The El-Cheapo Diving Mask

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With that done, Bob set the diving mask aside to let the epoxy dry and turned his attention to the earpiece-less frame. He drilled a small hole through the bridge, perpendicular to the lenses . . . slipped the washer on the little brass screw . . . threaded the fastener through the spectacles' nosepiece . . . and proceeded to screw the glasses onto the nut he'd glued to the viewing window.

Before my cohort turned the modified mask over to my eagerly waiting hands, though, he cautioned me that fastening the screw too tight might cause the nut to lift from its epoxy bed. Bob also pointed out that if I ever needed to lend my headset to a more eagle-eyed friend, all I'd have to do was unscrew my specs ... and the snorkeling rig would be almost the same as before (the small nut on the viewing glass would hardly impair the wearer's vision).

Well, I took my "el-cheapo" diving mask to Bermuda and saw that the island's underwater wonders were everything my friends had promised. I found it amazing to gaze through 40 feet of clear water and actually see the coral reefs, and multicolored fishes darting to and fro. Best of all, I was able to enjoy the oceanscape with near-perfect vision . . . without the worry of losing costly contact lenses or the expense of a custom-made diving mask.

And since my return, I've found that the el-cheapo snorkel rig can be useful when observing more prosaic sights than the deep blue sea off Bermuda. The handy mask could, for instance, be a valuable aid for anyone surveying the bottom of a farm pond, checking out underwater structures, or even inspecting the keel of a boat!

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