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

[Hoyden]

The ammonia soak has worked well on all masks that I have tried it on (DSO at a public aquarium). This has made my life so much easier. I did find that it is important to keep the ammonia off of the hard plastic parts so I just put in emough ammonia to cover the inside of the lenses, let it sit for 3 days and it is fog free.

YMMV,

Jackie

 

[RayfromTX]

Why not just remove the lenses for the soak?

 

[tridacna]

Why not just remove the lenses for the soak?

Brilliant idea. I did exactly that to test. Most good masks allow easy removal/replacement.

 

[johndiver999]

why not... place the mask in a bowl of water just deep enough to not flood the outside. Pour ammonia solution into the interior , just enough to cover the glass. The external plastic parts would remain immersed in clean water and the inside of the lens gets the treatment. Seems way easier than disassembly..

 

[stuartv]

Brilliant idea. I did exactly that to test. Most good masks allow easy removal/replacement.

Doesn't it depend on whether it's a frame or frameless? I thought frameless masks have the lenses glued directly into the mask.

 

[Couv]

Doesn't it depend on whether it's a frame or frameless? I thought frameless masks have the lenses glued directly into the mask.

That is indeed the case with my 2 frameless mask.

 

[Hoyden]

why not... place the mask in a bowl of water just deep enough to not flood the outside. Pour ammonia solution into the interior , just enough to cover the glass. The external plastic parts would remain immersed in clean water and the inside of the lens gets the treatment. Seems way easier than disassembly..

Once I realized that it was important to keep the ammonia off of the hard parts I just started placing the mask in the mask box and only putting enough ammonia in the mask to cover the lenses on the inside. I had no need to put water in the mask case. This seems easier than disassmebly or the water bath. To be clear, I have only done this on a dozen or so masks, but it has worked so much better than the scrubbing/burning methods of the past. I have done a little "testing" of shorter ammonia soaks and it seems that 3 days is the minimum required soak.

Jackie

 

[tridacna]

Doesn't it depend on whether it's a frame or frameless? I thought frameless masks have the lenses glued directly into the mask.

I only have two-lens framed masks. Good question.

 

[lowviz]

I'm all about real science and independent observations.

The loaner masks are soaking, soaking, soaking. Full to the top of the plastic mask boxes with household ammonia. Once they have been sent back to their respective owners, we should get 'reports from the field'...

 

[OTF]

Can you elaborate on

it is important to keep the ammonia off of the hard plastic parts

Does it damage the hard plastic?