TESTCENTRE
Friendly facehugger
62
OMS Tribe Mask
COMPANY : BEAVER SPORTS PRICE : £ 94.99 TEL : 01484512354 WEB : WWW . BEAVERSPORTS . CO . UK
Always a firm favourite among the technical diving fraternity , OMS ( Ocean Management Systems ) has a reputation for durable , hard-wearing and functional equipment that ’ s as tough as nails .
I ’ ve certainly been seeing a lot more OMS kit since Huddersfield ’ s Beaver Sports took on the UK distribution and for the last six months , Test Centre has been putting several of the current product line-up through their paces .
From early spring until the time of writing I ’ ve been diving almost exclusively , wind , rain or shine with an OMS Tribe mask . I can ’ t quite quantify the attraction this particular mask has for me but there ’ s something about it that ’ s making me loathe to return it .
I ’ ll try anyway . Firstly , it ’ s got a bit of a retro vibe going on . The single-window lens isn ’ t really like the ovalstyle mask I had as a child , but nevertheless reminds me of it . It ’ s frameless too , distancing itself further from that memory , with a very low volume and its skirt has soft , supple 100 % silicone rather than hard rubber ,
Yes , it ’ s the same colour , black , and a slightly offblack if you know what I mean , so possibly that ’ s the connection . But once that comfy , double-skinned skirt is sealed around my face it gives such a wide vertical and horizontal view it seems to transport me back to my early snorkelling days off the Northumberland coast .
The optics are excellent , with the Tribe ’ s tempered Saint Gobain Diamant Crystal Clear Lens providing superb sharpness .
I ’ ve used this mask in a variety of conditions , blue water and green , fantastic and not so fantastic visibility , but throughout , it ’ s provided rendition that ’ s crisp and clear .
The 3-D contoured mask strap is designed specifically to prevent folding or hair-pulling ( I ’ d agree to the former , I ’ ll have to pass on the latter ) and it was very comfortable whether worn over my hood or over the head . It ’ s very easy to adjust . To tighten , simply pull it through the high-density plastic buckles securely moulded to the skirt . Then to slacken , press the circular release button and pull in the opposite direction . Any excess strap is held in place by retainers .
While to me at least it does have a yesteryear appearance , the nose section is modern in its construction , with an angular-shape which should accommodate most nose-types . Mask clearing required very little effort . A tilt of the head and short , sharp exhalation through the nose made short work of the exercise .
High density plastic buckles
It ’ s also a tough little cookie . When switching masks during a dive or on occasion using another , the Tribe could easily fold or squash into a pocket . Called into action once again it sprung back into shape and returned to its home , clinging on like an Alien facehugger . NH
SCUBA SAYS
OMS ’ s Tribe mask looks great , is tough , comfortable , offers a great angle-of-view and should give many years of service , even in the most demanding conditions .