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

[-JD-]

I too don’t wish to reread all of this but wasn’t the theory of the ammonia more about the micro-restructuring of the glass surface? The theory being that once such change takes place the need to use something as a defog was reduced? Once again a very small sampling on my part, on both the SP frameless and the Zeagle lens only ammonia soak, I found the right out of the ammonia and a short soak in a bucket of water neither showed a tendency to fog except around the edges of the SP, I ran the SP through the dishwasher and took it right to the pool and it showed no sign of fogging. I then put more ammonia in the SP and let it sit overnight, once again shows tendency to fog on the edges. The Zeagle less fogging but both react very well to just a touch of antifog.
My pool is 80° so I can’t really get a good real world test going, I may forget how to dive by the time I can get back in the water.

I find the fact that with the ammonia bath you see fogging only near the skirt, even after previously not being fog-prone at the skirt after the dishwasher VERY interesting.

Concept: The ammonia bath is leaching/stripping something from the skirt which migrates down and settles at the glass-skirt interface. The chemical and mechanical action in the dishwasher flushes that away. Dishwasher - Ammonia Gel - Dishwasher as the possible optimal treatment?

Question: (since I'm not going to sacrifice my one frameless mask which is the only one that has been tolerable from a leak perspective) Can you pop the lens out and successfully reinstall it in a frameless mask?

 

[lexvil]

I find the fact that with the ammonia bath you see fogging only near the skirt, even after previously not being fog-prone at the skirt after the dishwasher VERY interesting.

Concept: The ammonia bath is leaching/stripping something from the skirt which migrates down and settles at the glass-skirt interface. The chemical and mechanical action in the dishwasher flushes that away. Dishwasher - Ammonia Gel - Dishwasher as the possible optimal treatment?

Question: (since I'm not going to sacrifice my one frameless mask which is the only one that has been tolerable from a leak perspective) Can you pop the lens out and successfully reinstall it in a frameless mask?

I don’t know how or if each is related, I don’t know if an ammonia gel could remain viable long enough to make a difference.

I am pretty sure that the removing and replacing the lens is not likely to be successful.

 

[Couv]

Can you pop the lens out and successfully reinstall it in a frameless mask?

I have one frameless mask that the lens came out of. I've yet to find a way to re-seal it. Yes, I've tried Aquaseal, Shoe goo, and one other product who's name escapes me. The denizens of this thread are anticipating a report from a manufacture that discusses the process of making a frameless mask-perhaps that will help.

 

[stuartv]

I find the fact that with the ammonia bath you see fogging only near the skirt, even after previously not being fog-prone at the skirt after the dishwasher VERY interesting.

Concept: The ammonia bath is leaching/stripping something from the skirt which migrates down and settles at the glass-skirt interface. The chemical and mechanical action in the dishwasher flushes that away. Dishwasher - Ammonia Gel - Dishwasher as the possible optimal treatment?

Question: (since I'm not going to sacrifice my one frameless mask which is the only one that has been tolerable from a leak perspective) Can you pop the lens out and successfully reinstall it in a frameless mask?

I had a phone call with the engineer at Huish that designs Atomic and other masks. One of the things I gathered from that call is that, no, you cannot R&R a lens from a frameless mask. That is the nature of being frameless. The skirt is molded directly onto the lens glass.

I say that based on what he told me about why they can’t do an ARC coating or corrective lenses in the Venom Frameless mask, but they can in the Venom and Venom ARC.

 

[Aquanomad]

Didnt like the fit. Had to over tighten the strap to get a good seal around the outside of my eyes. Sea Sports makes a similar shape mask but has a very soft skirt like the Scuba Pro Trufit line that seats right. Great priced mask. But not gonna force a bad fit.

Why not just get a replacement Mako? Did you not like the mask (ruined buckles aside)?

 

[stuartv]

Didnt like the fit. Had to over tighten the strap to get a good seal around the outside of my eyes. Sea Sports makes a similar shape mask but has a very soft skirt like the Scuba Pro Trufit line that seats right. Great priced mask. But not gonna force a bad fit.

Just an FYI.

I had a look at an Atomic Venom Frameless last weekend. They market it as having a "Gummi-soft" skirt. The normal skirts on Atomic masks are nice, soft silicone. But, the skirt on the Venom Frameless was quite noticeably softer in comparison to a regular Venom skirt.

I am borrowing a Venom Frameless to try out tomorrow. And a Venom ARC, too, so I can compare them back to back in the water. I have a buddy who has both. The Frameless is not cheap. It retails for $170. But, if it is as comfortable and seals as well as it promises, I will probably add one to my pile of masks.

 

[Couv]

I am borrowing a Venom Frameless to try out tomorrow.

Looking forward to your review.

 

[lexvil]

So this morning, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, I picked up my SP frameless and exhaled into it, fogged big time so next the Zeagle, no fog although I may has put something on it before rinsing and setting down, the lens had total prep when I first got it with burning and toothpaste, also days in ammonia.

So this morning I put an Atomic frameless in the container and filled it with ammonia, I’ll probably check it every i hours or so to keep an eye out for any problems. In the mean time I’m going to start over with the SP, burn, and scrub then ammonia.

 

[stuartv]

So this morning, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, I picked up my SP frameless and exhaled into it, fogged big time so next the Zeagle, no fog although I may has put something on it before rinsing and setting down, the lens had total prep when I first got it with burning and toothpaste, also days in ammonia.

I'm not surprised. I wasn't expecting the ammonia to make it completely fog-proof. I think all mine will fog if I breathe on it when it's unprepped and dry. But, a quick splash of BS and quick rinse seems to leave it fog-proof for, well, the longest I've done so far is 1 hour.

 

[lexvil]

I'm not surprised. I wasn't expecting the ammonia to make it completely fog-proof. I think all mine will fog if I breathe on it when it's unprepped and dry. But, a quick splash of BS and quick rinse seems to leave it fog-proof for, well, the longest I've done so far is 1 hour.

Nor was I but in the old scrub style, if you let the de-fog dry the results were usually not good if the suspected treatment of ammonia does make the glass smoother or whatever, so that a micro film stays evenly applied that would justify the efforts. iMHO