Baby shampoo *is* the best defog

[Searcaigh]

+1 on J&J Baby Shampoo, I used to use spit but it does not work so well these days.

First experience with a friend who was using a brand new mask straight out the box and she used baby shampoo with no issues while I spat in mine and had a foggy bit in front of my right eye for a whole dive making me keep water in my mask to rinse the fogged bit away when I was taking photographs.

Next dive and 4 years plus two new masks later I would not use anything else, you don't need toothpaste and lighters.

 

[GrandpaScuba]

Yes - when I was teaching. I used to keep a big bottle of baby shampoo that I took with me to pool sessions and set on the edge of the pool for any student to use if they needed it. It works great, it's cheap, it comes in large quantities, and oh, did I say, it works great.

 

[eelnoraa]

My spit is a miss most of the time as well. I found Johnson baby to be as good or better than Sea Gold, but I still found myself using Sea Gold most of the time. I used to fill Johnson into a small bottle and bring to dive site, but Johnson is very "liquidy", will leak all over the place in the dive bag if not handle carefully. And a few time, it all leaked away before I could use it. SeaGold is more gel like, I just found it easier to handle.

 

[fnfalman]

I guess I didn't believe people when they told me that Johnson's Baby Shampoo is the best defog. I thought, surely the commercial defog products must work better; otherwise, how would they make money on them? I've been using Sea Gold defog gel, but I still had foggy masks pretty often. People blamed it on user error: applying it too long before the dive, rinsing off too much, whatever. I finally decided to try the spray bottle of baby-shampoo-and-water on the boat, and had my first several fog-free dives. They had cut it with water enough that you don't even have to rinse it off; you just spray it on a dry mask and rub it around. Cool!

Useful article: How to Defog a Diving Mask

Since that you're in California, try the organic defog that is also known as kelp leaves.

It's totally free and it works great.

 

[TMHeimer]

OK, I dived today in 43F water with absolutely no fogging with the shampoo and am sold.

 

[Christian.Juanda]

I never use commercial defog,
Everyone here in dive club here use baby shampoo to defog their mask. I personally use J&J baby shampoo.

Regards
CJ

 

[chillyinCanada]

My spit is a miss most of the time as well. I found Johnson baby to be as good or better than Sea Gold, but I still found myself using Sea Gold most of the time. I used to fill Johnson into a small bottle and bring to dive site, but Johnson is very "liquidy", will leak all over the place in the dive bag if not handle carefully. And a few time, it all leaked away before I could use it. SeaGold is more gel like, I just found it easier to handle.

Remove lid from bottle. Put a cling wrap type of product over the top, squueze the cling wrap to close over the opening and down over the screw part of top of bottle. Put cap back on. This should end the leaking issue. I prefer the reusable cling wrap, as it doesn't have to be replaced new every time.

 

[PhatD1ver]

well, as it turns out, one of the products I manufacture is a baby shampoo, so I got some from one of my employee samples, put it into a little squeeze bottle, and tried it out... works like a charm...

I am 'spit' deprived... I tend to get cottonmouth 20 minutes into a dive and have to pull my regulator (and hold my breath) and then swish with salt water (hey, use what ya got and all that)... so I tend to save whatever little spit I have for the water and keeping the inside of my mouth moist and let the baby shampoo worry about my fogging issues

 

[ZzzKing]

I carry a travel size baby shampoo in by mask box. Works great. Spit also works great but the best of all is when I forget to treat the mask pre-dive and have to let in a little water to clear the fog. The water cleans the goo out of my nose and that coats the glass. It is absolutely the best. It's just a little disgusting.

Okay, a LOT disgusting.

As as far as I can tell, all methods work better after burning the film off the inside of the glass and then cleaning the soot off with toothpaste a few times.

 

[ErikNYC]

After just coming back from a week long dive trip up and down south Florida, I am now a firm believer. baby shampoo is the way to go!

"I finally decided to try the spray bottle of baby-shampoo-and-water on the boat, and had my first several fog-free dives."