New Salvimar masks: smiling technology!
Salvimar has already proposed masks for freediving and spearfishing, but for the 2016 Season the Italian Company from Liguria, Casarza Ligure, has for the first time completely designed and put into production a mask line. AP has, before anybody else, analyzed the new products: in addition to being made with a “smiling” design (an upward instead of downward profile, as many other masks on the market), the new masks from Salvimar are full of innovative solutions.
Noah
It is the top of the line mask, utilized especially by spearos, but also by freedivers. The main characteristic is the design which sees the fusion together of the three elements: the nylon chassis, the lens (3 mm thick) and the silicone of the facial.
This is the key aspect of the mask: since the thickness of the chassis is reduced by almost a cm compared to traditional dis-mountable chassis, eyes will position closer to the lens, increasing visibility and reducing internal volume.
The area between the two lens is interrupted by the structure of the chassis made of glass-loaded nylon, which is advanced forward respect to the lens, giving more space to the forehead and nose, and permitting an additional closing of the distance between lens and eyes. This geometry is evident from an external look, with the step present along the nose-forehead line of the mask.
We have to say that the mounting of the three components fused together seems to be very well made, and the “Salvimar green” frame shows an extremely precise contour line, in the points of attachment to the silicone, with only very minor irregularities. Of course, a long testing will give us feedback on reliability of this mounting system.
But the Noah goes beyond this innovative construction: it has in fact an interesting and useful internal surface of the silicone which is matt, a similar solution to the Viper by Mares.
This aspect is important to avoid any possible reflect of sun rays, that from the internal surface of the silicone facial can hit the the lens and the eyes, limiting the visual capacity of the spearo. This idea in Salvimar comes from the observation of predator animals and fishes: the cheetah, who hunts every day in the savannah, under the sun, has a long black line that from the eyes goes down to the mouth, just as the amberjack, that has a darker line that passes through over the eyes. These dark area exist specifically to avoid reflects of the sun rays into the eyes.
Always considering the internal part of the mask, the double lip profile is maintained, differently from the Mares Viper, not so much for a watertight effect, but to strengthen the structure, avoiding the deformation of the profile of the mask during time.
The nose area is another very deeply studied zone: the shape at the base of the nose is straight instead of upward as the French way, a solution, the latter, that could squeeze the nose and generate pain after long spearfishing and freediving sessions. Moreover, the base of the nose area is preformed with a concave shape to give space to the lower part of the nose (medial branch and cartilage of the septum).
Always remaining on the nose area, at the base of the socket are two bellows, which are not an absolute novelty, since they are present also on other masks of other brands. These bellows permit to avoid, when tightening the nose between our fingers to equalize, the deformation of the profile of the silicone in such critical zone, effect that would determine loss of watertight characteristics.
The attachments of the head belt are direct to the chassis, a solution today spread on all the most modern masks, and that permits a more direct tightening of the facial to the face. The micrometric regulation system is very compact, precise and easy to use. The belt is wide and permits the positioning of the mouthpiece inside the two bands of the belt, in the back of the head, to avoid noisy and uncomfortable vibrations, especially during the descending phase of the fishing action.
List price of the Noah is 39,90€.
Endless
Salvimar presents the Endless as the smallest single lens mask on the market. As for the Noah, the Endless is made fusing elements together, but in this case the chassis is made of the lens itself, brought to 4 mm thickness, respect to the 3 of the Noah lens. Fusion is so directly between the mono-lens and the silicone of the facial.
The internal surface of the facial is not matt, positioning the mask at a lower price compared to the Noah (33 euros list price), targeting the Endless also for non spearos. The mono-lens structure does not permit the same closeness of the eyes to the lens as for the Noah, since a too close position determines contact of the nose to the internal silicone frame of the lens. Still, general compactness of the mask is particularly high.
All the remaining comfort characteristics are present on the Endless just as for the Noah, as the bellows at the base of the nose socket, the micrometric regulation of the head belt and the large band to position the mouthpiece.
Maxale
It is the most traditional mask of the three, but it has been optimized in different aspects.
First of all, the entire central part of the chassis has been lowered to eliminate the classic unused volume in the upper part of the nose socket.
This solution has been applied also to improve upward visibility, thanks to the elimination of the visual cover of the upper frame. The nose inclination is straight just as for the Noah and the Endless, and the lower part of the socket is preformed. Price list of the Maxale is 29.50 €.
Mouthpiece
Also the mouthpiece is new, with hypoallergenic silicone bite, which is extremely soft, and flexible polyurethane tube. The length of the tube is reduced to the minimum for the short version, to limit the quantity of used air recycling in the tube and breathed back into the lungs, and also to reduce the effort of breathing. Still, the mouthpiece is also available in a longer version, for rough sea condtions, with waves that could pour water inside the tube. Finally, shape and length have been studied to position the tube inside the head band at the rear of the head.
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