I finally compared Kirby Morgan vs. Ocean Reef masks in 40 feet of cold water off Port Townsend last week

Swapped from my usual Kirby Morgan 37 to a borrowed Ocean Reef Neptune on a 2-hour pipeline inspection. The Ocean Reef had way less fogging and the voice comms were clearer, but the purge valve felt flimsy. Anyone else find one brand holds up way better in real conditions than the other?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant_hart2mo ago

Oh man, that swap surprised me too. I was all in on Kirby Morgan for years, figured they were the only ones that could take a beating. Then I tried an Ocean Reef on a similar cold water job in the Sound and the clarity of the comms really sold me. That purge valve thing gives me pause though, mine held up fine but I've heard some guys say they're not as tough over many dives.

wyatt_green311mo ago

Funny you mention that, @jenny_coleman. It reminds me of how people get about their tools in general, not just dive gear. I see the same thing with guys who swear by their old Craftsman socket sets versus the new stuff. There's this weird comfort in knowing something's been beat up and didn't break, so you stick with it forever, even if something else might actually work better for how you use it day to day. Ocean Reefs are like that new Milwaukee impact driver that everyone's scared to try because their old DeWalt never let them down. The purge valve thing is real though, I've seen a couple guys swap back to KM for that exact reason after a season of heavy use.

jenny_coleman2mo ago

That whole comms clarity thing is overblown if you ask me. Kirby Morgan gear has been the standard for decades for a reason, and their reliability in rough conditions is proven over and over. Those fancy features on the Ocean Reef just mean more stuff that can break when you're deep and things get ugly.