Ocean Reef

Two very different masks under one badge

Ocean Reef's range splits cleanly in two, and that split is the only decision that really matters. The Aria QR+ and the Junior are snorkelling masks: you breathe surface air through a dry top snorkel built into the mask, and there is no connection to a cylinder. The Neptune III Basic and the Neptune III IDM are integrated diving masks with a second stage built into the mask body, fed from your tank. Buying across that line is the one mistake we see people make.

The snorkelling masks

The Aria QR+ gives you one wide visor instead of a small lens and a separate mouthpiece, so you breathe through your nose and there is nothing to clench. Its dry top keeps water out of the snorkel at the surface, the quick release buckles let you slacken the whole thing in one pull, and the dual airflow system keeps your breath off the lens so it stays clear. The Junior is the same idea in an XS built around a smaller face, designed and manufactured in Italy, supplied with stickers so a child can make it theirs and a bag to dry it in. Ocean Reef state that neither mask is intended for freediving, though swimming submerged at shallow depths is fine.

The integrated diving masks

The Neptune III Basic is the way into the Neptune III family: a six point strap harness, a real orinasal pocket sealing around your nose, a balanced second stage built into the mask, two sizes, and a choice of grey, emerald, pink or orange. It is CE certified for cold water and carries a two year warranty. The Neptune III IDM is the complete package, breathing the same way but supplied with the Surface Air Valve so you can breathe ambient air at the surface without spending your gas, a doffing handle for getting the mask off in a hurry, an extender kit for mounting accessories, a multitool and a carry bag. It comes in S/M and M/L, in black, white or blue.

Fit decides whether it leaks

A full face mask seals across a far larger area than a conventional mask, so face shape matters more, not less. The Aria QR+ is offered in a range of sizes and Ocean Reef publish a size guide, linked from that product page, so measure rather than assuming your usual mask size carries over. The Junior is an XS. On the diving side the Basic uses an S shaped bellows face seal in two sizes, and the IDM is offered as S/M and M/L with a soft double layered silicone skirt. If you have a narrow jaw, a beard, or a conventional mask has leaked on you before, speak to us before you order.

Cameras, torches and comms

The Aria QR+ has a camera mount built in, which is the honest reason plenty of people buy one: a small action camera sits steady on your forehead and your hands stay free. The IDM ships with its extender kit, a frame and accessory mounts intended for cameras, torches and a communications unit, so you build the mask up rather than strapping things to your head. The Neptune III Basic is described as customisable and upgradeable, and a Surface Air Valve can be added to it as an accessory if you decide later that you want one.

Looking after one

Rinse the mask in fresh water after every dive or snorkel, flushing the snorkel or the second stage through rather than just dunking the whole thing, and dry it out of direct sun. The silicone skirt is the part that ages first, so store the mask in its bag with nothing pressing on the seal. On the Neptune III masks, remember that the integrated second stage is a regulator: it wants servicing on the same schedule as the rest of your breathing kit, not whenever it starts to feel odd.