TESTCENTRE
Comfort and clarity
Navigator Mask
COMPANY : FOURTH ELEMENT TEL : 01326 567604 PRICE : £ 80 WEB : WWW . FOURTHELEMENT . COM
Fourth Element ’ s Navigator mask has several features in common with the manufacturer ’ s Aquanaut ( Test Centre April 2023 ). Sharing the same very comfortable , black super-soft silicone skirt with matching strap , the Navigator is
pitched at the technical diver rather than the freediving market .
As you ’ d expect , it ’ s a larger mask altogether , although not excessively so . Its twin tempered lenses are shaped differently to provide both a wider field of view and easier downward vision , which made viewing and checking my gauges a doddle .
The navigator is available in two distinct skirt fittings , Classic and Wide , in order to suit a wider range of face shapes . The Classic fit was perfect for me and rather than feel like a brand new product it was swiftly accepted as if an old and trusted mask .
Unlike some masks , which require a fair degree of cleaning to remove the manufacturing residue responsible for steaming up the lenses , the Navigator went to work after applying just few drops of my usual product . As with many of Fourth Element ’ s masks there are several choices of lens type . Clarity , a pure glass maximises the amount of transmitted light . The second , named Enhance is designed to filter out UV ( ultraviolet ) and ( HEV ) High Energy Visible radiation .
The latter supplied option has a blue-ish tint on the outside , but from within has a yellow tinge , not unlike that of night driving glasses but much more subtle . This had the effect of increasing brightness both above and below the water . NH
SCUBA SAYS
Fourth Element ’ s Navigator mask offers excellent comfort , a wide field of vision , enhanced visibility and is great value-for money .
Hi-Viz tape
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Marine Reflective Tape
COMPANY : LOMO WATERSPORTS TEL : 0141 2217674 PRICE : £ 2.99 WEB : WWW . LOMO . CO . UK
Given that the majority of today ’ s diving kit is predominantly black there ’ s always room for improvement when it comes to diver visibility . While there ’ s no need to regress to the gaudy dayglo gear of the 1980s , anything that allows us to be spotted more easily should be embraced .
Lomo watersports ’ marine-grade reflective tape is a 50mm-wide selfadhesive tape containing tiny glass beads , covered with a clear , wear-resistant coating . Very similar to the SOLASapproved reflective products applied to life-jackets , Lomo ’ s version has a multitude of uses .
Sold by the metre , this inexpensive tape can be used on cylinders , scooters , torches or any other kit with a hard surface for it to adhere to . Once exposed to torchlight the glass beads are illuminated and reflect the light back to excellent effect .
My all-black CCR case now has a couple of ‘ go-faster ’ reflective stripes , making it a lot easier for buddies to spot me in poor visibility , or on night dives . I ’ ve also successfully added the tape to dSMBs . NH
SCUBA SAYS
Be safe and be seen using Lomo ’ s inexpensive reflective tape to decorate your dive gear .