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Mask fogging

5K views 43 replies 24 participants last post by  ak101 
#1 ·
ok so how do I stop this mask fogging up. If I just wet it it fogs dont even need to put it on it fogs up.

before you post this is what ive tried so far :-
fairy liquid washing glass and skirt
handcleaner washing glass and skirt
mister muscle washing glass and skirt

tooth paste on glass inside and out
using a lighter till glass blackend
meths


so im now looking for that new way to clean this mask can you help me its driving me nutts


David
 
#3 ·
FFS just sell it and get a Beaver Atomic! We were bored during the 3 hours you tried to sort it out at Vobster today and it still wasn't sorted. How many times do you have to be told ;)
 
#4 ·
Sorry for stating the obvious, but do you use defog stuff on your mask just before diving with it too?

If yes, and you have done all that other stuff - get a new mask.
 
#8 ·
Yep, he did all of that including cleaning it with kitchen cleaner, toothpaste, meths, spit....

I'm with Gloc, get rid of it. Isn't worth spoiling a dive over being constantly irritated with a fogged up mask.
See, that is 2 more people to add to the 3 that told you to get rid of it at Vobster today :)
 
#5 ·
I learned something about mask fogging the other week. Apparently, some people (particularly kids) will have insufficient starch in their spit to coat the inside of the mask, which stops the fogging. You could be one of those people :)

So..... on that basis, either use spit in a bottle (aka anti fog) or rub a raw potato on the inside of your mask.
HTH
:)
 
#21 ·
I learned something about mask fogging the other week. Apparently, some people (particularly kids) will have insufficient starch in their spit to coat the inside of the mask, which stops the fogging. You could be one of those people :)
Thats interesting cos that used to happen to me and I never knew why.
You could try Jif or Cif as its now known. The same effect as toothpaste but a little more abrasive so be careful.
 
#6 ·
aha... very scary trick but it is failsafe.. you burn off the film that is clearly still on the inside...

what you go?? yes quite, that is what I said too, but when it was demonstrated to me I was astonished... it is one of those instructor handy tips that noone knows unless they have the problem..

you hold a lighter underneath the inside of the mask (not the skirting, the lens bit) then gently burn off the residue and as you do watch it melt away, it is frightening the crap they put on our masks and into the environment so to speak...

drastic, but works a treat... every time

B x
 
#7 ·
using a lighter till glass blackend

drastic, but works a treat... every time
Not everytime it seems...


FFS just sell it and get a Beaver Atomic! We were bored during the 3 hours you tried to sort it out at Vobster today and it still wasn't sorted. How many times do you have to be told ;)

I'm with Gloc, get rid of it. Isn't worth spoiling a dive over being constantly irritated with a fogged up mask.
 
#14 ·
For de-fog, I use spit or diluted baby shampoo, works great as defog, but for cleaning just keep at it, my Beaver Atomic was a nightmare for ages, took loads of tooth paste and burning then one day it was ok (after the lighter trick!).

To stop my mirror misting up the the shower room I smear handsoap (lathered up bar of) on the mirror and wipe it off with a hand towel till it's clear, this may also work on a mask, never tried it mind!

Keep at it, there's no reason I can think of that will make one mask more prone to fogging than an other except for the factory applied release agent on the lens, I may be wrong tho!
 
#17 ·
Yeah along with all the rest, the burning bit and lots of toothpaste sessions usually work (never works just the once though, the toothpaste definitely needs a few goes, with an overnight drying off with the toothpaste still on it too).

I have found the best anti fog solution though once you have gotten rid of that pesky silicone layer. Forget baby shampoo (too weak) and spit (whilst environmentally the best, it encourages nasty fungus growth around the edges) I have a bottle full of water with about a tablespoonful of liquid handsoap dissolved in it (choose your smell carefully though, as you will smell it during the dive). Just add to the mask and rinse before each dive, and you have a chrystal clear mask, that not only smells nice, it doesn't get mouldy and mossy over the months. (yes I have been guiltly of hosting a whole ecosystem in my mask alone!).
Good luck!
 
#22 ·
Hi David

We met and chatted at Vobster at the weekend (Graham & Nic - grey X5, hello Team Foxturd +1 !!) ;)

Nic wears an Oceanic Shadow and we both carry Beaver Atomics as backups (wish you had mentioned it you could have tried one of them out !) As Team Broady kit-slag mask prep is my duty and my tips are as follows;

Oceanic Shadow - Give it the once over with toothpaste then lob it in a dishwasher for a full cycle - jobs a good'un

Beaver Atomic - Give it a couple of goings over with toothpaste and Bob's your Auntie's husband

Now in my opinion it can be the choice of toothpaste where a lot of peeps slip up. You need the white, cheap gritty budget crap - none of these multi-coloured gels that contain f-all abrasives. My weapon of choice is Tesco Daily Care Freshmint (white and green tube)

Hope this helps and may your future be clear and visionary!

Nice to meet you and all the best

Graham :D
 
#28 ·
It would fog up on the surface without a face being in the mask!!
 
#29 ·
i saw him pinching the cleaner from the road kill van,

no use there mate they water the cleaning products down,

i scrub mine with toothpaste

then chuck it in a bucket of washing up liquidy water for about a week...

you forhead was most likely steaming up as it was hot down there on sunday

i get under and leak a bit of water in and slosh it about face down

been doing that for years, dont bother gobbing in it anymore,

good luck
 
#31 ·
Nah, an angle grinder with a wire brush attachment, that's what you need!:teeth:
 
#34 ·
Have you tried smearing your own excrement all over the inside of the mask and then rinsing it out with your own urine David? Alternatively you could take the view that now matter how much of your "Murdoch" you smear on it - it couldn't be a bigger lump of crap than it is already and then you could simply THROW IT IN THE BIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and how did you get on cementing Anglo French relations BTW? :D
 
#35 ·
2Lb lump hammer and £*** to get a better one or

toothpaste on the lens and throw it in the dishwasher after spraying the toothpaste with Mr muscle

Graham
 
#36 ·
I had a similar problem with a Beaver Atomic. I contemplated throwing it away but the pain of doing so made me give it one last chance. I eventually used shampoo after all the other methods had failed and guess what it worked. I should have given up on it long before but peseverance in this case paid off.
 
#37 ·
I'm a fan of the lump hammer approach tbh. Alternatively, we should have put it at the bottom of that 2 foot hole I dug for a fence postg last week and concreted it into history. that would have given someone something to think about when they dig it up in a few years
 
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