Cleaning your mask

[scuba spark]

I went down to the domincan a month ago and did some diving. I rinsed my mask after every dive in the rinse tank, and then I washed it again when I took my gear back to my room each night. When I got back home, I rinsed all my gear again and let it dry completely before storing everything. Last weekend, I picked up some new gear and went down to my dive shops pool to try it all out. I pulled my mask out of my bag and saw that the once clear skirt on my mask now has an orangish/yellow tint to it.

Is there anything I can do to make it clear again? Also, what should I have done to prevent this from happening? Someone said that it was the sun tan lotion I had my face that leached into the silicone and discolored it. He said that I should not use sunscreen on my face if i'm planning on diving.

The mask still seals fine, and the skirt is good and flexible. The glass is not discolored, so I figured I can continue using the mask. Or is this the first sign that I need to look for a new mask?

 

[divingjd]

Clear skirts just tend to get yellowish after a while. I don't know of anything you can do about it and it is just the appearance, so don't worry.

 

[scuba spark]

Ok, thanks for the info.

 

[ABQdiver]

I've read several different locations that contact with neoprene can accelerate the yellowing process of the clear silicone. Like the jd said, it doesn't hurt the mask, just looks a little odd.

 

[JodiBB]

My Cressi mask has done the same thing. It's an oxidation process that the material goes through...I've also heard that it doesn't affect the performance of the mask and so far, I haven't had any problems with it.

 

[CrazyScuba]

Clear silicone absorbs part of the dyes out of black rubber products. If you keep your mask away from snorkels, fins, some wetsuits, reg hoses, etc., you can prevent this from happening. It does not hurt the performance, just the looks.

Happy diving!

Britt :fish:
CrazyScuba.com

 

[Stormbringer]

Yup, not much can help clear mask skirts will yellow. I switched to black mask skirts and now don't worry about it.