Genesis Rama Mask with Purge Valve

Hold the mask against your face without using the strap, look slightly down, and inhale gently through your nose; a well-fitting mask holds itself in place for a few seconds. Check that the skirt seals all the way around without digging into the nose bridge, and that there are no gaps at the temples or above the upper lip. A mustache can break the seal even on an otherwise well-fitting mask.

New masks carry a residue on the inside of the lens left over from manufacturing, and defog cannot stick to it, so the mask fogs until that film is removed. The standard pre-treatment is to scrub the inside of the lens with a mild abrasive cleaner or a dedicated mask prep and rinse thoroughly, repeating if it still fogs. Follow the mask manufacturer's instructions, particularly on coated or mirrored lenses.

Apply defog to a dry lens before the dive, spread it over the whole inner surface, then rinse briefly with water just before you put the mask on. Fogging happens when warm moist air meets a cooler lens, so a clean lens with a thin surfactant film is the fix. Keep sunscreen off your fingers before handling the inside of the lens, because that film fogs badly and is hard to remove.

Dive mask lenses should be tempered safety glass because it resists scratching and, if it ever does break, fractures into blunt granules rather than sharp shards next to your eyes. Untempered or plastic lenses scratch easily and can craze, which is why tempered glass is standard on scuba masks. Look for the tempered marking etched on the lens.

Yes, prescription options are widely available, usually as masks fitted with stock corrective lenses in set diopter steps, custom-ground lenses installed in compatible frames, or bonded lenses added to an existing lens. Not every mask frame accepts replacement lenses, so check compatibility before you buy the frame. An optician or a dive shop can help translate your glasses prescription into a mask lens choice.

Rinse it in fresh water after each dive day and let it dry away from direct sunlight, avoiding anything abrasive on the treated inner lens. Store it in a rigid mask box so the skirt is never compressed or creased, since a set crease in the skirt is a permanent leak. Keep silicone skirts away from petroleum products and prolonged UV, both of which yellow and harden them.

Not tight at all in the usual sense, because over-tightening is the most common cause of both leaks and headaches; a hard-pulled strap distorts the skirt and lifts the seal off your face. The strap should sit high on the back of your head and be just firm enough to keep the mask from shifting. If you need it cranked down to stop a leak, the mask does not fit your face.

Yes. Genesis Scuba publishes the Rama Purge Mask with the purge valve included, and it sits at the base of the nose pocket so you can clear water without pressing the frame with your fingers. You exhale through your nose and the valve lets the water out. Every color option, SM7900BK, SM7900BS, SM7900CL, SM7900IB and SM7900LY, is the purge version.

The Rama uses one wide center lens plus two small side lenses. The center lens carries your forward view while the side lenses open up the area to the left and right, which Genesis describes as an outstanding horizontal field of vision and expanded peripheral vision. In practice that means less head turning to keep a buddy, a line or a reef wall in sight.

Five options are listed: Black (SM7900BK), Black Silicone (SM7900BS), Clear (SM7900CL), Ice Blue (SM7900IB) and Lemon Yellow (SM7900LY).

The Rama's skirt has two sealing edges rather than one. Genesis states the double edged skirt gives a smooth face seal and creates a secondary sealing surface for a hassle free, secure fit. As with any mask, dry fit it first to confirm the skirt seals at the nose bridge and temples.