mask fogging

[PROWLER]

Hi all , after reading a few threads about how to stop your mask from fogging up, it seems you use tooth paste, as toothpaste is abbrasive
will it scratch the lens of the mask ?
I asked a friend at work about this as he used to be a commercial diver, he said he had never heard of this, either use spit or a thin smeer of washingup liquid. As i dont want to ruin a new mask what do you guys suggest ???
many thanks
Prowler

 

[chrisreynolds]

Hi Prowler,

I think the idea of toothpaste is to make minute scratches on the lens in order for your spit to do a better job.

Try cutting a potato into a point and rubbing it round the inside of the lenses, getting in all the corners, about an hour before you dive (it'll still work if you do it just before you go in but works better if it dries). give it a quick rinse when you get there and that should do it (spit aswell if you like). i think its something to do with the starch in the potato.....? Maybe someone can educate me too..............

ps. a single small potato can just be thinly trimmed each time and will last for 10-12 dives (or a month or so if on the shelf.).

 

[Don Paul]

I use spit or a kelp leaf, when a mask is new the glass is usually contaminated with silicons or mold release agents. The tooth paste is a one time thing for me only when the mask is new.
Cheers, Don Paul

 

[spaghetti]

+1 with Don
The use of toothpaste (creamy, not granulated) or lighter flame, or washing machine and all the other aggressive mask fogging treatment are a ONE TIME EVENT, only to apply once when the mask is new, to remove off the lens any residual traces of silicone from the manufacturing process.
Once it has been treated succesfully, the every day routine becomes just spit and rinse.
You don't have to toothpaste everytime.

 

[Old Man Dave]

I concur with what's been said. However most of us have had the annoyance of mask fogging at some time. I've had some very annoying occurances with mask fogging on scuba, in fact enough to abort the dive.

Whether scuba or free diving, mask fogging is usually caused by your body heat radiating through your face and heating the air in your mask. The water vapour in the air then condenses out on the cold glass lens of the mask. The glass being cold as it is in contact with the cold water.

A few tips I find work are 1. always swill cold seawater on your face before you fit the mask. 2. on a hot day cool off your body first before putting on the mask. I make a habit of doing both of these and seems to work. On entering the water when spearing from the shore I sit or kneel down in the water, put on all gear, fins etc and flush my suit, then I use the mask to chuck a couple of good maskfulls of cold seawater over my face and inside my hood. Then I spit in the mask, rinse and put it on.

Scuba problem always occurs when I jump in too warm and also when I work hard and overheat on the bottom. Once this happens no amount of removing mask etc seems to work. I have to come up, cool off, relax and try again.

Dave.

 

[sgnips]

another tip is take off the mask the less you can while in the water, or never take it off at all
this works great for me in every situation: cold water, warm water... anyway

 

[PROWLER]

Thank you very much for the replies, so basically if i remove any contaminates from manufacture with toothpaste just the once then the norm (bit of spit) after that.
Cheers guys
Prowler

 

[Dartfisher]

I use an anti fog gel. Works great. Put it on after diving and let it dry. Next time you jump in, give it a quick rinse and you re ready to go. You just cant rinse your mask alot after the first time or it cleans all the anti fog off.
Nic

 

[infinitysail]

So why is it some masks seem prone to fogging and others don't?

 

[Outcastdiving]

i've always used toothpaste (i find the gritty plain colgate one seems to work the best) im pretty sure it wont scratch the glass, as its hardened, and it never has for me, some masks fog more than others, if the do, toothpaste it again properly, really rub it in, predive spit into a dry mask, if there's water in it it doesnt work...and its got to be a decent spit too i find the anti fog stuff works but its expensive and you dont need it, spits fine. commercial divers use fairy liquid in hard hats, bm's, but thats for a different story. hope that helps

 

[apeogre]

I use comet on the mask and scrub the hell out of it. I use antifogging gel before I go diving. Works great. Never had it fog.

 

[rford150]

Being a safety guy for an oil company, I came across some anti-fog treatment for safety glasses. Tried it on my mask and it worked great for three dives. Pretty cheap, too. Bausch and Lomb Fogshield.

I learned to use kelp or sea fan in Belize. They worked better than anything and no scratches.

 

[Dannyk]

I got a new mask last month and cleaned it with glass cleaner and toothpaste. First time out it fogged up right away so I used my old mask. I repeated the cleaning and toothpaste and the next time I used it, it was great. I also use sea drops before each use and a quick rinse. If I take the mask off, even for a couple minutes I re-apply the sea drops or I will get some fogging. My last mask took a couple cleanings with toothpaste before I got it right as well.

My old mask has a wider field of view, but it made thing look vary large. A beer can looked almost as large as a two liter bottle. The new mask makes it a lot easier to tell how big the fish are before I nail them.