How To Stop Your SCUBA Mask From Fogging Up
Candace Reno July 11th, 2023 Posted In: How-To Tags: SCUBA
How to Stop SCUBA Mask From Fogging Up
There you are, experiencing the underwater world while SCUBA diving, when suddenly, your mask starts fogging up on you! This is very annoying! When you go SCUBA diving you want to clearly see the beauty of the reefs, fish, and all the other animals. How do you stop your SCUBA mask from fogging up? Below are a few ways on how to keep SCUBA mask from fogging up.
New SCUBA Mask
You just bought a new mask, great! Did you know that with most new masks you have to do a little pre-dive care? Just like any kind of SCUBA diving outfit or gear you buy, there is some maintenance that needs to be done with a mask. Most SCUBA masks come with a manufacturer’s film on the inside of the mask. In order to be able to properly de-fog your SCUBA mask, you will need to remove this film. A non-whitening toothpaste is suggested for such an occasion.
Simply spread a little bit of toothpaste on the inside of the mask, the part where your eyes will go, and use your thumb to scrub hard for a few minutes. Rinse the mask in fresh water and repeat one more time. If the mask still fogs, try this step again. Even after a toothpaste cleaning, prior to each dive, a little de-fog will need to be put inside the mask to make sure it does not fog up while SCUBA diving.
De-Fog Your SCUBA Mask
How do you keep your SCUBA mask from fogging up before diving? This is appropriately called de-fog. Several manufacturers have a solution they make and market as de-fog. These are sold in little bottles that can easily be placed inside of a BCD pocket for easy mask de-fogging right before a dive. These are easy to take with you on trips as well. However, if you are diving from a boat, most likely, the SCUBA operation will have de-fog on board for you to use.
There are also types of de-fog that you put on your mask when it is dry. This solution will then sit on the mask for 30 minutes or so. After this, this de-fog could last for several dives without the need to use any other de-fog mechanism.
Household Cleaners for Cleaning Diving Mask
Other common ways to de-fog your SCUBA mask are household items. Baby shampoo and even mild dish detergents have been used as a de-fog choice. These items are popular with SCUBA outfits all over the world as a relatively cheap way of providing de-fog to their clients taking classes or tours. Baby shampoo is very gentle on the eyes as well and is very commonly used by dive boat operators.
A Little Saliva
Spit is certainly my go-to for clearing a mask right before diving. You always have spit with you. In my case, it has been the best way to clear most of my masks. If you are renting a mask, the owners of that mask might not like you spitting in their mask. Spit is also great for that quick fix. There are times when you de-fog your mask on shore or on the boat, but when you get in the water, you notice there is a little fogging already. Spit works the same way as de-fog. Spit into the mask lenses, rub it in while the mask is out of the water, then rinse it in the water.
Flooding
Sometimes, you could have done everything right and your mask still fogs up on you while you are diving. At 30 feet underwater, it is not an option to come up and re-defog. One trick to help remedy the situation is to purposely flood your mask a little bit. You can swish the water around to clear the fog and magically see clearly again! Once you surface after the dive, the best thing to do would be to clean the mask with toothpaste again. Otherwise, reapplying de-fog could also help.
Leave Your Mask On
Many divers do not realize that once the mask is de-fogged, it needs to stay on or it will keep re-fogging. Once you have de-fogged your mask with your choice of de-fogger, it is best to not put it on until you are ready. Once you hit the water, leave your mask alone! Do not take it off! If you do, this will lead to more fogging.
How to Stop Diving Mask From Fogging Up
One of the first pieces of SCUBA gear you buy is a SCUBA mask. Now, with all this advice on how to keep your SCUBA mask from fogging up, you should be able to enjoy your dive and all the beauty around you!
