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?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_hart22d 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.

jenny_coleman22d 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.