The Ultimate Guide To Stopping Your Diving Mask From Fogging Up
Causes, solutions, and prevention of foggy diving masks when freediving.
When it comes to freediving, there is nothing more frustrating having your diving mask fog over and cloud your vision. The joy of freediving comes from being able to observe your environment while submerged. Needless to say, a foggy dive mask or snorkel mask can ruin the whole experience. In this article, we examine the causes of a foggy diving mask, how to defog your mask in the middle of a dive, and ways you can prevent your dive mask from fogging up in the first place.
What Makes A Diving Mask Or Snorkel Mask Fog Up
Fog on the inside of a diving mask is nothing more than water droplets that have accumulated on the inner side of the lens. This accumulation of water droplets, or condensation, occurs when the temperature of the air within the diving mask drops lower than the dew point of that same air. The decrease in temperature causes the water in the air to condense and collect along the inner side of the glass lens. Basically, the glass lens of your diving mask becomes cool as you swim in cold water. The warm air within your dive mask possesses water in the form of vapor. When that vapor comes in contact with the cold lens, it condenses and collects on your lens, which produces the foggy effect.
A foggy diving mask is a common problem with freedivers because they are frequently exposed to cold-water temperatures. As a freediver descends to deeper depths, the light and heat from the sun do not reach those depths as efficiently. Consequently, the water is often cooler the deeper a diver goes. There is also the matter of underwater currents that move water around in a manner that can periodically change the temperature of a particular location over time. Whenever the temperature of your surrounding environment drops, you become susceptible to a foggy diving mask.
What To Do If Your Mask Fogs Up In The Middle Of A Dive
If you are at the bottom of a dive and your mask begins to cloud over, you can do one of three things. You can deal with it and continue your dive with impaired vision. You can cut your dive short and swim to the surface in order to clean off your lens. Or, you can make some adjustments on the spot so you can continue your dive.
It is important to point out that this solution is only temporary. A dive mask that continues to fog up needs to be addressed before you take it diving a second time. However, if you wish to continue your dive and attempt to rid your lens of the fog while submerged, one thing you can do is to carefully peel back the skirt of the mask that forms the airtight seal around your face. If done correctly, you can let just a tiny bit of water into the mask. You can slosh this water around the inside of the diving mask which will clean off the inner side of the lens. When you’re done, you can tilt your head back and exhale through your nose in order to blow some of the water out of the mask. Or, it is tolerable, you can leave the water in the mask for additional cleaning as needed. However, you must realize that your dive mask will continue to become foggy unless you make some corrections once you reach the surface.
How To Prevent Your Mask From Fogging Up
When it comes to a mask that repeatedly becomes foggy during dives, it is important to understand that prevention is key. There are adjustments that you can make to your mask that will make it less likely to fog up during your upcoming dive. The following are some techniques you can use to treat your lens and limit the amount of condensation you will experience while freediving.
Clean Your Mask – Often times, dust and dirt particles can accumulate on the inner surface of your diving mask lens over time. These particles aid in the collection of moisture on the lens. This is why you should always clean your mask before use.
Toothpaste Your Mask – This is a more specific way of cleaning your mask. Rather than going out an purchasing a cleaning agent to clean your lens, you can actually use ordinary toothpaste. Simply apply a small amount of toothpaste to the lens and rub it in with a soft cloth. The lens will eventually feel smooth to the touch as the toothpaste is smeared. Once you have reached this point, wash the toothpaste off and allow the mask to dry. Once the mask is dry, try breathing on the inner side of the lens and see if it still fogs up. If so, repeat this process as necessary.
NOTE: If you are going to use toothpaste on your diving mask, be sure to use a very basic paste. Do not use a brand that has bleaching agents or crystalline chips for added flavor and effects. These types of additives can actually damage your lens.
Shampoo Your Mask – This process is similar to the toothpaste method. The idea here is to get a mild shampoo or conditioner and rub it into the lens to capture dirt and unwanted particles. Once you’ve liberally applied the shampoo to the lens of the mask, wash it with clean water and allow it time to dry.
NOTE: We recommend using a very gentle shampoo or conditioner. Many divers will often use baby shampoo to clean their masks.
Burn Your Mask – Stop right there! Here us out. There is a very specific process that you need to follow if you are considering this technique. If the lens on your diving mask is made of tempered glass (not plastic) then you might be able to use this technique.
Basically, when dive masks are constructed, the lens is pressed into a mold and this process can leave a silicone residue on the inner side of the lens. This silicone film aids in the collection of condensation, which results in a foggy mask. You can actually remove this silicone layer from the lens by taking a lighter and running it along the inner surface of the lens. Be careful not to melt the rubber skirt that forms the seal of the mask. Just carefully heat the glass and watch the silicone film bubble up. Then wash the mask clean of any residue.
Antifog Spray Your Mask – There are commercial products designed to pre-treat your mask and prevent fogging. These products usually come in the form of a spray or a gel and have chemicals in them that prevent fogging. They are usually fairly inexpensive and they come highly recommended among divers.
Ultimately, condensation within your diving mask is all a matter of temperature and humidity. If you are swimming in cold water and you have warm air within your mask, these factors are going to be prone to condensation. Every time you exhale, warm air from your lungs leaves your body. So, if you are the type of freediver that frequently exhales through their nose while swimming, even if only a little bit, you may be pumping warm air into your mask, which will, in turn, lead to condensation. Be mindful of your micro exhalations and remember the points we’ve discussed in this article and you will limit the amount of fogging on your mask during your freediving.
