on , it received 100 % favourable feedback .
SCUBA SAYS
It may be an expensive addition to the kit bag , but Fourth Element ’ s Seeker dive mask certainly lives up to the hype . If great fit and excellent allround vision are important for you over budget , then look no further .
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