Hollis M1 Frameless Mask

This is a nice mask with a soft silicon skirt and is low volume. I feel pain from many masks right between my eyebrows (glabella), in test fitting this mask doesn't seem to have anything pressing on my face there. I tried the Atomic mask and it was close, but the nosepiece on it caused discomfort.The only issue I'm seeing with this one is that it is very narrow, I have a big head. The skirt is about 1/2" from the outer edge of my eyes, which means this has a little narrower field of view than larger masks. I'm hoping that doesn't cause any issues with leaks, but I'll be diving next week and will report back after a "real world" test.

This is a great mask for both technical and recreational scuba diving. The single pane glass lens give you a wide and unobstructed field of view, while the black skirt blocks out light from the sides giving you a sharper image. The dual strap on the back conforms to my head very well and I have not had any issues with comfort. I like that there is no "frame" to this mask, instead it is one single piece of silicone that hooks directly to the strap, reducing points of failure and potential leaks. From what I have read and experienced, this mask fits a wide range of face shapes, but as with any mask I would recommend trying it in person first to make sure. The only issue I have had is sometimes (1 in 10 dives), the nose pocket can seal to my nostrils causing a squeeze, but this can be fixed by pulling the mask away briefly, and prevented by equalizing more often. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an upgrade.

This was ordered with a Atomic Venom Frameless, and a much cheaper option, the Cressi Lince - in my search for a better-fitting mask to avoid the dreaded dive-ruining leak-fest.Spoiler alert, I ended up with the Hollis M1, but *really* wanted to keep the Venom [as well/instead of].LIGHT TRANSMISSION/CLARITY:This one came in a *pretty* close second to the Venom. They both claim to have optically clear, proprietary-whatever, ultra-white glass. In reality, the Venom was jaw-dropping, this one was not. Nothing bad here, and honestly, without the Venom to compare it to, I might have been more impressed. They both trounced the Cressi.VISIBILITY:Again, I'm going to give this one second place to the Venom, but by a much closer margin. The design is such that vertical and lateral visibility is pretty terrific - thanks to the huge sheet of unobstructed glass in front of your face. It's not winning any hydrodynamic awards for streamlining, but at least you see well! The Cressi was garbage here... with serious tunnel-vision.MATERIALS:It's really pretty nice... although I've read the strap design is kind of crap (small teeth that slip?) and may need a backup strap with more aggressive teeth. The Venom was nicer - again, not much surprise, and the Venom is significantly more expensive.COMFORT & FIT:Here's where the M1 pulled ahead for me. The Venom had a nosepiece design with a hard ridge over the bridge, that painfully dug into my nose, just while doing a mask-fitting in my studio. I can't even imagine how uncomfortable that would be under pressure down below. The seal on the M1 really just fit my [weird?] face shape that much better, so it became the only obvious choice to keep... it truly does just boil down to which-mask-won't-leak at the end of the day!I'll try to update this review after a dive trip in a few weeks, once I've tested it in the water!UPDATE (AFTER DIVING):After 4 dives in Cozumel, the review holds firm and I have no regrets with the mask... however, this one caused uncomfortable pressure on the underside of my nose, that was really pretty painful over time. The clarity was top notch, the seal was fantastic (again, even with my scruff), but I had to equalize the pressure much more while descending, and often even with depth changes as little as a few meters during the dive - just to alleviate some of the pressure on the underside of the nose.This is still my new primary dive mask, until I find something with the fit, minus the singular comfort issue.I will add though, I have a pretty large nose, so this might fit others like an absolute champ. Try it and see!

There’s nothing i dislike about this mask.i did have to burn off some silicon on the inside and i used the pepsodent tooth paste trick and scrubbed the inside and outside of the glass 4 times. It doesn’t fog at all now. The mask is very comfortable and doesn’t leave any marks on my face. The glass is very clear , no color distortion at all. I also have an atomic venom and Tusa freedom 100 HD.this mask is every bit as good as them. The water temp this morning was 83.5 so there was no condensation on the inside of the mask. We will see how it does when the water drops into the low 70’s. Also I love the bucke system on this mask, very simple and appears to be very rugged. One other thing the mask has a very nice matte finish. I’m not fond of shiny things. Although i have heard sharks love shiny reflective thing. Reminds them of fish scales. All round its a great mask. Try one on at a dive shop to see if it fits. I have a lean face and it’s a perfect fit.

I have had several masks through the years and my last ScubaPro failed on me when I was making a deep dive, had to switch to my backup. I did more research to replace my ScubaPro and it seemed like the M1 would be a good fit for me and it was highly rated. I got it out of the box and put it up to my face and it felt like it was custom made for me. The fit is amazing. It fogs about as much as most other masks but not bad after you treat it. I don't have any cons to report, just an excellent purchase.