Whether you’re a brand new or a long time diver, it’s likely that you’ve experienced a foggy mask. It’s not a hard problem to fix, just add a little water in and clear it back out. Look up, press on your mask and blow out of your nose. Problem solved. Right? Not always. If you have a brand new mask, this handy little trick becomes far far less handy when your mask will just keep fogging and fogging, but why?
When you get a new mask, fresh out of the box it has a silicon layer on the lenses, its see through and totally unnoticeable, so many people don’t even know this is the case. This layer is what causes the fogging of a brand new mask, and it will remain the case until you properly prepare the mask for diving. When preparing the mask, you’re rubbing away this layer, exposing the lenses underneath.
orks a charm by burning away at the silicon layer, it can be slightly more risky. You mostly risk burning the lenses themselves and leaving a permanent haze on the mask, or burning the silicon skirting and affecting the fit of the mask. Because of these reasons, I steer far from the lighter and rely more on toothpaste.
When using toothpaste to prepare a mask, it’s going to take a bit of time and determination. First you want to make sure that you have the correct type of toothpaste, any white toothpaste is best, gel will not work as well because it is far less gritty. Once you’ve got a dollop of toothpaste in the mask lenses, rub it around in circles until it is mostly dry, and then leave it to set, usually overnight. In the morning, rub out the toothpaste; with a small touch of water on your finger, this is the most vital step as it rubs away at the silicon the most. Once the toothpaste has reached a slightly liquid consistency, wash it out and dry the lenses with a microfiber cloth. Once dry, repeat this process a couple of times and your mask will be good to go!
Hop on the dive boat, pop in a little bit of defog and head out diving, bet your mask doesn’t fog again!
Check out the video on how to choose and prep your dive mask 👇👇👇
