Anti-Fogging Treatments for New Masks. (a comparison of techniques)

[lowviz]

Last call for 'new treatments'. I've been on enough hardware and software teams to know the value of the continuous 'Freeze/Thaw' cycle of development.

So this coming Monday at noon (Monday, 12:00 UTC) we stop accepting new ideas and move to designing the exact testing for all the 'good ideas' previously offered during the present 'new idea' thaw cycle.

 

[kelemvor]

@jgttrey already mentioned it, but sea buff. That's all I've ever used. I almost never get fogging issues.. but then I've got a face that's easy to find well-fitting masks for. I almost never have leaks. I think the most common problem is going to be leaking masks removing the defog.

Is it unwelcome at this point to ask how you plan to go about testing? Enclosure with something to generate light steam? Actually dive them? Some third thing?

 

[lowviz]

Not the least bit unwelcome.

Once we have the treatments agreed to (sorta kinda as 'agreement' usually goes), then we next move to 'agree' on exactly how each test will be conducted. Resources are limited so we must proceed carefully.

Finally, we freeze the design of experiments and then begin IRL testing under previously agreed to conditions.

 

[jgttrey]

YES! Now we can talk about the testing protocol.

It'll be like the torque wrench in My Cousin Vinny and good for several more pages of posts....

I propose that we prepare 12 masks according to each method and send to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for evaluation. Double blind, of course.

 

[lowviz]

@jgttrey, thanks for the flash-back. Gave me a good laugh.

I'm no stranger to hotly contested hypotheses. This investigation is beginning to be fun for me, resource-poor, but defensible. The statistics are likely to be weak, but defensible from probability theory.

Probability theory, today an esoteric scientific cornerstone, is rooted in gamblers. A Short History of Probability

So I will gather all available resources, put my personal biases to the side, and attempt to conduct a scientific study given my (admittedly severe) limits.

 

[tridacna]

What are the current sample masks? I’m prepared to donate a new one in the name of good science.

 

[Johnoly]

What are the current sample masks? I’m prepared to donate a new one in the name of good science.

I'll back you up @tridacna !! In the name of good science and the quintuple blind testing as in "Who the heck made this mask??" I'll send @lowviz samples of brand new kidz masks (Walmart/Target/Etc). I'm sure they are NOT made by the same generic manufacturers of expensive dive masks,,,, but what if they TEST BETTER to the same treatment standards ??

 

[lowviz]

OK, so statistics and science are getting support! I have two posters who are donating 'reference' masks (they will buy new, ship direct, and get them back after testing) and a wild hare from left field, you get yours back too if you deliver.

An interesting exercise in real science. If done properly, it all adds to common knowledge relating to this issue. That is my interest in this, nothing more. (Other than I love the process of real unbiased scientific investigation.)

 

[Dan]

Who would be the tester? Some divers who have good fit on the face & don’t exhale through their noses, would not fog up the masks, regardless defogging treatment you put on the mask or not.

 

[lowviz]

Who would be the tester?

Me.

Fit is not a variable in this test. Your objections are most welcome at this time.