Finally gave in and tried a Kirby Morgan band mask after years of hating them

I always swore by my old AGA mask, but after a job in the Gulf last month where my comms kept cutting out, a buddy let me borrow his KM for a day. The fit was way better than I expected and the exhaust valve didn't stick once. Has anyone else switched masks and regretted not doing it sooner?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencerl321mo ago

Heard a story from an old dive instructor buddy about a guy who fought switching from an Ocean Reef to a KM for years. Finally did it after a near miss with a stuck reg on a deep wreck and said it was like learning to breathe all over again. Your experience with the exhaust valve not sticking is a big one (that's always been my biggest gripe with the AGA masks, personally). The fit thing is wild too because I always thought KM masks looked like they'd be uncomfortable, but everyone I know who tried one says the same as you. Makes me wonder how much time I've wasted fighting with gear that just works better now.

tara_palmer1mo ago

haha oh man, that "learning to breathe all over again" thing hits close to home. When I finally ditched my old mask for a Kirby Morgan, I felt like a baby deer trying to stand up for the first 10 minutes. Kept bumping the purge button by accident and fogging up the lens. But yeah, the exhaust valve thing is night and day. With my old mask I'd get that little water trickle down my neck on every exhale and just accepted it like a badge of honor. Turns out I was just being stubborn and cheap.

abby_palmer16d ago

And that cold trickle really makes you wonder why you put up with it for so long.