Mark Evans: Italian dive brand Seac Sub has been established since 1971, and in that 52-plus years, it has produced some iconic products, so it is only fitting that the company’s latest mask offering is called the Icona.
The Seac Icona is a frameless single-lens mask designed for scuba diving that is made in Italy. It is a good-looking mask that lets you see much of the diver’s face
(photographers will like it for models), and the splash of color around the lens – on our test sample, vivid blue – definitely made it stand out under the water, especially against all-black masks. It comes in a range of similarly bright colors, but there is an all-black version for shrinking violets.
The tempered glass single lens is ultra-resistant and 4mm thick, wrapped in two types of overmolded silicone to obtain an ergonomic skirt that adapts perfectly to every face – I have had several different people try out the mask while I had it on test and all of them reported that it fit very well with no leaks or issues. These ranged from teenagers to bearded blokes, and a couple of female divers. Richard Binks – who is pictured – had the mask on for a dive and towards the end, I motioned to him ‘how did you find the mask?’ and he looked a little shocked before giving me the okay signal. On surfacing, he said he had completely forgotten he had a different mask on to his own – to me, that is a true testament to how well something fits, and how comfortable it is, when you forget you have got it on!
The mask is very low profile, so the peripheral vision is good, and because it is a small air space, it is also easy to clear from a full or partial flood.
The Icona has some neat features as well. The silicone inside the skirt has a matte texture, which is designed to eliminate reflection, while the edge of the mask is instead shiny and slightly curved to increase the grip area. Seac says this also helps reduce annoying marks on the face for optimal comfort even in prolonged use, and this fits with our findings from the test dives – it is an exceptionally comfortable mask.
The double-button 3D rocker buckle allows for easy adjustment of the silicone mask strap, even when wearing thick neoprene gloves, or even drygloves. Likewise, the nose piece has texture for better grip.
The Icona comes in various colorways, including all black, blue/black, gray/black, purple/black and red/black.
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver North America #14.
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