preventing mask from fogging?

[OTF]

What was the final consensus from @lowviz 's million-page mask cleaning experiment saga thread? I read through about 75% of it, great work and I learned a ton of cool stuff, but I just couldn't slog through the whole thing. Is there an executive summary or final result?

For what it's worth, my primary mask hardly ever fogs even with just a tiny bit of spit on long cold dives. I have another one that basically whites out with fog in minutes no matter what cleaning process I try.

If my mask is fogging during a dive I let a few milliliters of water sit at the bottom of the lenses and just rock my face forward to rinse the fog off whenever it gets bad.

 

[Centrals]

https://www.amazon.com/3M-23478-Scotch-Silane-Treatment/dp/B010OQVZJO?language=en_US

I am talking the silane solution only. Making the glass surface hydrophobic so water just drip off.

 

[lowviz]

@OTF: In short, what you are looking for might be in post #465:

"We have determined (and confirmed by multiple posters) that simply soaking a glass-lens dive mask in commercially available household ammonia solution is extremely effective at reducing a mask’s ability to fog. It appears that a slightly more efficient treatment is to place the mask in a dishwasher and use commonly available high-alkaline dishwasher soap as a vigorous pre-clean before the ammonia soak. Effective room temperature soak times in ammonia solution were determined to be variable: three days to two weeks of total submersion of lens, frame, skirt, and strap. It appears likely that there are faster methods to ‘season’ a mask, but these require more hazardous chemicals and/or harsh temperatures."

Note that we have since moved back from soaking the entire mask. It now appears to many of us that only the inside lens surface needs to be treated. This implies that nothing is 'migrating' onto the lens from the skirt, so it makes sense to spare the rest of your mask the ammonia treatment.

Keep in mind that this isn't "my" treatment nor am I defending anything. That is the cool part about real science, just report unbiased findings and keep trying things that are intended to optimize your desired outcome.

For your problem mask:
Maybe level your mask on a shelf and pour about 1/4 cup of plain household ammonia solution into the right or left lens surface (inside the mask, of course). leave it out in the open air for three days where nobody is likely to splash the contents onto themselves. Rinse and dry. Use the same defog on both lenses. I'd be interested in what you observe when you compare both the treated and untreated lenses.

 

[OTF]

Thanks so much. I tried the ammonia thing, but I guess I didn't let it it long enough. I did several hours instead of days. Will try again.

 

[Grantt]

I haven't had to use a lighter on any of my masks yet, I just thoroughly clean them with toothpaste, then use baby shampoo or spit (my spit not other people's spit in a bottle) for defog.
Sometimes I use too much baby shampoo and do a quick rinse during the dive just to clear up the lens, but generally don't have issues with fogging up.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I bought a new backup mask from DGX. I found this posting on their website interesting.

 

[Grantt]

I bought a new backup mask from DGX. I found this posting on their website interesting.

View attachment 661884

I love DGX. I have one of their frameless masks too. I guess I need to read more.

 

[lowviz]

...//...I did several hours instead of days. Will try again.

The best explanation that we have been able to find is: Anti-Fogging Treatments for New Masks. (a comparison of techniques)

3 days to 2 weeks depending on how the glass was formulated and heat-treated...

 

[alex_can_dive]

If you can not breathe out your nose with water in your mask then you have the skill to not breathe out your nose with a dry mask. It's only the water reminding you not to breathe.

I don't tend to inhale from my nose, but occasionally I exhale through my nose (along with my mouth) for no reason and I couldn't help it.

 

[rick00001967]

if your mask is cleaned properly and you use some type of defog, your mask should not fog on you.