4 Best Prescription Dive Masks in 2023

It’s unfortunate, but we are not all blessed with twenty-twenty vision. Near or farsighted divers will discover that the world below the surface can seem a bit fuzzy.

Yet your dive shouldn’t be spoiled because you’re constantly squinting to focus on the reef or struggling to read your dive computer.

Help is at hand so you can experience perfect clarity when diving. With a prescription scuba diving mask, you can continue pursuing your passion for the underwater world—and see clearly.

Many reputable companies now offer the option of having corrective lenses put in when purchasing a scuba mask, but there are also options made only as a prescription scuba mask.

Let’s look at our top picks:

What to Consider When Buying a Prescription Scuba Mask

As scuba divers, we want to see all the beauty that’s below the surface. Prescription masks offer you crystal-clear vision without any hassle.

Do I Need a Prescription Scuba Mask?

As divers, we’re aware that when we wear a mask, everything looks 25 percent closer and larger because of refraction. If you wear glasses on land that only correct your sight by a small amount, you may not need a prescription mask.

As a general rule of thumb, if you require glasses to drive then you should correct your vision for diving. The exception to this rule is if you use reading glasses. You may not need them for driving, but you will need some correction so that you can read your gauges and dive computer.

Premade or Custom-Made?

When buying a prescription mask, you need to order the correct corrective lens based on your current glasses or contact lens prescription. Masks usually come with premade lenses available in optical factor increments of 0.5. If your prescription is +3.75, you have to decide whether to order +3.5 or +4.0.

Ordering custom-made lenses means that you do not have to make the decision to go higher or lower. They are tailored to your exact prescription requirements. However, this comes at a price as custom-made prescription masks are always more expensive.

For recreational divers, the premade lens option will be more than sufficient to have you seeing clearly underwater. If you are a diving professional and in the water more regularly, then you may want to consider investing in custom-made lenses.

Bifocal Lenses

Known as gauge readers, these lenses are for those who need help when reading. They are plain glass with a small corrective area in the lower section of the window. This is where you look when glancing down at your gauges or computer. Bifocal lenses may take some getting used to when you first start using them, but they are worth it in the end.

Tempered Glass

Finally, be sure to buy a mask with tempered glass. You don’t want to make the mistake of buying a prescription snorkel mask that won’t stand up to the increased pressure at depth.

Prescription Mask or Contact Lenses?

In the past, divers with poor eyesight could only enjoy the underwater realm while wearing contact lenses under their masks. This is a simple, cheap option but is it really practical?

Contact lenses seem like a good option. But what happens if your mask floods? To avoid losing your lenses, you have to dive with your eyes closed, even if momentarily. And if you do lose your lenses, the rest of your dive will be a blur.

Soft contacts are also known to absorb some of the chemicals used in defogging agents which can cause irritation. They also increase your chances of contracting an infection if bacteria in the water gets trapped under your lens.

Some divers do prefer lenses and a regular mask, for others, a prescription dive mask is far preferable.

Prescription Swim Mask Vs. Prescription Scuba Mask

There is a very good reason why myopic and presbyopic divers should buy a prescription scuba mask instead of a prescription swimming mask. A swimming mask completely seals around the eyes only. A diving mask seals around the eyes but also encloses the nose.

As you go deeper, pressure affects the air pockets in the mask, squeezing it against your face. With the nose enclosed in the mask, divers can exhale, adding extra air to the pocket and equalizing the pressure. If you were at depth with a swimming mask, the squeeze would cause extreme pain.

Prescription swim masks may seem like a cheaper option but they are definitely not a good choice for divers. For more information on what to look for when buying a mask for scuba diving, check out our full guide.

Looking for a Frameless Prescription Mask for Scuba Diving?

If you need a prescription mask, you’re better off with a framed design as there are more options out there. But if you’ve got your heart set on a frameless prescription mask, there are two specialist US-based manufacturers that we know of: Scuba Optics, and Prescription Dive Masks.

Before we wrap things up, we’d also like to give a shout out to the Tusa Liberator+. It’s a good, reliable mask and a dive center favorite. Lenses for it can be purchased separately here.

If your prescription scuba mask has given you the clear view you always dreamed of we would love to hear from you. Get in touch with us in the comments below.