Get one that doesn't quite fit as it should and you end up in discomfort, suffering unnecessary mental strain underwater. We have all had a dive where something has not gone quite right. A reel has jammed, a torch fails, and then your perfectly good mask decides NOW is the ideal time to start leaking. It is fascinating just how much your stress levels start to ratchet up. It is no surprise therefore that there is such a plethora of masks on the market.

Frameless masks have been proving popular because they tend to be light weight and low volume. They can be folded flat for stashing in a pocket and they are low profile.

Dive Rite latest mask offering – the ES155 frameless mask - débuted at the 2015 DEMA Show.

Dive Rite's ES155 single lens mask has all these features along with a great wide field of vision. (By not having a frame over the nose means that you can get the face plate closer to your eyes, thus substantially increasing overall underwater visibility.) The 'ultra clear' class is tempered and secured to the soft matte silicone body. Dive Rite has added a neat touch by designing in a double silicone face skirt. This provides a comfortable fit for almost any size or shape of face. It is an easy mask to clear. The low volume and prominent nose pocket facilitate this, and make nose pinching for equalisation also simple to achieve.

Mask straps and buckles can often be overlooked by manufacturers. It is no fun fighting with a buckle to adjust a strap, nor is it that nice to buy a high end mask and find it is fitted with a bog standard strap. Dive Rite has taken care of both of these items on their ES155 mask. The buckles are simple to adjust and the strap is a lovely double stranded 'dished' soft matte silicone strap.