Full-Face Flop

"The D-Mask may be the high-tech future of diving and snorkeling." So said the press release in Digital Trends last year. A Chinese designer with the rather odd name of Zj-DDG unveiled a new concept, but we're confident you'll never see it hit the market.

His full-face mask envelopes the user's entire face. He pointed out that it provides an all-round field of view, and the glass serves as a projection point for a head-up display. Perfect -- as long as you don't want to use it underwater.

Apart from the apparent absence of a proper skirt to keep the water out, the designer has failed to understand that a diver needs to clear his ears. Functional full-face FF masks have a built-in nose grip, but this one doesn't.

Functional full-face masks, both for diving and snorkeling, have a bib fitting around the mouth and nose to prevent a build-up of expired carbon dioxdioxide. With this mask, if the user managed to keep the water out, he'd soon be in distress from CO2 poisoning by breathing the exhaled air swilling around.

Clearly, this is a designer who put form over function, so much it would kill you.