Choosing the right dive mask can make your dives much better in a variety of surprising ways.

Whether you’re a new diver wanting to reduce dive anxiety, or you want to focus on photography and improve your depth perception, getting the right dive mask for you matters.

Read on for our 9 top ways the right dive mask will help make all your dives epic…

1. Improves gear visibility

If there’s one reason to choose a good dive mask, it’s to keep you safe during every dive.

A good mask will ensure you can see your gear clearly and check your gauges with ease.

Two lens masks often have tear-shaped lenses, which offer a wide view across and down for perfect gear visibility.

2. Helps you spot epic marine life… no matter where it’s hiding

Different mask designs will enhance your view and change your focus in various ways, so choose carefully.

Black masks are ideal for underwater photography. They reduce glare and distractions, allowing you to focus on your subject more easily.

Two lens masks with tear-shaped lenses are also a good option for spotting marine life because they offer a broad view.

For the ultimate view, try a multiple lens mask with additional lenses around the side.

3. Ends dive anxiety

Even a seemingly idyllic dive can be ruined by dive anxiety. Choosing the right mask is a great way to help overcome anxiety and get back to enjoying the underwater world around you.

Because multiple lens masks offer a wide view and let plenty of light in, they can help reduce diver anxiety and help you see your buddy more clearly.

4. Makes it easy to clear your mask

Being able to clear your mask easily helps reduce dive anxiety and, let’s face it, nobody wants to spend their dives with a mask half-full of water.

Frameless masks are a good choice for easy mask clearing. Being low volume, they don’t take much effort to clear and they fold flat for travelling.

5. Easy equalising and no more face pain

I doubt you’ve spent much time thinking about mask nose pockets but this part of the mask also matters.

Flexible nose pockets make it much easier to pinch your nose and equalize your ears whilst diving.

The right nose pocket shape also prevents water entering your mask under the nose and ensures it won’t be pushing painfully onto your nose once your regulator is in your mouth.

Make sure you try a variety of masks on to find the right nose pocket fit for you.

6. Improves depth perception

You don’t want to be the diver that crashes onto a pristine reef or swims into a whale because you’re struggling with depth perception and buoyancy.

Whilst sadly even the best mask can’t make your buoyancy skills perfect, it can help with improving your depth perception.

Single lens masks are the winner here, as their design helps maintain binocular vision and therefore your sense of depth.

7. You’ll look awesome

You can get masks and matching snorkels, fins and more in almost every colour you could wish for. Don’t hold back on choosing a colour you love.

Just remember different mask colours have different advantages:

• Clear masks let more light in
• Black masks reduce glare and look cleaner for longer than white or clear masks
• White and coloured masks are easy to distinguish from other peoples’ dive gear

8. Livens up your dive photographs

An added benefit of choosing a brightly coloured mask is how they show up in underwater photographs.

A coloured dive mask adds a pop of colour and a striking contrast against the blue ocean, making it a fun addition or focus for underwater photography.

Having a brightly-coloured mask also makes it easier to find yourself in other peoples’ dive photographs.

This is a definite bonus when you’re at the end of your dive trip and have hundreds of images to go through to find the ones you’re featured in before you fly home.

9. Ends claustrophobia

If you suffer from claustrophobia, try a clear dive mask or a mask with multiple lenses.

Both designs let more light into the mask and give a sense of space. A multiple lens mask will also widen your field of view, which should help reduce claustrophobia further.

Now you’ve got your ideal mask, it’s time to pack your bags and explore.

Whether you’re a new diver wanting to try tiger shark diving, a fan of drifting over gorgeous soft coral beds or love enormous schools of pelagic fish, there’s something out there for you.

Read our article top dive destinations for every diver to find out more.

This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com