High Speed, Low Drag
You generally won’t find a lot of students in your introductory scuba class wearing the Atomic Aquatics Venom mask. It’s a bit cost prohibitive for new divers trying to build their first set of gear, but I feel as though they are missing out on a quality piece of equipment.
The divers I generally see wearing the Venom are sidemount divers, cave divers, and technical divers—those who seek out the best equipment that they can trust to perform every time they use it. If they trust the Venom that much, you can too.
I dived with the Atomic Aquatics Venom mask on a handful of occasions both in the pool and in open water. The things I liked about it were the “Gummy Bear UltraSoft” face seal and the co-molded silicone skirt.
The face seal was extremely comfortable and pliable to all the contours of my face, while the co-molded silicone skirt, which is bonded directly to the glass, makes a traditional frame obsolete and provides a larger field of vision.
I also really liked the extremely wide field of vision and the extremely low volume. With the co-molded silicone, the skirt is rigid where it needs to be. For me, that makes the Venom the perfect back-up pocket mask that won’t collapse, distort, or fold.
The one thing I didn’t like about the Venom—and I saved this until the end because it is more personal than anything—is the nose bridge. It makes the Venom feel like a framed mask.
This portion of the mask, where the hard silicone meets the nose pocket, tended to really dig into my brow ridge between my eyes. This is not so much a knock against the Venom, just a precautionary tale for those who may have the same face shape as I do.
Spec Breakdown & Features
Measuring 8 x 5 x 4 inches and weighing 8 oz., the Venom frameless has a nice, wide field of vision and is nice and light. Made with Ultraclear Schott Superwite tempered glass, the view is crystal clear.
Made as a frameless, single-lens mask, the Venom offers unobstructed views. A low volume mask, with a double-feathered silicone skirt and a “Gummy Bear UltraSoft” face seal, the Venom Frameless is virtually leak-proof.
Accessories
Atomic Aquatics manufactures all sorts of diving equipment, from BCDs to fins, masks, and regulators, including the high-end TFX. They also produce three different snorkels to go with the Venom frameless.
One of the accessories divers often forget about is a good cutting instrument. Atomic Aquatics’ Titanium Ti6 dive knife is the perfect combination of craftsmanship and reliability.
Price/Quality Ratio
The Atomic Aquatics Venom frameless mask is one of the more expensive masks we tested. It would fall into our high-end/luxury category. With that said, the Venom is a top-notch mask with some great technologies.
Between the co-molded silicone skirt, the “Gummy Bear UltraSoft” face seal, and the Ultraclear Schott Superwite glass, you get what you pay for. All of the combined upgrades make it more than worth the money you’ll spend
Do We Recommend the Atomic Aquatics Venom?
We do recommend the Atomic Aquatics Venom frameless mask. This is a top-notch piece of equipment, just like all of those we’ve come to expect from the engineers at Atomic Aquatics. The “Gummy Bear UltraSoft” face seal is one of the softest face seals on the market, making the Venom one of the most comfortable masks available.
The co-molded silicone skirt does a great job of keeping water out, but its rigid design might make it less than ideal for some users. The Ultraclear Schott Superwite glass and extremely wide field of vision make wearing the Venom seem like you’re watching an underwater movie.
Specs & Features
| Dimensions | 8 x 5 x 4 inches (8 oz.) |
|---|---|
| Framed or frameless | Frameless |
| Lens (dual or single) | Single |
| Skirt | Double-rigid feather silicone skirt |
| Lens treatment | Schott superwite glass |
| Volume | Low |
| Corrective lens compatible | Yes |
