Foggy Mask

[Alfie]

Hi all,

This is my first post after watching from a distance for a wee while.

I constantly have problems with my masks fogging up about 10mins into my dives. I have tried about half a dozen masks over my past couple of years of diving and this has been an ever-present problem.

Each new mask gets the toothpaste treatment inside and out prior to a dive and each dive I try the traditional spit and rinse approach but to no avail! Even the sprays that are designed to keep masks clear have limited effect :(

Have any of you experienced a similar problem and can anyone suggest a remedy that I haven't tried yet.

Thanks in advance of any help suggested.

Alfie

[PeteM]

When you do the "toothpaste treatment" where do you do it? You need to concentrate on the skirt which is where the release agent is that cause the problems

[ozone1]

Hi all,

This is my first post after watching from a distance for a wee while.

I constantly have problems with my masks fogging up about 10mins into my dives. I have tried about half a dozen masks over my past couple of years of diving and this has been an ever-present problem.

Each new mask gets the toothpaste treatment inside and out prior to a dive and each dive I try the traditional spit and rinse approach but to no avail! Even the sprays that are designed to keep masks clear have limited effect :(

Have any of you experienced a similar problem and can anyone suggest a remedy that I haven't tried yet.

Thanks in advance of any help suggested.

Alfie

My mask always mists up.
I think some people just have warmer faces (I won't say sweaty:D )
and no mater what you put in your mask it will mist up.
I now do not think about it, I clean my mask like normal and spit in it before
the dive but now if it mists up I just flush it with water and clear it again.
I somtimes keep a little water in the mask and swill it around to keep the mask
clean. I don't think about it nomore and flush it almost instinctivley.

I'm not saying it will work for you but it suits me.

Cheers ozone

.

[Terry]

I have the same problem and its got worse since I grew a tash so I spray a mixture of washing up liquid and water on to the entire inner surface of the mask and then do my best to wash it all off just prior to my dive.
I dont reccomend that you do the same as getting soap in your eyes is far worse than a bit of misting but it does work for me.
Terry

[Mike Halligan]

I have the same problem and its got worse since I grew a tash so I spray a mixture of washing up liquid and water on to the entire inner surface of the mask and then do my best to wash it all off just prior to my dive.
I dont reccomend that you do the same as getting soap in your eyes is far worse than a bit of misting but it does work for me.
Terry
Terry,

I suggest you (and ozone) might re-read PeteM's post. There is good empirical evidence to suggest that the silicone skirt mould release agent is the most common cause of misting. Cleaning this rigorously should help, one part toothpaste, three parts elbow grease, ten parts knowing where to apply the other 4 parts.

[Terry]

Terry,

I suggest you (and ozone) might re-read PeteM's post. There is good empirical evidence to suggest that the silicone skirt mould release agent is the most common cause of misting. Cleaning this rigorously should help, one part toothpaste, three parts elbow grease, ten parts knowing where to apply the other 4 parts.

Mike my mask is years old and my fogging has got worse since I grew my tash. Sorry but I thought that I had made that clear.
Terry

[PeteM]

Mike my mask is years old and my fogging has got worse since I grew my tash. Sorry but I thought that I had made that clear.
Terry

I had an old mask that developed a misting problem, caused by build up of crud on the lens, mainly calcium carbonate from washing in a hard water area. Viakal fixed in as it removed the crud that allows the mist to start forming.

Mist can only form when it has something on which to start, on new lens this is almost always release agent, on old crud. Works in a similar way to bubbles in beer, you need a flaw in the glass to give a place for bubbles to begin. If your lens are spotless and flawless you can not get misting. Spit is used to fill in imperfections on the glass to remove these flaws

[Mike Halligan]

Mike my mask is years old and my fogging has got worse since I grew my tash. Sorry but I thought that I had made that clear.
Terry

Sorry, misreading, again! I guess I do like you (though without beard or 'tash nowadays) and deal with occasional misting by occasional rinsing.

I reckon I must unwittingly exhale through my nose every so often and thus cause the fogging. Had I still the 'tach, I guess ingress would be inevitable once in a while. Mind you, most of what I do is unwitting, so things could get very complicated.

However a few days ago, I swapped my mask - bonded reading lens in bottom corner - with a trainee whose mask fogged quite impossibly. It was one of those with a pair of lenses built in, like specs. It fogged constantly and immediately on 3 surfaces. Eventually I gave up and kept the damn thing full of water! [Good job it was a quarry.]

[Mike Halligan]

. Spit is used to fill in imperfections on the glass to remove these flaws

Holy mackerel, you're right, I'd never thought of it that way before. Thanks. :D :D

[ChrisA]

I dont reccomend that you do the same as getting soap in your eyes is far worse than a bit of misting but it does work for me.
Terry
If you use baby shampoo , it doesn't sting.

[jeanpapp]

When you do the "toothpaste treatment" where do you do it? You need to concentrate on the skirt which is where the release agent is that cause the problems

I am new to this, where is the skirt on your mask. I had the same problem with foggy up. The instructor used everything on the lens and it didn't really work. Do you put the toothpaste on the lens only?

[Tristan Green]

I am new to this, where is the skirt on your mask. I had the same problem with foggy up. The instructor used everything on the lens and it didn't really work. Do you put the toothpaste on the lens only? On a mask the skirt is the soft (usually silicon rubber) bit around the glass that fits against your face. Rub the soft bit with toothpaste as well as the glass bit to remove all traces of the release agent.

Oh - and make sure you are using white toothpaste - the gel stuff doesn't work nearly as well - you need the abrasive powder that is in the white stuff.

Cheers,
Tristan

[Mark Sydenham]

A slice of potato works wonders too! :)

Cheers,
Mark.

[iain1965]

I've never had a problem with fogging, all I do is spit in the mask and rub it all over the lenses (standard practise) and then fill the mask with water and let it rest until I'm ready to dive. This allows the mask and lenses to become the same temperature as the surrounding water and prevents condensation building on the inside. Works a treat for me give it a try.

Longest dive so far 86 minutes no fogging.

All the best, Iain

[Steve in Sharm]

I have the same problem and its got worse since I grew a tash so I spray a mixture of washing up liquid and water on to the entire inner surface of the mask and then do my best to wash it all off just prior to my dive.
I dont reccomend that you do the same as getting soap in your eyes is far worse than a bit of misting but it does work for me.
Terry

Johnsons baby shampoo does the trick very nicely.

Regards

Steve


Edit just seen it posted lower down - sorry.

[Alfie]

Thanks to all for your suggestions, I hadn't heard of toothpasting the skirt as well as the lens so will try that NOW!

If that fails will try the baby shampoo suggestion.

Many thanks again.

Alfie.

[Woz]

Run it through the dishwasher a couple of times. Gets rid of all the mould release and you'll be fog free.

[ozone1]

Terry,

I suggest you (and ozone) might re-read PeteM's post. There is good empirical evidence to suggest that the silicone skirt mould release agent is the most common cause of misting. Cleaning this rigorously should help, one part toothpaste, three parts elbow grease, ten parts knowing where to apply the other 4 parts.


I read with intrest what Pete posted and it was a good post and informative.
It could be the cause But I have dived with quite a few masks over the
years and for the most part I think they have all misted up, even a very
old black rubber one that was huge in volume compaired to todays low
volume masks.

I read Woz's reply about putting it in the dish washer and that is somthing I
do but I'm not sure it will do the mask good in long run.

Cheers ozone

.

[TooTall]

I've never had a problem with fogging, all I do is spit in the mask and rub it all over the lenses (standard practise) and then fill the mask with water and let it rest until I'm ready to dive. This allows the mask and lenses to become the same temperature as the surrounding water and prevents condensation building on the inside. Works a treat for me give it a try.

Longest dive so far 86 minutes no fogging.

All the best, Iain

I guess you are lucky too - Mrs TT uses the anti-fog solution and I've never needed it - I guess we just have the perfect saliva! Now how to bottle it for retail?

(PS - spit goes further when you make it properly)

[Michael Purcell]

rule 1: greener the cleaner ...when making spit...

rule 2: the brave cave divers use a naked flame on the surfaces of the lense and skirt...care and faith required

[jeanpapp]

Tristan,

Thank you for the information. I will find some white toothpaste. That should be interesting. All the toothpastes have color and are the "Whitening" formula. Sport chalet told me not to get any that have the whitening affect.
Thanks
I appreciate your input.

[Mark Cowgill]

I toothpaste my mask before any dive trip, and dont get any foggin, I do if I forget to toothpaste, so I know its the toothpaste that works.

Mark

[Vic]

Spit is used to fill in imperfections on the glass to remove these flaws

Is it?

I thought it de-greased the glass, preventing an emulsion...

Vic.

[PeteM]

Is it?

I thought it de-greased the glass, preventing an emulsion...

Vic.

Not my understanding of the mechanism. I was under the impression that you needed an imperfection to act as the starting point for the condensation to form in a very similar way to when you get a stream of bubbles from any imperfection in a beer glass. Spit or any other fluid with a high surface tension fills the void thereby stopping the condensation starting.

However I can not find any reference to support this (or your) theory, but I have found some other stuff indicating it is surface tension related in that you apply a coating to reduce the ST of the water that is trying to condense.

[Tony Dwyer]

Tristan,

Thank you for the information. I will find some white toothpaste. That should be interesting. All the toothpastes have color and are the "Whitening" formula. Sport chalet told me not to get any that have the whitening affect.
Thanks
I appreciate your input.

Go for 'Arm & Hammer' bicarb toothpaste :)

I use it and it works. Keeps my teeth clean too. :)

[Woz]

Not my understanding of the mechanism. I was under the impression that you needed an imperfection to act as the starting point for the condensation to form in a very similar way to when you get a stream of bubbles from any imperfection in a beer glass. Spit or any other fluid with a high surface tension fills the void thereby stopping the condensation starting.

However I can not find any reference to support this (or your) theory, but I have found some other stuff indicating it is surface tension related in that you apply a coating to reduce the ST of the water that is trying to condense.I thought the gob acted as a surfectant (soap) to get rid of the little doo-hickies so there's nothing for the water to grab on to. Same as using detergent but comes in a handier container (you).

[katdiver]

Once had to buy a new mask on vacation, fogged like hell. DM in the dive centre gave me a bottle of Jif to use as I didn't want to go out looking for tooth paste. A couple of applications and hey presto, no fog.
Baby shampoo and Tepol is good too, failing everything take the mask off u/w and rub the insides of the lenses with the thumbs (probably cooling the face helps too). The moustach probably means it takes less pressure in the mask for you to breathe out through the nose due to the compromised seal in that area, hence the fogging. Does that make sense?

[jeanpapp]

Jif? Where do you buy it?

[Janos]

If anyone is short of defogging agent, my rebreather produces a steady supply...

[Michael Purcell]

If anyone is short of defogging agent, my rebreather produces a steady supply...

Ah yes, loop butter...

[PeteM]

Jif? Where do you buy it?

Jif is either concentrated lemon juice or the previous brand name for Cif the multi purpose cleaner

[N2-UK]

There are just so many little snippets of information to learn when you first start diving.

I'm sure someone said you had to pee in your mask to clear it.

For the life of me though, I can't remember why it was they suggested you spit in your wet suit?

I'll have to go and take a look back through my notes.


Nigel

[Anne Southgate]

I had a similar problem. I finally solved it with toothpaste. I smeared it thickly all over the lens and around to skirt. Then left it on for 2 weeks keeping it moist by adding water from time to time. Finally washed it off and no problems since. I'd previously tried a slice of potato. Only one downside to this - a strong smell of toothpaste during dives!

[PeteM]

I'm sure someone said you had to pee in your mask to clear it.

Its revolting but it does work, seen it done

[Maria CM]

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

[ChristianG]

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
Chuckle.

Essentially, Maria, urine is an acid, inter alia, of about the same strength as common or garden vinegar. :)

Vinegar is also pretty useful for diving diving purposes.

Folks, can't we just let this thread die? Hasn't it, yet again, been hacked to death?

[Woz]

I'm sure someone said you had to pee in your mask to clear it.
If they also told you to bring cooking oil to attract the fishes, a Kitchen Devil, some hose and a bit of string makes a dive knife and to "pass the imperial adjustable" then it sounds like one of our club trips.

[Maria CM]

Chuckle.

Essentially, Maria, urine is an acid, inter alia, of about the same strength as common or garden vinegar. :)

Vinegar is also pretty useful for diving diving purposes.

Folks, can't we just let this thread die? Hasn't it, yet again, been hacked to death?

No-one, and I mean absolutely no-one, would survive tiddling in my mask, no matter what it is made up of!!!!

best wishes,

Maria

[N2-UK]

If they also told you to bring cooking oil to attract the fishes, a Kitchen Devil, some hose and a bit of string makes a dive knife and to "pass the imperial adjustable" then it sounds like one of our club trips.


You were there!:D

Nigel

[wedmonds]

Another comment albeit from a newbie....
I have only dived about 12 times in Egypt but have people spit in their mask, quickly rinse it out before playing around with getting their fins on prior to actually putting their mask on. I am sure this pretty much defeats the object so i have concentrated on readying the mask only moments before jumping in.
Could it be that you are waiting to long before getting in the water or before you are placing the mask on? Might explain why it is fogging up :) Just a thought.