Review: Omer Alien Mask

Introduction

The Omer Alien mask is a low profile frameless mask that has a small internal volume. It is one of the most popular masks out there and it was built with spearfishing/freediving in mind. The build quality is good, it is all back but I believe you can get camo, green or brown too. It is light, fits well and looks good:

Specifications

• Internal volume: 115 cm³
• Field of vision is 106cm x 145cm (H x W)
• Weight 164g
• Skirt material: silicon
• Lens material: tempered glass

Design

It has a simple design, no extra stuff that is not really needed. The one I got was all back. It has no frame which gives it a smaller profile, the buckles are directly attached to the skirt which further reduces the drag. The strap is quite good. it has big "teeth"/ridges/whatever they are called, this means it does not change settings easily, even when you take it off; I hate masks that loosen easily.

Fit

Masks are rather personal as they have to fit really well. I must mention I have a neanderthal's forehead, so this makes finding a good fit not so easy for me. A good fit means two things: It doesn't leak: to test this put it on without the strap and suck in all the air through your nose, if you put your face down (look at your feet) it should not fall off. It should not have pressure points: to rest this I press on the mask (towards my face) to simulate pressure and hold it like that for a couple of minutes, usually less. You quickly see if there are points that press on your face more than others. Imagine now having that for 3-5 hours, that will translate to pain. The mask should also have a low profile so that you don't have to equalize the air inside as much) thus losing valuable oxygen. Another important part is the access to the nose, some masks don't have enough space to fit fingers with thick glove (to equalize, not to pick your nose ;-)), the Alien has a good access. Then there is the skirt color/opacity. A transparent skirt sounds nice (don't go there...) but it may allow light to reflect on the inner glass, a black opaque skirt is better in that regard; some people feel claustrophobic with a black skirt however. The skirt itself is soft and feels good even after a couple of hours of wearing it.

Facial hair

I have facial hair, so when I go spearfishing I have to shave, even with this mask. A slight stubble and it leaks, I have not found a low volume mask that does not have this issue. I have an old non-low volume mask, the kind for snorkeling that hugs your face like an octopus once you go 3m deep, that can handle a goatee with no issues. I heard some people put Vaseline on the mustache but I try to stay away from greasy substances that could make my mask fog up. I wondered if mustache wax could work but I decided to just shave as it is easier.

Conclusion

I find this mask to be quite good. I tried about 7 different masks in the store before buying this one, it had the best fit. I think you can't go wrong with this mask, if the fit is good for your face.